Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi, has recorded 29 COVID-19 cases since the start of this year. The Hanoi Centre for Disease Control reported 17 new infections across 12 communes and wards between March 20 and 27, up from three cases in the previous week. The World Health Organisation (WHO) is currently monitoring the BA.3.2 variant. The local health department advised people not to panic and remain vigilant while maintaining preventive measures.

The WHO said the variant shows some antigenic changes and immune escape characteristics under laboratory conditions. A newly identified Covid-19 variant, informally dubbed Cicada, has been detected in limited clusters across multiple regions, prompting scientists to closely monitor its characteristics and potential impact.