Speaking at a video conference Friday morning, Long said that although Viet Nam has successfully contained three COVID-19 waves, the risk of resurgence of local transmission remain high as the pandemic is still evolving complicatedly in the region.

Since the beginning of the pandemic fight, 1,600 checkpoints have been set up with 10,000 border guards supported by local authorities to manage entry and exit, according to the minister.

He, however, said the long land borderline has posed numerous difficulties to the management of immigration while illegal entry via sea is underway in a complicated manner.

The two illegal entrants are Vietnamese women, both aged 25.

The pair returned to Viet Nam on a fishing vessel that arrived in Phu Quoc Island of the southern province of Kien Giang on March 22.

One of them travelled by boat from the island to the mainland before taking a bus to Ho Chi Minh City while the other flew to Ha Noi via Vietjet Air flight VJ458 before travelling to the northern port city of Hai Phong in a private car.

Both of them went to medical facilities in Ho Chi Minh City and Hai Phong on March 24 for medical check and were confirmed positive for COVID-19 the next day.

In a related move, the Ha Noi Center for Disease Control issued an urgent announcement calling on passengers onboard the flight VJ458 from Phu Quoc to Noi Bai on March 22 to self-isolate at home.

The passengers need to contact the nearest medical stations or call hotline 0969082115 - 0949396115 for advise and support./.