HANOI: Vietnam posted nine more new coronavirus infections early on Friday, January 29 as the country's first outbreak for nearly 2 months spread to Hanoi, the capital, where the ruling Communist party is currently holding its key five-yearly congress.

The new cases, including one in Hanoi and eight in nearby Haiphong city and Hai Duong, Quang Ninh and Bac Ninh provinces, brought the total number of cases in the outbreak that began on Thursday to 93, the Ministry of Health said.

Meantime, China reports 52 new mainland COVID-19 cases as against 54 a day earlier. Mainland China reported 52 new COVID-19 cases on Jan. 28, down from 54 cases a day earlier, the country's national health authority said on Friday. The National Health Commission said in a statement that 36 of the new cases were locally transmitted infections. Asymptomatic cases, which China does not classify as confirmed COVID-19 cases, rose to 42 from 28 a day earlier.

World Health Organisation oriented team in Wuhan probing COVID origins meet Chinese scientists A WHO-led team of experts investigating the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic began meeting with Chinese scientists on Friday, and the WHO said the group plans to visit labs, markets and hospitals in Wuhan. On Thursday, the team completed two weeks of quarantine following its arrival in China, moving to a lakeside hotel in the central Chinese city where the deadly virus emerged in late 2019.

New York State’s health department may have highlighted the COVID-19 death toll among state nursing home residents by as much as 50pc, according to a report released by the state attorney general's office on Thursday.

No COVID-19 death in Nepal in last 24 hours

New strain of corona grows in America, death rate increased rapidly

Number of new strain of coronavirus cases increases worldwide