The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has informed the Embassies of France, Italy and the UK in Hanoi and asked the Vietnamese Embassies in Paris, Rome and London to share with relevant agencies of the host countries about movement history of a Vietnamese woman who was tested positive for the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 after travelling to several European nations.

Passengers make health declarations before entering Vietnam at
Noi Bai International Airport (Source: VNA)

Spokeswoman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang revealed this information on March 7, adding that the ministry also informed the nations which had citizens on the same flight with the confirmed patient so that they could deploy proper measures in order to prevent the spread of the virus in the community.

“Vietnam will continue and regularly share information and coordinate with other countries and international organizations and relevant partners in the fight against the acute respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2,” she added.

The 26-year-old patient earlier visited her sister in the UK, then travelled to Milan (Italy) and Paris (France) and returned to Hanoi on March 1 on flight VN0054 of Vietnam Airlines.

After coming back to Vietnam, she showed symptoms of fever, cough and tiredness. The patient then came to Hong Ngoc hospital in Hanoi’s Ba Dinh  district for medical check-up and was diagnosed to suffer pneumonia.

As she had gone through COVID-19-hit countries, the patient was brought to the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases for treatment and supervision. Her sample then was tested positive for the virus.

Vietnam has to date confirmed 20 COVID-19 infection cases. Of them, 16 patients have been cured and discharged from hospitals.