Deputy Director of the provincial Center for Disease Control, Dr Nguyen Cuong, said centralized quarantine spots have been established for proper isolation when suspected cases are spotted: “We have cooperated with border control and customs officers to have passengers screening procedure in place prior to immigration for timely test and quarantine if necessary.”

The provincial border guards have held communications events and delivered thousands of leaflets, free face masks and hand soaps to local ethnic people to guide them in epidemic prevention.

 The northern province of Quang Ninh has organized 16 taskforces to quickly react to the epidemic and dozens of emergency teams on standby for possible eventualities. Director of the provincial Health Department, Nguyen Trong Dien: “We have strictly followed the Ministry of Health’s guidance and regulations on monitoring, quarantine and sample testing. We have standardized beds for treatment. The local police force has been instructed to supervise all citizens traveling from epidemic zones to cooperate with tourism and healthcare sectors in quarantine arrangement.”

 In Ho Chi Minh City, the Department of Health has announced compulsory quarantine for people traveling from Iran and Italy as from March 1. Tan Son Nhat Airport received 4674 passengers from the Republic of Korea between February 23 and 27, more than half of them are Korean citizens. The municipal Department of Health said it has sufficient facilities with early identification plan ready for quarantine.