Vietnam province isolates commune with seven coronavirus patients

The lockdown, to last 14 days starting on Thursday, is the latest effort by authorities in the northern province to contain the disease after a three-month-old girl tested positive for the virus (nCoV).

According to standing vice chairman Le Duy Thanh, the number of infection cases in Son Loi Commune has been increasing, prompting authorities to increase the number of disease control checkpoints there from five to eight.

Provincial authorities have also established mobile shops and provided food and free face masks to over 10,600 people.

"Vinh Phuc has the highest number of positive cases in the country but the disease has not spread to other areas and provinces," Thanh said.

"Everything is still under control. We are putting in every effort and believe we'll be able to contain it."

A control checkpoint for the new coronavirus disease in Son Loi Commune, Binh Xuyen District, Vinh Phuc. Photo by VnExpress/Dinh Nguyen.

The province on Wednesday passed a resolution on providing support for quarantined people and for those working at disease control checkpoints.

Those at quarantine and medical centers will receive a daily food allowance of VND60,000 ($2.3), while those quarantined at home will get VND40,000.

Health and other workers at disease control checkpoints meanwhile will receive VND200,000 on normal working days and VND400,000 on holidays.

Schools will remain closed until February 23.

Vinh Phuc has 10 of the 15 confirmed nCoV cases in Vietnam. The source of the infection was a group of eight workers who returned from China's Wuhan City, its epicenter, on January 17.

The province quarantined 311 people, of whom 104 have so far tested negative for the virus. Another 252 people are being monitored at home after they were found to have come into contact with patients but have shown no symptoms.

Authorities have established a field hospital with 300 beds at the College of Culture and Arts in Vinh Yen Town and a 200-bed facility at a military school in the same town.

Vietnam declared the nCoV outbreak an epidemic on February 1.

As of Thursday the global death toll had climbed to 1,369 and confirmed infections topped 60,000. Nearly 6,000 patients have recovered.