(VOVWORLD) - Local authorities in the Mekong Delta are rushing to trace all people who had direct and indirect contact with a Vietnamese man who illegally crossed the border earlier this week.
The 32-year-old man, confirmed as patient 1440, from the Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long, traveled from Myanmar to Tak province in Thailand in a car on December 15.
On December 23, he entered Cambodia by truck.
One day later, he illegally crossed the border in Vietnam’s southern province of Tay Ninh and then got on a truck to HCM city, before taking a bus to his mother’s house in Vinh Long. Throughout his journey, he had made contact with several people.
His family reported him to local authorities, before he was brought to a quarantine center and tested positive for COVID-19.
13 people in Vinh Long who had had close contact with the patient have tested negative for the first time.
Neighboring Tien Giang province has put 2 suspect cases in quarantine while Can Tho city and Dong Thap province are strengthening prevention measures.
Prior to the detection of patient 1440, Vietnam had recorded no local infection since December 2.
1,303 patients have recovered and 35 have died.