Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on December 27 night issued a dispatch requiring urgent tracing of those who had contact with Covid-19 patient No. 1440, thus preventing the spread of the coronavirus in community.

A health worker is taking samples for Covid-19 testing (Photo: VNA)

Pointing out the severe situation of Covid-19 globally, PM Phuc stressed that set preventive measures must be seriously implemented, inspections intensified and any violations strictly punished, with patient 1440 as a typical example.

He asked ministries, agencies and localities to raise the sense of responsibility in this regard, seriously abide by directions of the PM and relevant documents, and closely control immigrants, particularly those illegally entering Viet Nam through small trails.

The PM instructed the southern province of Vinh Long to promptly instruct competent agencies and coordinate with the Ministries of Health, Public Security and National Defence to implement contact-tracing measures regarding the 1,440^th case of Covid-19.

It is the responsibility of all Vietnamese to show the sense of responsibility and observe Covid-19 prevention and control measures so as to have happy, safe New Year holidays, he said.

Patient 1440, a 32-year-old man, illegally entered Ho Chi Minh City from Cambodia, then travelled to Vinh Long. On the way to Vinh Long, he visited an eatery in southern Tien Giang province on December 24 morning.

He tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 on December 25 night and is now being treated at a hospital in Vinh Long, said the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City on December 26.

Many F1 and F2 cases who had contact with the patient at the eatery have also been put under urgent quarantine, said Director of the provincial Health Department Tran Thanh Thao on December 27.
By December 27 evening, Viet Nam recorded a total of 1,441 cases of Covid-19, of which 693 were community infections. The number of deaths still remained at 35. As many as 1,303 patients have recovered from the disease.

Of the active patients, eight were tested negative once for SARS-CoV-2, eight twice, and eight thrice.

A total of 16,799 people who had close contact with Covid-19 patients or returned from pandemic-hit areas are being quarantined nationwide.

Source: VNA