Covid-19: Hundreds of citizens free from medical isolation

Hundreds of people have been released after being confirmed without symptoms of the acute respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) following 14 days of medical isolation.

An elderly inpatient in Thanh Hoa Province receives free medical masks distributed by the province’s Youth Union. (Photo: NDO/Mai Luan)
An elderly inpatient in Thanh Hoa Province receives free medical masks distributed by the province’s Youth Union. (Photo: NDO/Mai Luan)

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On February 16, the Department of Health of Thanh Hoa Province announced that there were 353 local people no longer subject to medical isolation at home and businesses due to suspected Covid-19 infection, while one case in Bim Son Town had a negative result for the coronavirus.

Notably, on February 16, three people from Ngoc Lac District were isolated after they returned Thanh Hoa from Son Loi Commune, Binh Xuyen District, Vinh Phuc Province – the locality is in isolation with five cases of infection among the 16 Covid-19 cases in Vietnam.

Currently, Thanh Hoa is monitoring 719 people in home isolation and 278 other in enterprises.

* On the same day, in the quarantine area at Lao Cai Military School, Lao Cai Province’s authorities granted certifications to and brought home 52 citizens suspected of Covid-19, after having been isolated for 14 days under the Ministry of Health (MoH)’s regulations.

They returned to Lao Cai from China on February 3 and then were isolated at the Lao Cai Military School. Among the 52 cases, 18 people are from other provinces outside Lao Cai and all of them were freely sent to Lao Cai central bus station to get back to their homes.

Presenting certificates recognising citizens as free following 14 days of medical isolation against suspected Covid-19 at Lao Cai Military School, Lao Cai Province, February 16, 2020. (Photo: NDO/Quoc Hong)

Currently, there are 455 Vietnamese citizens returning to Vietnam from the Covid-19 epidemic areas in China being monitored and quarantined at the military facility in Lao Cai.

* Hanoi Department of Health said that as of February 16, the capital city has reported no positive case for Covid-19. There are 67 suspected cases, with 63 among them showing negative test results, while the remaining four cases are in isolation and waiting for test results.

On February 15, Hanoi’s Phuc Tho District decided to isolate a family of five, as a member of them returned from the Covid-19 epidemic area in Binh Xuyen District (Vinh Phuc Province). Currently, the whole family is being isolated at home and no members show any abnormalities.

* On February 16, the People's Committee of Thua Thien - Hue Province said that five residents in Loc Thuy Commune, Phu Loc District, who have returned home from Vinh Phuc on February 14, have been given health check and isolation at home. Their houses have been sprayed with disinfectants and the health of the above mentioned people is normal.

* Vietnam National Textile and Garment Group (Vinatex) said that as of February 16, the group offered 750,000 antimicrobial knit face masks to the market. Along with that, every day Vinatex provides 10 tonnes of antibacterial cloth for manufacturing units of disposable masks (equivalent to about three million pieces a day). It is expected that by the end of February, Vinatex will provide 5.5-6 million antibacterial knitted gauze masks to the market, and up to 12 million in March.

Vietnam has recorded 16 Covid-19 infections so far, with 11 of them in Vinh Phuc Province. Seven patients among the 16 cases have already recovered and were discharged from hospital.

According to the MoH’s infectious disease surveillance system, up until 11 am on February 17, the world has recorded 71,332 cases of Covid-19 infection, of which 70,548 cases and 1,770 deaths have been recorded in mainland China.