Ho Chi Minh City’s Binh Thanh district has detected 11 Chinese nationals who had previously entered Vietnam illegally, local police said on July 29.

Ho Chi Minh City sets up checkpoints at city entrances to control COVID-19 

Tipped off by local residents, the police carried out a search and found the group were residing at an apartment in Ward 22 of Binh Thanh district.

Following the search, each individual subsequently underwent a medical check-up before being immediately placed into quarantine in line with protocol to halt the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

HCM City has kick-started the COVID-19 prevention and control campaign after two coronavirus cases were confirmed in the locality.

In addition to controlling people returning from COVID-19 affected areas such as Da Nang, a coronavirus hotspot, the city is also at risk of the epidemic spreading through people who have illegally entered Vietnam, said Nguyen Tri Dung, director of the municipal Centre for Disease Control.  

With this threat under consideration, Dung recommended that cases of foreigners illegally entering the country face harsh punishments and be deported from the country.

Hundreds of Chinese nationals have entered Vietnam illegally during the past few weeks, accoding to preliminary reports. Local authorities across Vietnam, including Ho Chi Minh City, have detected and quarantined these citizens in line with regulations on COVID-19 prevention and control.