HANOI, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- A national memorial service was held Friday night across Vietnamese localities to mourn those who lost their lives to COVID-19.

A nationally televised ceremony commenced on-site at 8:00 p.m. local time in both the Vietnamese capital Hanoi and the southern Ho Chi Minh City. Participants of the ceremony, including senior government leaders and family members of the victims, lighted candles, offered incense and floated water lanterns as a tribute to the victims. Religious facilities including churches and pagodas also rang their bells simultaneously at 8:30 p.m.

During the ceremony, all entertainment activities and performances were suspended in the cities.

The municipal authorities also asked local residents to swap electric lights for candles at 8:30 p.m. in remembrance of the deceased, including hundreds of those who sacrificed their lives on the frontlines in the nation's fight against the pandemic.

Commemorative activities were also held in other localities including the central Da Nang city and the southern provinces of Binh Duong and Dong Thap.

As of Friday, Vietnam has recorded 23,578 deaths related to COVID-19, which accounted for 2.2 percent of 1,075,094 cases in total, according to the Ministry of Health. Enditem

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