First reporter among Vietnam's nine new Covid-19 infections

By Le Nga   March 29, 2020 | 04:04 am PT
First reporter among Vietnam's nine new Covid-19 infections
Hanoi's Bach Mai Hospital was disinfected on March 28, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy.
Nine new Covid-19 patients, including a reporter and three others linked to Hanoi's Bach Mai Hospital, have taken Vietnam's tally to 188 infections, the Health Ministry reported Sunday evening.

The new patients take the number of infections linked to the Bach Mai Hospital, one of the country's biggest, to 19. The hospital in Dong Da District is one of the largest sources of Covid-19 infection in the country.

"Patient 183," a 43-year-old female reporter, resides in Cau Giay District, Hanoi. She interviewed a 58-year-old Frenchman on March 12 who went on to become "Patient 148". He had not been found positive for the coronavirus at the time of the interview. "Patient 183" is the country's first infected reporter.

"Patient 184," "Patient 185" and "Patient 188" are related to the Bach Mai Hospital and the Truong Sinh Company, which provides food and logistic services to the hospital.

"Patient 184" is a 42-year-old female worker of Truong Sinh. She lives with two colleagues who were confirmed infected earlier. She started coughing on March 28 and was put in quarantine at the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases in Hanoi. She is under treatment there in stable condition.

"Patient 185", 38, resides in Hanoi’s Hoai Duc Disitrict. He underwent treatment for eight days at the hospital before going home on March 19. On March 24, he developed a cough and had his samples tested. He was confirmed positive March 29.

"Patient 188", a 44-year-old employee of the Truong Sinh Company, came into close contact with another staff of the firm who later became "patient 169". The patient had a cough and sore throat on March 22. Previously, she had left Hanoi for a family gathering on March 14 and later returned to work at the Bach Mai Hospital.

The three patients are under treatment at the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases.

"Patient 180", 27, lives in My Duc Disitrict, Hanoi. A student in France, she landed March 20 in Hanoi's Noi Bai airport on Thai Airways flight TG564, transiting in Bangkok. She was sent to a quarantine zone in the northern province of Ninh Binh upon arrival.

"Patient 181," 33, lives in Hanoi. He was on the same flight as "Patient 180" and quarantined in Ninh Binh, too.

"Patient 182", 19, is another Hanoi resident who studies in Switzerland. She landed in Hanoi March 20 on Vietnam Airlines flight VN618 after transiting in Thailand. She was also sent to a Ninh Binh quarantine zone upon arrival.

Patients 180, 181 and 182 are in stable health as they undergo treatment at the Ninh Binh General Hospital.

"Patient 186", a 52-year-old French, is the wife of "Patient 76". She’d landed March 10 at the Tan Son Nhat airport in Ho Chi Minh City on Turkish Airlines flight TK162. From March 10-16, the couple traveled through HCMC, Can Tho City, Hoi An and Hue. On March 16, she came to Ninh Binh Province and had her samples taken.

"Patient 187", a 30-year-old U.S. national, stayed in Hanoi’s Tay Ho District after landing March 13 at the Noi Bai airport on Vietnam Airlines flight VN54 . From March 13-19, he quarantined himself at home but came into contact with four Vietnamese and five foreigners living in the same building. On March 22, he had his swab samples taken and he was confirmed positive for the novel coronavirus on March 25.

Of Vietnam's current total of 188 confirmed Covid-19 cases, 25 have been discharged after treatment.

Many of the currently active cases are Vietnamese nationals returning from Europe and the U.S. and foreigners coming from the same regions.

The government on Sunday decided to suspend all international passenger flights to Vietnam and limit flights from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to other provinces and vice versa in the coming two weeks.

Prime Minister announced the decision at an online meeting on Covid-19 fight with leaders of five cities Hanoi, HCMC, Hai Phong, Da Nang and Can Tho.

Starting March 22, Vietnam has suspended entry for all foreign nationals, including those of Vietnamese origin and family members with visa waivers and halted all international flights from March 25.

The Covid-19 pandemic has killed more than 31,700 people in 199 countries and territories.

 
 
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