Vietnam quarantines another 68 people for coronavirus tests

The total number of suspected cases increased to 304 as of Monday. Of these 214 have tested negative and 90 are in quarantine pending the test results.

Gia Lai in the Central Highlands, Hai Phong and Thai Binh in northern Vietnam, Quang Binh in central region and Bac Lieu in the Mekong Delta are localities that reported new suspected cases of the novel coronavirus (nCoV) infection on Monday.

The northern port city of Hai Phong has quarantined seven people who returned from China's epidemic-stricken areas or previously had contact with Chinese tourists.

The central province of Quang Binh has quarantined four people with symptoms of high fever, one a returnee from China, another who came from the U.S. after transiting in Hong Kong, and two others who'd come into contact with the two mentioned earlier.

Also Monday, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc had said that both Vietnamese and foreigners entering Vietnam from China will be quarantined for 14 days. The order will apply to everyone who has passed by 31 direct jurisdictions in China that have reported the nCoV infection.

The Vietnamese government declared the nCoV an epidemic on Saturday.

The death toll from the epidemic has reached 426, with 425 dying in China and one in the Philippines.