The Emergency Department of the E Hospital in Hanoi (Photo: VNA)

The patient, 87, lives in Thanh Ba district, Phu Tho province, and went to E Hospital in Hanoi for a health check-up on August 12.

He stayed at a relative’s house in Co Nhue, Bac Tu Liem district, Hanoi, after that and was admitted to the Hepatobiliary Department of the E Hospital on August 13.

The patient was diagnosed with pneumonia after a CT scan and transferred to the Department for Tropical Diseases of the E Hospital.

He had his blood sample taken on August 18 and the result was positive for SARS-CoV-2.

The man is being treated at the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases in Hanoi’s Dong Anh district.

The E Hospital stopped receiving new patients from 8pm on August 19 and traced all staff who came into close contact with the man.

It was initially estimated that nearly 100 medical workers had close contact with the new patient.

All employees at the hospital will be tested for COVID-19 and each department sprayed with disinfectant.

The new patient lives with his son, daughter-in-law, two grandchildren and one great grandchild in Phu Tho province.

He had not left his house in Pho Tho for a month prior to travelling to Hanoi.

His family’s relatives did not visit any COVID-19 hotspots and he has no underlying medical conditions.

There have been 654 community transmission cases, including 514 confirmed since July 25 which are linked to Da Nang, the country’s major COVID-19 outbreak spot.

One day earlier, a total of 15 COVID-19 patients were declared fully recovered from the disease, taking the overall number of recoveries to 535.

Among 459 cases in treatment, 98 have had negative test results for the first time or several times.

As of 18 hours of the day, Vietnam’s infection count stands at 994, of which 25 have died of various pre-existing comorbidities and COVID-19 complications.

Over 83,640 people are being put in quarantine, including more than 20,290 at quarantine facilities, 1,887 at hospitals and the rest at home.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health has also ordered localities across the nation to improve their testing capacity, and be fully prepared for epidemic prevention work.

According to Acting Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long, outbreaks in Da Nang, Quang Nam and some other localities are being brought under stricter control, however, the epidemic is anticipated to drag out in the time ahead.

There are likely to be clusters of community infections in the coming time, Long warned, and demanded that all localities remain on high alert to detect new cases, and zone off in a timely manner. The sooner fresh infections are detected the more effective measures to contain the pandemic will be, he added.

Elsewhere, on the afternoon of August 19, Da Nang removed the lockdown on Hai Chau General Hospital after 14 days of isolation, making it possible for more than 300 people to return home after the quarantine period.

Hanoi: Hospital E suspends admissions amid COVID-19 fears

State-owned Hospital E in Hanoi has decided to suspend receiving patients and visitors from 8pm August 19 after a suspected case of coronavirus was detected.