More than 169,000 COVID-19 cases added to national tally on March 11

The majority of the latest cases were detected in Hanoi, with more than 31,890.

The three localities reporting the highest number of infections behind the capital include Nghe An with 11,054 cases, Phu Tho 6,352 cases, and Bac Ninh with 6,346 cases.

Over the past 24 hours, a total of 71 COVID-19 patients have died, bringing the death toll caused by the virus up to 41,228, or 0.8% of all infections.

In the latest wave that hit the country in late April, more than 5.44 million cases have now been confirmed, with 2.98 million people having now recovered.

The same day saw the Ministry of Health also announce a total of 74,857 recoveries, thereby taking the total number of recovered cases up to 2,983,222.

As of March 10, a total of 199,277,592 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered.

Meanwhile Do Van Dung, head of the Public Health Department at Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy, said the country could face at least one more COVID-19 wave over the next six months before the virus finally becomes endemic.

A new wave is likely to appear, unless most people have already developed "strong" antibodies, he added.

According to health experts, the pandemic remains unpredictable as new strains could cause new waves and it is possible that existing vaccines are no longer effective.

If there are no more new strains in the future, or if there is a vaccine that is more effective against the new variants, or a specific treatment drug, then COVID-19 could become a common disease by this year's end.