On Saturday evening, Dr Ton That Thanh, the Director of the Da Nang Centre for Disease Control (CDC) announced that the results from testing performed at CDC were negative, indicating 6 people who have been in direct and indirect contact with Viet Nam's 17^th coronavirus patient were not infected with the virus. They consist of 4 foreigners and 2 Vietnamese citizens.

4 foreigners were kept in isolation at the Police Hospital No 199 after arriving by the SE3 train at the city's Railway Station at around 11.05 am today, 7 March. They are 72-year- old and 60- year-old persons from Finland, along with 65-year-old and 60- year- old persons from Norway.

These foreigners onboard Vietnam Airlines flight VN0054 departing from London landed at Noi Bai International Airport in Ha Noi at 4.30 am on 2 March. They were among passengers who flew with a 26-year old woman returning from Europe and she was then confirmed as Viet Nam’s 17^th COVID-19 patient on Friday evening.

The remainders were 25- year-old and 23-year- old flight attendants aboard Vietnam Airlines flight VN0054, and they are residing in Da Nang. 

Dr Thanh said the throat swabs and blood serum samples of the 6 people had been tested for the deadly virus by CDC. He added it took CDC's staff 5 hours to conduct the tests for the new virus by Realtime-RT-PCR technique.

He remarked CDC was officially allowed to conduct coronavirus testing by the Vietnamese Ministry of Health on 6 March.

Dr Truong Xuan Hung from the Police Hospital No 199 said that despite negative test results on the 6 people, they remain under quarantine at his hospital for 14 days. Currently, all of them are in normal health.

By PHAN CHUNG - Translated by MAI DUNG