Update on COVID-19 in Vietnam, 24th March 2020
Since our update yesterday, Vietnam has recorded 7 more new COVID-19 cases in the country. The total tally is sitting at 123 as of 11AM, 24th March.
Meanwhile, to further combat the virus, the Vietnamese government has ordered that all flights transporting Vietnamese citizens from foreign countries to Tân Sơn Nhất Airport, Hồ Chí Minh City are to be redirected to other airports in the country.
7 new COVID-19 cases reported in Vietnam
(Photo for illustration purposes only)
Image credit: @phuongot150598
7 new COVID-19 cases were reported over the past 24 hours, putting the total tally at 123.
Case 117 is a 30-year-old male who lives in Long An province. He was in Phnom Penh, Cambodia from 9th to 19th March, after which he returned to Vietnam via the Mộc Bài border gate, where he was found to be showing symptoms. The man was then quarantined and tested.
Case 118 is a 23-year-old female who lives in An Giang province. She worked at a casino in Cambodia, returned to Vietnam on 19th March via the Mộc Bài border gate, and was quarantined as she was showing symptoms.
Case 119: is a 29-year-old American man who lives in Bình Thạnh District, Hồ Chí Minh City. He traveled back and forth between Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand from 1st to 15th March, started showing symptoms on 19th March, and was quarantined for diagnosis on 20th March.
Case 120 is a 27-year-old Canadian man who lives in District 2, Hồ Chí Minh City. He came into close contact with case 91 and was quarantined on 19th March.
Case 121 is a 58-year-old male who lives in Tân Bình District, Hồ Chí Minh City. He returned with his wife from New York on 19th March and was quarantined according to regulations. He has now been confirmed to be positive.
Case 122 is a 24-year-old female who lives in Hà Tĩnh province. She worked in a bar in Bangkok, Thailand and returned to Đà Nẵng, Vietnam on 20th March.
Case 123 is a 17-year-old female who lives in Bến Tre province. She lived in Sarawak, Malaysia for over 3 months before returning to Tân Sơn Nhất Airport, Hồ Chí Minh City on 17th March.
Tân Sơn Nhất Airport to stop accepting flights carrying Vietnamese citizens returning from abroad
Tân Sơn Nhất Airport will stop accepting flights carrying Vietnamese citizens returning from overseas
(Photo for illustration purposes only)
Image credit: @rovervietnam
On 14th March, the Vietnamese government ordered that all travellers arriving from countries significantly affected by COVID-19, such as China, the US, and those in the Schengen area of Europe would be subjected to mandatory quarantine. A week later, on 21st March, this rule was turned up a notch, extending to people arriving from every country.
However, this has put strong pressure on quarantine facilities around the metropolises of Hanoi and Hồ Chí Minh City.
In response, and in carrying out the Vietnamese government’s directives to limit international flights to the country, the Transport Ministry has mandated that from 25th to 31st March, the Tân Sơn Nhất Airport in Ho Chi Minh City will stop accepting flights carrying Vietnamese citizens returning from foreign countries. Instead, these flights will be redirected to land at airports in other provinces, where quarantine facilities are more adequate.
This is in addition to the previous news that all foreigners have been banned from entering the country as of 22nd March.
COVID-19 in Vietnam
While the new regulations will no doubt cause inconvenience to both visitors and locals, they are necessary to maintain the safety of the community. Let’s support national efforts to contain COVID-19 during these trying times, and stay healthy for each other.
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Cover image adapted from: @phuongot150598, @rovervietnam
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