A Colombian man has left a quarantine area in Hoi An city in the central province of Quang Nam without being given the all clear, the provincial steering committee for COVID-19 prevention and control said on April 12.

The passport of Leyson Smith Santamaria Orjuela from Colombia. He has escaped from a quarantine site for COVID-19 in Hoi An city (Photo courtesy of Quang Nam Police Department)

Leyson Smith Santamaria Orjuela, 22, left the quarantine site at 19:00 on April 11, and local authorities have been cooperating with neighbouring provinces to track him down.

Before leaving the quarantine area, he had visited many places across the country and his visa expired on February 22.

The committee said he had not completed his quarantine period, and had not been tested for the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.

The province has quarantined 6,116 people at health centres, hotels and homes, of whom 2,603 have completed their quarantine periods. Out of  2,608 samples taken, 2,591 have tested negative for SARS-CoV-2. 

Three COVID-19 patients (No 31, 33 and 57) found in the province have already been released from hospital after treatment and quarantine.

Earlier, an American woman also fled from a hospital in Da Nang on March 30. She was then captured by local police and later tested negative for SARS-CoV-2./.

Source: VNA