In guidelines issued last weekend on how to take care of Covid-19 patients at home, the ministry said patients and their family members should neither come into contact with pets, nor let them come into contact with people and other animals.

It said reports around the world say animals are contracting Covid-19 after coming into contact with infected humans and their caretakers. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), while the chance of animals spreading the coronavirus to humans is low, humans are capable of spreading the virus to other animals, especially with those that they come into close contact with.

Some animals that are susceptible to being infected by the novel coronavirus are dogs, cats, civets, deer and some primates, reports say.

Besides taking precautions regarding pets, people should also prevent infection while receiving and purchasing food and other necessities by disinfecting their hands, avoiding contact and keeping a safe distance from others, the guidelines say.

Vietnam has recorded 445,292 local Covid-19 cases since the fourth coronavirus wave hit Vietnam in late April. More than 11,000 people have died from the disease.