Vietnam Records 240 Community COVID-19 Cases In 5 Days, Many Students Go Into Quarantine

Hanoi records 2 new COVID-19 cases in the community

Tet, or the Lunar New Year holiday, is the time when Vietnamese people across the country return to their hometowns for family reunions.

While this is supposed to be the most anticipated season of the year, it has turned into a period of daily anxiety as the country is struggling with a new wave of COVID-19 cases. Within just 5 days, Vietnam has recorded 240 new community coronavirus cases, taking Vietnam’s current total to 1,819 cases.

With New Year’s Eve only 10 days away, Vietnam is in a race against time to combat the outbreak.

Vietnam faces a new wave of COVID-19 infections

Image for illustration purposes only
Image credit: Nguoi Lao Dong

Since 27th January, the COVID-19 outbreak in Vietnam has been rapidly worsening with a daily rise in community cases. As of 1st February 2021, Vietnam’s total number of COVID-19 cases has hit the 1,819 mark.

So far, 26,861 people have been brought to quarantine facilities for observation and treatment, including people returning from other countries and those who came in contact with confirmed cases.

Hanoi residents taking COVID-19 tests as the city sees a daily hike in community cases
Image credit: Nguoi Lao Dong

Between 31st January and 1st February, 19 new community COVID-19 cases have been confirmed. Among these new cases, 6 were detected in Hanoi, 3 in Quang Ninh, 1 in Binh Duong, and 9 in Hai Duong. So far, Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital and political center, has recorded 15 community cases.

Hanoi ramps up search for suspected COVID-19 cases
Image credit: Nguoi Lao Dong

The newest COVID-19 cases today have been detected in Hanoi, and are namely Patient 1818 and Patient 1819.

Patient 1818 is a 40-year-old lady living in Nam Tu Liem, who reportedly had close contact with Patient 1723, the wife of Patient 1,694. Patient 1819, a 48-year-old resident in the Cau Giay area, contracted the virus after attending a wedding party with Patient 1814 in Chi Linh City in Hai Duong Province.

Numerous students and teachers go into quarantine

Xuan Phuong Elementary School has been sanitized
Image credit: Thanh Nien

After Hai Duong, Hai Phong, and Quang Ninh required its students to stay at home and take their Lunar New Year holiday early because of the COVID-19 outbreak, Hanoi and Bac Ninh also followed suit.

Image credit: Thanh Nien

Worse still, many students have gone into quarantine and shall celebrate the Lunar New Year holiday in quarantine facilities.

After its student, the son of Patient 1694, tested positive for COVID-19, Xuan Phuong Elementary School was closed and turned into a quarantine camp.

Xuan Phuong Elementary School students being quarantined
Image adapted from: Beatvn

57 students, 22 school staffers, and 1 parent who came into contact with the confirmed cases are being quarantined here. Since the compulsory quarantine period is 21 days, these students and school staffers will have to to celebrate the Lunar New Year Holiday inside the quarantine facility.

As a precaution, the remaining school staffers and students of the school have also been placed on stay-home quarantine notice.

Meanwhile, Ho Chi Minh City’s Bui Thi Xuan High School has also required approximately 100 students and teachers to go into quarantine after one student boarded flight VN213 which carried a COVID-19 patient.

Vietnam faces a new wave of community COVID-19 cases

The Lunar New Year is the most anticipated annual event for every Vietnamese resident. This is the longest public holiday when we can spend quality time with our family, or travel for relaxation after a year of hard work. However, due to the escalating COVID-19 outbreak, many people, especially those whose hometowns have entered semi-lockdown, have to cancel their return trips.

This Lunar New Year holiday will be unprecedented and challenging not only for people working remotely away from home, but also for all Vietnamese people. Instead of visiting our relatives and engaging in festive activities during the holiday like we usually have, we might have to stay home as the government tightens preventive efforts.

Let’s take heed of the government’s latest COVID-19 safety guidance, and take comfort that we’ll all see each other again once the pandemic is over.

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Cover image adapted from: Thông tin Chính phủ and Beatvn

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