Vietnam’s military expands isolation facilities to house more than 60,000 people

Thousands of Vietnamese returning home from pandemic-hit countries have created challenge to the government in preventing the virus outbreak.

The country’s military have already prepared 44,718 beds in 140 areas nationwide to house people requested for quarantine, said Major General Nguyen Xuan Kien told Wednesday government meeting, adding that about half of the beds have been occupied, with about 21,000 people.

Currently, the facilities are able to house up to 38,000 additional people while 14,000 people have since been released from isolation, he said.

In preparation for the increasing demands, the military is adding between 10,000 and 20,000 beds, Kien was cited in a posting on the government’s news website.

On Wednesday, the country welcomed about 6,800 Vietnamese people returning home from foreign countries amid fast spreading of the novel coronavirus in Europe and ASEAN countries, according to the Vietnam Civil Aviation Authority.

Of the people, as many as 1,095 Vietnamese come from European countries like France, Germany and the UK while the rest return from ASEAN.

Under the current regulations, all incoming passengers shall have to declare medical status. Those from the pandemic stricken areas shall be tested and taken to centralized quarantine areas.

On Wednesday night, Ministry of Health reported the 76th patient, who is a French national, aged 52. After arriving Ho Chi Minh City, he visited several places in Vietnam including Can Tho, Hoi An, Hue between March 10 and 16. When he visited Ninh Binh, he was tested positive with the virus.

In a move to protect the tourism industry, the government has ordered for a crackdown on the increasing discrimination against foreigners because of coronavirus fears.

In a directive on Wednesday Vietnamese Government ordered all local administrations and tourism authorities to punish perpetrators of such acts to safeguard the country’s tourism image, VnExpress says. 

Looking for people 

The Ministry of Health recommended passengers of three international flights IMMEDIATELY contact local Centers for Disease Control to have their health monitored following detection of COVID-19 patients on these flights: 

- Flight MI632 of Silkair from Singapore to Da Nang on March 14, 2020;

- Flight VN54 of Viet Nam Airlines from London to Ha Noi on March 13, 2020;

- Flight SQ323 of Singapore Airlines from Amsterdam to Singapore on March 14, 2020 and transfer in Viet Nam

All booking offices shall have responsibility for informing passengers on the aforesaid flights about this announcement.

Graphic: VGP

Earlier, the Vietnamese health authority announced it has been tracing passengers on the following flights due to detection of COVID-19 patients:

- Flight EK 392 of Emirates Airlines from Dubai to Ho Chi Minh City on March 12,2020;

- Flight BR 395 of Eva Air from Taiwan to Ho Chi Minh City on March 16, 2020;

- Flight TG 917 of Thai Airways from London to Viet Nam after transiting in Bangkok on March 15, 2020. TG 564 of Thai Airways from Bangkok to Ha Noi on March 15, 2020;

- SQ 176 of Singapore Airlines, landing at Noi Bai International Airport on March 15, 2020;

- VJ 826 of Vietjet Air from Malaysia to Noi Bai International Airport on March 4, 2020;

- TK162 of Turkey Airlines from Istanbul to Ho Chi Minh City on March 8, 2020;

- QH 1521 of Bamboo Airways from Ho Chi Minh City to Phu Quoc on March 9, 2020;

- QH 1524 of Bamboo Airways from Phuc Quoc to Ho Chi Minh City on March 13, 2020;

- SU 290 Aeroflot from Moscow to Ha Noi on March 12, 2020;

- QR 970 of Qatar Airways from Doha to Ha Noi on March 10, 2020;

► Nearly 7,000 Vietnamese return home to flee coronavirus pandemic

► Coronavirus infections in Vietnam hit 75, with 7 newly confirmed cases

Source: VGP