A worker fumigates an ambulance carrying people to a concentrated quarantine centre in Khanh Hoa province

This Japanese passenger flew from Siem Reap (Cambodia) on flight VN814 and arrived at Tan Son Nhat International Airport of HCM City at 10:30pm on March 3. Right on that night, the passenger boarded flight VN340 to go to Japan and was tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19 there.

The crew and plane of flight VN340 returned to Vietnam on March 4 with their flight coded VN341.

After receiving this information on March 4 afternoon, the city’s disease prevention and control system immediately took response measures while flight VN341 was preparing to land.

As this flight hadn’t been disinfected before returning to Vietnam, the 13 crew members and 22 passengers entering the country (all are Vietnamese, including adults and children) were sent to the city’s concentrated quarantine wards in Nha Be and Cu Chi districts on late March 4. The aircraft was sterilised in line with regulations.

Regarding flight VN814, relevant agencies also quarantined six crew members right on late March 4. Among the six passengers who boarded this flight and entered Vietnam, five are foreigners (one Filipino, three French and one Australian), and they exited the country on March 4.

The other is a Vietnamese residing in District 1 of HCM City, and this person was also sent to a concentrated quarantine centre on March 5 morning. Meanwhile, relatives having contact with this passenger were asked to quarantine themselves at home.

Nine staff members of Tan Son Nhat airport who met the infected Japanese passenger on March 3 night have also been quarantined since March 4 night.

Additionally, before leaving Vietnam for Bangkok (Thailand), the three French on flight VN814 stayed at a hotel in District 1. Six hotel employees having contact with them are kept in quarantine at present. The hotel has also been disinfected.

In the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho, a Vietnamese returning from the Republic of Korea, where the number of COVID-19 cases is surging, died on March 5 morning, but he was tested negative for SARS-CoV-2.

The 65-year-old man became unconscious and was hospitalised on March 4 afternoon. He suffered from septic shock caused by pneumonia, acute kidney failure and diabetes.

Nearly 1,800 people quarantined on South Korea flights to Van Don airport

Passengers at Van Don International Airport

Nearly 1,800 people who arrived at the northern province of Quang Ninh's Van Don International Airport from South Korea have been quarantined for SARS-CoV-2 prevention.

On March 1-3, Van Don Airport served 10 flights, transporting 1,932 passengers from South Korea, including 1,788 Vietnamese and 144 foreigners who are from Japan, Russia and Canada.

The flights were conducted by national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines and budget carrier VietJet Air.

After being given with temperature checks and sterilisation, the Vietnamese passengers were directly transported to quarantine areas in northern provinces such as Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa, Nam Dinh and Hoa Binh, while 144 foreigners were taken to a hotel in Halong City in Quang Ninh to be monitored.

Van Don International Airport provided free masks for passengers.

The airport has arranged a separate landing area for flights from South Korea.

The flight crew and ground service staff have to wear safety clothes for the virus prevention.

On these flights, passengers are not served meals, magazines and blanket to minimise their exposure to inflight objects.

Nguyen Trong Dien, director of Quang Ninh Province's Department of Health, said that local authorities have prepared different scenarios to welcome flights from South Korea such as what should be done when passengers have a fever or they do not co-operate with the quarantine plan./.Dtinews/VNA

Visiting quarantine zone in Khanh Hoa

Vietnamese citizens coming back from the RoK are quarantined in army barracks and military schools in Khanh Hoa province.

Army facilities capable of accommodating 30,000 people in quarantine: Deputy health minister

Army barracks and military schools in the country can serve the quarantine of up to 30,000 people, Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long said, adding that strict quarantine is very important in preventing and containing contagious diseases.