Vietnamese authorities are conducting intensive contact tracing after discovering the country’s first confirmed local transmission of the coronavirus in 89 days.
State media said Tuesday that a 32-year-old man in Ho Chi Minh City tested positive for the coronavirus on Monday after visiting a steward who was undergoing self-quarantine at his home following his return from Japan fortnight ago.
The steward tested positive on Saturday, the Tuoi Tre newspaper said.
Health authorities ordered 137 people that had been in close contact with the person to remain during a central quarantine facility and pack up an English Center where he’s employed as an educator, the newspaper said.
The new case ended Vietnam’s streak of 89 days with none known local transmission of the virus.
Earlier, it went 99 days without local transmissions until a cluster of cases broke out at a hospital in Da Nang in central Vietnam in July.
Vietnam’s borders remain closed an effort to stay out the virus. Only limited international flights are operating to repatriate Vietnamese nationals and transport foreign diplomats and experts.
The country has reported 1,347 coronavirus cases, including 35 deaths. Nearly half the confirmed cases were imported, consistent with the Health Ministry.
In other developments within the Asia-Pacific region: Coronavirus quarantine restrictions will continue within the Philippine capital during the Christmas season in Asia’s largest Roman Catholic nation.
President Rodrigo Duterte said in televised remarks late Monday that the overall community quarantine will continue during December in Metropolitan Manila and 7 other cities and provinces.
