DaNang (VNS/VNA) - Twenty-two foreigners, including 20 Korean andtwo Thai tourists, have been kept under quarantine at Da Nang’s Lung DiseaseHospital since February 24.

Deputydirector of the city’s health department Nguyen Tien Hong confirmed the reportto Vietnam News on February 24, stating that all foreign touristswere being quarantined at the hospital and monitored for signs of coronavirusdisease 2019 (COVID-19). 

Hongsaid the tourists would be kept at the site for 14 days, and they would leavethe hospital after receiving health checks and having samples tested for thevirus.

DoctorPhung Dinh Thanh from the hospital also said the Korean and Thai tourists wouldbe staying at the hospital under the instructions of the city’s steeringcommittee. “They are all healthy,” he said.

TheKorean and Thai tourists were on a flight from Daegu, the Republic of Korea(RoK), with 58 other Vietnamese students. They landed at Da Nang InternationalAirport on February 24.

TheVietnamese passengers were taken to quarantine sites in Da Nang following adecision from the Government on quarantining all passengers on flights fromCOVID-19-affected areas. 

Oneof them who is having fever was sent to Da Nang’s Lung Disease Hospital.

Quarantineand sterilisation were strictly implemented by teams and medical staff at theairport and hospitals.

Thecity said 3,000 passengers had entered through the airport and seaport of DaNang on February 24. Of which, 1,315 passengers had to fill in healthdeclarations.

Thecity’s health department said 38 people are being monitored at home, and theywere all healthy.

Itsaid 116 samples out of 165 cases from January to February negative tested forCOVID-19.

Hospitalshave released 155 people, including 33 foreigners.

BothVietnamese and Korean airlines have been operating daily flights connecting Koreancities and Da Nang since 2014.

Touristsfrom the RoK account for the second largest segment of foreign tourist arrivalsin Da Nang at 1 million last year.

Asthe Korean government has risen the COVID-19 warning level to the highest, theVietnamese Ministry of Health on February 25 instructed local people'scommittees to quarantine people entering Vietnam from the RoK.

Localitieshave to ask those entering Vietnam from the RoK or going through the RoK beforeentering Vietnam to fill in health declaration forms.

Thehealth ministry asked all people found to have signs of fever, coughing andshortness of breath at border gates to be immediately quarantined at medicalfacilities and tested for the virus.

Travellersfrom or going through Daegu City and North Gyeongsang province must be putunder quarantine within 14 days of immigration.

Relevantagencies must report to local authorities people who entered Vietnam from theRoK, especially COVID-19 affected areas, from February 9.

Peoplereturning from other Korean areas which are not Daegu and North Gyeongsang areadvised to monitor their health and go to healthcare facilities in case ofsymptoms.

TheMinistry of Health also urged localities nationwide which are carrying outhealth check-ups to send interpreters to support border regions in the face ofthe acute respiratory disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2.

Allcities and provinces have been instructed to issue health declaration forms forpeople entering Vietnam from or transited in China or the RoK, the ministrysaid in a dispatch, as COVID-19 cases surge in the two countries and are likelyto spread to other countries and territories, including Vietnam.

Theform is available in English, Chinese and Korean. However, most border gatesface a shortage of staff capable of reading these languages, making itdifficult for officials to screen cases coming from countries with COVID-19outbreaks.

Departmentsand offices of external affairs in all provinces and cities have been asked tojoin local steering boards in the prevention and control of the disease.

Additionally,local authorities have been tasked with working with relevant agencies to sendinterpreters to border gates to support health examinations.

Healthofficials in border regions are requested to create optimal conditions for theinterpreters to work there./.