The decision lifting the epidemic status from the province, which is home to tourism hotspot Nha Trang, was signed by Deputy Health Minister Do Xuan Tuyen Wednesday in accordance with the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases.

Despite lifting the epidemic status, the ministry has told Khanh Hoa authorities to continue disease monitoring, prevention and control measures in accordance with regulations.

The ministry declared a coronavirus epidemic in Khanh Hoa on January 1 after a hotel receptionist in the province's beach town of Nha Trang tested positive for the virus. The receptionist had interacted with two Chinese visitors, who were later confirmed to be Vietnam's first cases of coronavirus infection, on January 17 before developing fever and coughing the following day.

She was subsequently isolated and treated at the province's Hospital of Tropical Diseases, where she made a full recovery and was discharged on February 4. The province has detected no new Covid-19 patient since.

Khanh Hoa has therefore become the first infected province in Vietnam to be declared free of the Covid-19 epidemic. The other two provinces, Thanh Hoa and Vinh Phuc, are still considered at risk.

Vietnam declared the Covid-19 outbreak an epidemic on February 1, and has recorded a total of 16 patients, all of whom have been cured and discharged. The country as a whole has recorded no new infection in the last 13 days.

Meanwhile, the global death toll of the epidemic is approaching 3,000, with most of the deaths in mainland China, followed by Iran with 16, South Korea with 12 and Italy with 11.