Nguyen Tan Binh, director of Ho Chi Minh City's Department of Health, on Monday, called on local authorities to tighten supervision on those having had contact with Covid-19 patients.

The health department emphasized the sister of the 17th Covid-19 patient in Vietnam, living in Europe and attending several fashion shows in Paris and Milan, had been thus infected by the novel coronavirus.

Two Vietnamese celebrities attend Milan Fashion Week on February 23, 2020.
Photo courtesy of Vu Khac Tiep.

Besides, as some Saigon celebs had been to both events, HCMC's Department of Culture and Sports alongside its Department of Information and Communications asked those who had contact with the duo to immediately visit local clinics or hospitals and undergo health examinations.

People's committees across Saigon would coordinate with local police to track citizens returning from Paris and Milan or those who have had contact with the 17th patient and her sister.

The fashion weeks attracted thousands of visitors from all over the world in French capital Paris and Milan, situated in the Lombardy region of Italy, and experiencing the largest number of Covid-19 infections outside Asia.

In the last few days, several Vietnamese celebrities returning from the fashion weeks have been quarantined at home.

Hanoi announced its first Covid-19 infection case last Friday. The woman had travelled to the U.K., Italy and France before returning to Hanoi on Vietnam Airlines flight VN0054.

As of Sunday, there were 14 new cases reported in the country, including four in Hanoi, taking the total to 30. Before the country's 17th case, Vietnam had gone 22 days with no new infections.