The 240th patient is a 29-year-old Vietnamese woman from Luc Nam district in the northern province of Bac Giang who lived and worked in Bangkok, Thailand.

On March 19, she joined a party in Thailand with the family of the 166th patient – a 25-year-old woman also from Bac Giang province.

On March 20, she returned to Hanoi on flight VN618, seat 28B from Bangkok and was sent to a concentrated quarantine camp in Nho Quan district, Ninh Binh province upon arrival.

She developed a fever on March 31 and tested positive to SARS-CoV-2 on April 1 at Ninh Binh province’s General Hospital.

Her six roommates at the quarantine camp all tested negative for the virus on the same day.

On March 30, health officials in the central province of Quang Binh isolated eight people who had been in close contact with the 166th patient when they were in Thailand.

As of April 4 afternoon, Vietnam has successfully treated 90 COVID-19 patients.

The number of suspected infections was 3,736, down 935 cases compared to April 3.

The healthcare sector also urged localities to trace all people who had come in contact with the 237th patient – a Swedish man who was confirmed infected with COVID-19 on April 1 after being hospitalised following an accident.

Five more COVID-19 patients recover, total at 90

Recovered patients released from Cu Chi COVID-19 treatment hospital in Ho Chi Minh City (Photo: zing.vn)

Five more COVID-19 patients have recovered and were discharged from Cu Chi acute respiratory hospital in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang Hospital on April 4, bringing the total number of patients given the all-clear in Vietnam to 90.

The recovered patients in full are:

Patient number 80, male, 18, Vietnamese nationality, was admitted to the hospital on March 18. During treatment, the patient tested negative three times for SARS-CoV-2 from March 28 to April 2.

Patient number 81, male, 20, Vietnamese nationality, was admitted to the hospital on March 20. He has had three tests and all were negative for SARS-CoV-2 on March 31, April 1 and 2.

Patient number 82, female, 16, Vietnamese nationality, was admitted to hospital on March 20. Her tests were negative for SARS-CoV-2 for three times from March 30 to April 2.

Patient number 83, female, 50, American nationality, was admitted to the hospital on March 20. Her tests were negative for SARS-CoV-2 three times on March 31, April 1 and April 2.

The 68th patient released from the Da Nang Hospital is a 41-year-old man, American nationality. He was hospitalised on March 17 and his tests were negative for three times on March 30, April 1 and 3.

All the patients will continue to be quarantined and monitored for the next 14 days.

Vietnamese communities abroad join hands in COVID-19 fight

Businessman Johnathan Hanh Nguyen donates 25 billion VND to the fight against COVID-19

Vietnamese communities abroad have actively joined hands in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in the homeland by contributing financial assistance, and medical supplies and equipment, according to Vice Chairman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs Luong Thanh Nghi.

Accordingly, Vietnamese people living, studying and working in Poland, the Czech Republic and Russia donated nearly 80,000 face masks, hundreds of bottles of antiseptic, protective gears and medical gloves to help the northern province of Vinh Phuc’s Son Loi commune and hospitals in Hanoi to prevent and control the COVID-19 pandemic.

Notably, businessman Johnathan Hanh Nguyen, an overseas Vietnamese (OV) in the Philippines, donated 25 billion VND. Meanwhile, Nguyen Thi Minh Hong from German presented equipment to install two negative pressure rooms for a COVID-19 treatment hospital in HCM City’s Cu Chi district. She is expected to donate equipment for 10 more similar rooms to health facilities in other localities nationwide.

Tran Ngoc Phuc, Chairman of the Vietnamese Association in Japan, Director of Metran Co. Ltd, transferred technology and helped Vietnamese partners produce ventilators at low prices.

Chairman of the Vietnamese Entrepreneurs Association in the UK Pham Minh Nam and Truong Thi Thu Huong, an OV in China, also donated 1 billion VND each to the effort.
Nghi said that many Vietnamese intellectuals living abroad have proposed initiatives and technological solutions to the prevention work, adding that Vietnamese associations and individuals in France the US, and other countries have also organised fundraising activities to help people in the homeland.

While highlighting the importance of the contributions, Nghi affirmed that OVs have served as bridges to promote the friendship between Vietnam and other countries in the world, and Vietnam's extensive international integration.

COVID-19: Vietnamese embassy in Kuwait prioritises citizen protection

Vietnamese Ambassador to Kuwait Trinh Minh Manh

Vietnamese Ambassador to Kuwait Trinh Minh Manh said on April 3 that the embassy gives the top priority to supporting Vietnamese citizens, with the aim of protecting their health and lives, legitimate rights and interests, amid the complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Manh said no Vietnamese citizens in Kuwait have been infected with the disease so far.

However, about 80 foreign workers, mostly from India, Egypt and Bangladesh, tested positive for the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 that causes the acute respiratory disease (COVID-19). Several residential areas have been zoned off and quarantined. Meanwhile, hundreds of Vietnamese workers are living near there.

According to the ambassador, about 1,300 Vietnamese are living in the Middle East country, most of them are manual workers and still paid by their employers despite their absence from work. Those who have their contracts expired have been provided with accommodation and food by employers until flights to Vietnam are arranged.

He said the embassy attaches importance to ensuring close contact with and the supply of correct news to the Vietnamese citizens as well as the host authorities, particularly amid the spread of fake news on social media at present.

The diplomat added that the embassy launched a citizen protection hotline, updated news on its website and opened a Facebook contact group called “Vietnamese people in Kuwait” with nearly 1,000 members.

All of its staff have fully grasped policies and directions by leaders at home as well as the host country’s policies on epidemic prevention and control, he said.

As of April 3, Kuwait had recorded a total of 417 infection cases, 82 of them fully recovered and no death.

Brunei reports 134 COVID-19 cases as of April 3

Brunei confirmed one new COVID-19 infection case on April 3, bringing the total number of patients in the country to 134.

According to Brunei's Ministry of Health, the 134th case, a 22-year-old local man, is an overseas student who arrived in Brunei from the US through Britain on March 29, China’s Xinhua News Agency reported.

Nine more patients have recovered, bringing the total recovered cases to 65.

Three patients are still in critical condition, requiring ventilator support, while one patient is under intensive care. The rest are in stable condition.

The ministry also stated that so far, a total of 440 individuals are undergoing quarantine, 1,898 people have completed the quarantine period and 7,566 laboratory tests for the COVID-19 have been conducted.VNA/VNN