Myanmar man takes Vietnam Covid-19 tally to 413

"Patient 413," a 31-year-old man is a crew of the IPANEMA ship, which departed Japan on June 16 and docked June 23 at the Hon Gai Port in Quang Ninh Province. He was quarantined on the the ship until July 6, and thereafter at the Van Long Hotel.

On July 9, his test results came back negative for the Covid-19 virus, but the second test turned out positive on July 23. He is currently being treated at the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases in Hanoi.

Of Vietnam’s 48 active cases, four have tested negative once.

Meanwhile, Da Nang City authorities have quarantined more than 50 people who came into close contact with a local who tested positive for the novel coronavirus Friday.

The patient, a 57-year-old man, went to the Da Nang C Hospital Wednesday coughing and feeling tired. After diagnosing him with pneumonia, doctors took his samples for testing and the result returned Covid-19 positive.

At a steering committee meeting Friday afternoon, Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long said more tests were needed before a Covid-19 diagnosis for the Da Nang man can be confirmed. The National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology is expected to announce the result Saturday morning.

While Vietnam has had no fatality, over 637,000 Covid-19 deaths have been reported so far in more than 200 countries and territories.