According to the Ministry, more than 99 percent of the cases contracted the disease after the outbreak in late April, aggravated by the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2.

On Wednesday, 139 people died due to complications related to the disease, totaling 23,476 deaths.

In a bid to revive the economy, by late October, the Government lifted the strictest health regulations and reopened industries and businesses. Only mandatory use of facemasks and the prohibition of mass gatherings remain in force.

The decision was based on a decrease in the number of cases and the progress made in the vaccination campaign.

Some 37,800,000 Vietnamese citizens, out of a population of almost 98 million, have completed the immunization scheme and more than two thirds have received a first dose.

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