HCMCity (VNS/VNA) – Ho Chi Minh City’s Centre for Disease Control (HCDC)said that returnees from localities with COVID-19 patients in HaiPhong city and Binh Duong province must quarantine at home for 14days.

Anyonereturning from Le Hong Phong street in Dang Giang ward in Ngo Quyen districtin Hai Phong, and road D35 in the Vietnam-Singapore residential area in AnPhu ward in Thuan An city in Binh Duong will be supervised by HCDC andtested for the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Bothlocalities are connected to two COVID-19 patients, the Ministry of Healthsaid on March 26.

Thetwo patients illegally entered the country from Cambodia via Phu QuocIsland in the southern province of Kien Giang, and then flew to Hanoi on Vietjetflight VJ458 before travelling to Hai Phong in a private car.

Anotherpatient from Binh Duong went to the Moc Bai border gate in Tay Ninh provinceto purchase goods a few days ago.

Meanwhile,a patient in HCM City who travelled with the two patients in HaiPhong is under quarantine at Cu Chi field hospital.

HCDCsaid two sites in connection with the positive case have been locked downin HCM City, including Quoc Thai Hotel in Binh Chanh district and alley no102 on Le Van Tho street in Go Vap district.

Furthercontact tracing is ongoing and eight of her direct contacts (F1) and 23contacts of the F1 cases have tested negative for the virus.

Accordingto HCDC, authorities have discovered that four people who illegally entered Vietnam on a fishing vessel from Cambodia on March22 had accompanied the three previously confirmed patients.

Oneof them had stayed at a hostel in Go Vap district and two others at ahotel in District 1 in HCM City, and another in Hanoi. All of themhave tested negative for the virus.

HCMCity and Phu Quoc Island City are seeking three other people whowere on the vessel.

Phu Quocauthorities are conducting contact tracing involving the three COVID-19patients, and 26 of their direct contacts have been found.

Thecity said that anyone who was at the venues related toCOVID-19 patients should contact local health agencies for support.

NguyenLuu Trung, Vice Chairman of the Kien Giang Provincial People’s Committee, saidthat because of the situation in Cambodia, the number of Vietnamesereturnees via official and illegal entry is expected to increase in theupcoming time.

Heasked border guards to work closely with the coast guard and navalforce to review and rearrange checkpoints at sea, and usemore patrols to prevent people from illegally entering Vietnam./.