All the new patients, comprising eight Vietnamese and one US citizen, returned from other nations and have been kept in quarantine since their arrival in the country.

Case 77 is a 25-year-old woman, who is a Vietnamese student in the UK. She boarded Flight QR976 and arrived at Noi Bai International Airport on March 17.

Case 78, a 22-year-old man, is also a student returning from the UK. He flew to the homeland on Flight EK394 and arrived at Noi Bai airport on March 17.

A 48-year-old woman is the 79th case. She has lived in the UK for nearly two years. This woman boarded Flight EK4 to move from London to Dubai on March 14 and then flew to Vietnam on Flight EK392 the next day.

Meanwhile, the 80th patient is the 18-year-old son of this woman and has also resided in the UK over the past nearly two years. He accompanied his mother on the flights to Dubai and Vietnam on March 14 and 15.

Case 81 is a 20-year-old man living in Kon Plong district of Kon Tum province. He boarded Flight AF258 in Paris on March 14 and arrived in Vietnam on March 15.

Case 82, a 16-year-old girl in District 5 of Ho Chi Minh City, and her mother got on Flight EK30 from London to Dubai on March 14 and then continued to board Flight EK364 to return to Vietnam on March 15.

Case 83 is a 50-year-old US woman living in Binh Thanh district of HCM City. Within the 14 days prior to her entry into Vietnam, she travelled to Phuket of Thailand and arrived in Vietnam on March 15 after boarding Flight TK162 from Istanbul, Turkey.

The last two cases are male students in the UK, one is 21 years old and the other 20 years old. Both boarded Flight VN0054 and arrived at Noi Bai airport on March 18.

Case 77, 78, 84 and 85 are currently quarantined in Hanoi, while the others in Ho Chi Minh City.

Among the 85 COVID-19 cases in Vietnam so far, 16 have fully recovered.

Health Ministry announces two more flights with COVID-19 cases

The Ministry of Health on March 19 evening issued an urgent notice on flights that landed in Vietnam over the last few days carrying passengers who have then tested positive for the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.

They are Flight EK394 from Dubai to Hanoi on March 12, and Flight QR976 from Doha to Hanoi on March 17.

The ministry called on all passengers on the flights to contact disease control centres of cities and provinces for guidance on health monitoring.

Airline ticket agents are responsible for notifying the passengers who bought tickets for those flights.

Vietnam confirmed nine more cases positive for SARS-CoV-2 on March 19 night, bringing the total COVID-19 cases in the country to 85, including 16 fully recovered.

Border control strengthened amid COVID 19

Every two hours, border guards of Muong Khuong border post in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai patrol areas bordering China to prevent people and vehicles from crossing the border illegally.

Due to difficult terrain, patrol activities, especially during night time face many difficulties. It’s getting even harder as all the soldiers’ daily have to carry out in the deep forest.

Sleeping and eating in the forests are no longer unfamiliar things with soldiers in border posts. However to students of the Border Defence Force Academy who are here to help strengthen Covid-19 prevention work, this is a new and special experience.

Along Vietnam-China border, where there are trails, shared paths, border guards are always present.

After more than a month stationing in forest, border guards have determined to stay and safeguard the border, contributing to preventing and combating the virus from entering the country from the front line./.