'Model Quarantine Country' Vietnam Reports Cases Infected with UK Variant Virus

Vietnam COVID-19 Prevention Billboard
[EPA=Yonhap News Archive Photo][Image Source = Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Eun-young] Even in Vietnam, which is relatively known as a 'model quarantine country,' the first case of infection with the UK-origin variant of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has been reported.

On the 2nd, the Vietnamese Ministry of Health announced that a woman in her 40s who returned from the UK on the 22nd of last month tested positive for COVID-19 on the 24th at a quarantine facility, and subsequent genetic sequencing confirmed that she was infected with the variant virus.

Accordingly, the authorities decided to strengthen management and monitoring of those entering the country from nations where the variant virus has been detected.

As the variant virus spread in the UK, Vietnam banned entry from the UK and is operating only repatriation flights for its nationals.

Meanwhile, this variant virus, first identified in the UK in September, is known to be 40-70% more contagious than the existing virus.

So far, countries where the UK-origin virus has been officially confirmed include more than 30 countries worldwide, including the United States, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Australia, and South America.

Vietnam, considered a 'model country for COVID-19 response,' has recorded a total of 1,474 confirmed cases and 35 deaths as of this day.

The incidence rate relative to Vietnam's total population (97.34 million) is among the lowest in Asia.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.