Another illegal Vietnamese entrant infected with new coronavirus

Residing in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 9, he was identified early Tuesday as one of six illegal entries to Vietnam, of whom three have already tested positive.

The six had traveled from Myanmar to Thailand on Dec. 15 and to Cambodia on Dec. 23.

On Dec. 24, they crossed into Vietnam by boat across the Binh Di River that runs between Cambodia and Vietnam, and were picked up by car.

Their driver is being quarantined at a medical center in Soc Trang Province following discovery Monday. He tested negative for the novel coronavirus and the car he used has been disinfected.

Of the six, a man and woman, both 32, traveled to the Mekong Delta provinces of Vinh Long and Dong Thap while the other four arrived in HCMC. The man in Vinh Long has already been confirmed as "Patient 1440" while the woman in Dong Thap has tested positive once.

Among the four who had left for HCMC, a 23-year-old man has become "Patient 1451", two have tested negative, with the last one the latest positive case. At least two positive tests are required for one to be confirmed a Covid-19 patient.

The man in District 9 has worked at a mechanical factory in Long Binh Ward since returning to Vietnam.

Health authorities are tracking down all those that have come into close contact with these positive cases.