Illegal Chinese entrants found in Hanoi amid coronavirus outbreaks

Chu Xuan Dung, deputy chairman of the municipal People's Committee, on Sunday said the Chinese would be tested for Covid-19 and be transferred to a centralized quarantine zone in Hoang Mai District. They were discovered by police Sunday afternoon.

He reiterated the three main sources that pose Covid-19 risks for Hanoi are those who return to the city from other localities, those entering Vietnam legally and are put into centralized quarantine zones, and those who enter the country illegally.

Despite Hanoi's best efforts to prevent illegal entry, there are still some who manage to slip through. Citizens, especially residences like hotels, should report illegal entrants to authorities for Covid-19 prevention, he added.

After over a month without community transmissions, Vietnam has recorded 24 new cases since April 29 located in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), northern Ha Nam, Hung Yen and Vinh Phuc provinces.

Six cases in Vinh Phuc were employees of a bar in the province who came into close contact with a group of Chinese experts who tested positive with the coronavirus after returning to China later.

The remaining cases in Ha Nam, Hanoi, Hung Yen and HCMC are all linked to a Ha Nam man who returned from Japan and tested positive after completing his two-week centralized quarantine in Da Nang City. This man failed to quarantine himself for another 14 days as required.

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