Cruise ship carrying 200 quarantined off Ha Long Town

A representative of the People's Committee of Ha Long Town in northern Quang Ninh Province on Monday said a kitchen staff member on Ambassador Cruise had attended a wedding and used a public Internet service along with a Covid-19 patient in northern Ha Nam Province's Ly Nhan District.

The employee had returned to work on April 29.

The Ambassador Cruise, carrying around 122 passengers and 60 crew members around Ha Long Bay, had subsequently been requested to return to shore for isolation. Medical workers have been dispatched to transfer the kitchen employee to a centralized quarantine zone, with all crew members to be tested too, the representative added.

"The ship has been anchored in isolation at the old Bai Chay ferry terminal as designated by Maritime Administration," the representative said.

So far, Ha Nam has confirmed 12 Covid-19 community transmissions since April 29. The provincial People's Committee has already locked down a village with over 1,000 inhabitants for 28 days starting last Thursday to prevent the disease from spreading. Its karaoke and massage parlors, festivals and other unnecessary large gatherings have also been suspended.

Vietnam has recorded 24 new cases since April 29 located in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, northern Ha Nam, Hung Yen and Vinh Phuc provinces, following over a month with no community transmissions.

The country's total coronavirus tally stands at 2,962, with 35 deaths.