VĨNH PHÚC — The northern province of Vĩnh Phúc is home to many foreign-invested enterprises so it should strictly monitor the acute respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus.

Deputy Minister of Health Đỗ Xuân Tuyên made the statement on Wednesday while working with the province’s leaders to discuss and give instructions on coronavirus control.

The latest report by the Vĩnh Phúc People’s Committee showed that by 2pm on Tuesday, four people in the province had tested positive for coronavirus, the highest number in the country.

All were among eight people returning from Wuhan City in China on the same flight. The eight had been sent to Wuhan for training by Nihon Plast Co Ltd of Japan, which is in Bình Xuyên District. They returned to Việt Nam on China Southern Airlines flight CZ8315 on January 17.

Now all of their family members have been isolated and placed under close supervision by medical workers. They are all in stable condition.

Leaders of Vĩnh Phúc Province proposed the Ministry of Health support them with more technical training, equipment and sterilising substances to ensure effective prevention of the epidemic.

Deputy Minister Tuyên said that prolonged cold and wet weather would complicate the efforts to control the spread of the virus. The province should frequenty sterilise crowded areas and especially places where positive patients are found.

A list of isolated people should be set up and be checked every day, he said.

More than 87,000 workers are working in different industrial zones in Vĩnh Phúc Province. — VNS