Vietnam probes South Korean for coronavirus infection

The 68-year-old returned to South Korea on February 16 and tested positive on February 23, according to a Seoul government office, which added the patient was currently receiving treatment at Seoul Medical Center.

The Vietnamese Embassy in South Korea has asked the Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention for more information regarding the case, said spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang of Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday.

"The Vietnam Ministry of Health and South Korea would exchange information regarding the patient through official channels, in accordance with International Health Regulations. The foreign ministry has already informed the health ministry of the matter," Hang said.

South Korea made international headlines as the worst-hit country after China, with 1,595 coronavirus infections in total, many in the southeastern city of Daegu and nearby North Gyeongsang Province.

Vietnam suspended entry from all areas affected by the coronavirus outbreak Tuesday, to include cities in South Korea, Japan, Italy, and Iran.

Visitors from infected countries must complete health declarations and enter quarantine for 14 days.

Vietnam's last coronavirus patient out of 16 was discharged Wednesday. The country has recorded no new infections over the past two weeks.

The global death toll has reached 2,804, mostly in China, followed by Iran at 22, South Korea at 13 and Italy at 12.