The Embassy of Viet Nam in Seoul has requested the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) to provide information related to a COVID-19 patient who had arrived in Viet Nam from South Korea, according to Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang. 

Foreign Ministry's Spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang

The request was made in accordance with the International Health Regulations (IHR), Hang said.

On February 26, the Steering Committee for COVID-19 Epidemic Prevention and Control urged competent authorities to tighten control of border gates amid complicated developments of the epidemic in several countries, including South Korea.

All Vietnamese nationals returning home from South Korea must be quarantined in accordance with the current regulations, the Committee ordered.

The Committee, established on January 30, also tasked local authorities to monitor health of those who entered Viet Nam over the last 14 days.

Earlier on February 25, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc signed a directive asking the foreign ministry to promptly inform South Korea, other countries and territories about Viet Nam’s measures to contain spread of the COVID-19 epidemic to the Southeast Asian country.

South Korea reported another daily spike in the number of new COVID-19 infections on Thursday,  sending the Northeast Asian country’s total infections to 1,595, according to Yonhap News Agency./.