The People's Committee of the northern Lao Cai province has moved to transfer the locality’s first two positive cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) to the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in order for them to undergo treatment.

At the press conference of the Lao Cai People's Committee   

The information was released at the press conference of the Lao Cai People's Committee on March 9.

The two infected cases involve a British couple who were on flight VN0054 alongside the country’s 17th COVID-19 patient.

Upon arriving in the nation, the British couple took the train from Hanoi to Lao Cai on March 4, before traveling to the Muong Thanh Lao Cai Hotel on March 5. From there, the pair moved to the ToPas Ecolodge Resort in Sapa where they came into contact with a number of Mong and Dao ethnic minority people who sold them various items.

Following this, on March 6 the couple did not go out, but came into close contact with two massage staff.

On March 7, medical workers provided a health-check up for the pair at the resort, with both of them being taken to Lao Cai General Hospital after the husband displayed symptoms of a fever with temperature of over 38 degrees Celsius.

Despite this the man showed no signs of a cough or shortness of breath, his wife was in a stable health condition.

At present, Lao Cai has successfully identified 180 cases of people who came into both close and indirect contact with the British couple, all of whom have been put into isolation to undergo strict monitoring in line with regulations set by the health sector.

Four other British passengers who were traveling on flight VN0054 but in different cabin with the COVID-19 British couple, have also been put into quarantine at Lao Cai General Hospital.

Hoang Quoc Huong, Director of Lao Cai Province Department of Health, stated that after transferring the two cases to the National Hospital for Tropical Disease, a further 21 cases have been put into the isolation ward at Lao Cai General Hospital.