A quarantine area at Someset Westpoint Hotel in Tay Ho district, where the Japanese patient stayed (Photo: VNA)

The 54-year-old Japanese patient, an expert of Mitsui Vietnam Co., Ltd, entered Vietnam on January 17 via the Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City. Right after his arrival, he was quarantined in Ward 2, Tan Binh district, HCM City from January 17 to 31. After two tests which showed negative results, on February 1, he flew to Hanoi and stayed at a hotel in Tay Ho district.

From February 1-13, the patient traveled between the hotel and the company. Around 7pm on February 13, he was found dead in the hotel room. His sample tested positive for the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 on February 14. The cause of his death is under investigation.

As the risk of community infection is very high, Hanoi authorities and relevant forces are urgently implementing synchronous measures to prevent and control the pandemic, including closely coordinating with the health sector to quickly trace related cases to prevent the coronavirus from spreading to the community.

As of 6am on February 15, as many as 152,690 people who had close contact with confirmed COVID-19 patients or entered Vietnam from pandemic-hit regions are currently quarantined, including 683 in hospitals, 18,232 in state-designated establishments and the remaining 133,775 at home.

The treatment subcommittee said the total number of recoveries has reached 1,534, while the number of deaths related to the disease remained at 35.

Among the active patients, 39 tested negative for the virus once, 12 twice and nine others thrice.

VNA

775 people finish quarantine on time for Tet

A total of 775 people completed their concentrated quarantine period in Dong Nai, Bac Lieu and Quang Ninh provinces on February 11, or the last day of the lunar year, and were allowed to go home, just on time to celebrate Tet with their families.