The Health Ministry announced five new COVID-19 cases in Viet Nam on March 17 evening, bringing the total cases to 66.

A quarantine area for COVID-19 patients (Photo: VNA)

The 62^nd patient is an 18-year-old Vietnamese students returning from the UK on March 16 on a flight of Vietnam Airlines which landed in Van Don airport, Quang Ninh province. Testing at the airport showed he was positive for SARS-CoV-2 and the result was confirmed later. He is now hospitalized at the Viet Nam-Thuy Dien Uong Bi hospital in Quang Ninh, in stable health condition

The 63^rd case is also a Vietnamese student returning from the UK.  After her flight landed in Noi Bai airport, Ha Noi, on March 15, she was tested and confirmed to be positive for the coronavirus. The 20-year-old girl is in stable health condition and being treated at the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases No2.

The 64^th patient is a 34-year-old woman residing in Ho Chi Minh City. She travelled from Switzerland through Dubai to Vietnam on March 12, and was taken to a concentrated quarantine facility on March 16. She tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 on March 17, but showed no symptoms.

The 65^th patient, who resides in Ho Chi Minh City, had contact with and worked together with the 45^th and 48^th patients on March 7 and 10. The 28-year-old woman was taken to a concentrated quarantine facility on March 13, and confirmed to have contracted the coronavirus on March 17.

The 64^th and 65^th patients are now hospitalized in the Cu Chi acute respiratory disease hospital. They are both in stable health condition.

The 66^th case, also a resident in Ho Chi Minh City, flew from Pennsylvania, the US on March 14 to Toronto (Canada) then Taiwan (China) and arrived in Vietnam on March 16. Tests the same day confirmed the 21-year-old woman was infected with SARS-CoV-2. She has so far showed no symptom.

As of 19:00 of March 17, the number of COVID-19 cases in Viet Nam was 66, with 16 patients already cured.

Source: VNA