Passengers get tested for COVID-19 at Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport, HCM City. — VNA/VNS Photo Huy Hùng

HÀ NỘI — Five more Omicron infections were discovered with foreign arrivals to HCM City, bringing the total number of the variant cases in Việt Nam to 30.

All have been imported cases, with HCM City detecting 11, Quảng Nam Province with 14, one in Hải Dương Province, two in Thanh Hoá Province, one in Hải Phòng, and one in Hà Nội (the first case detected in Việt Nam).

The latest five entered Việt Nam in December and were all quarantined on arrival and tested.

After testing positive for COVID-19, they were moved to receive treatment at No.12 COVID-19 field hospital in the southern city.

Their specimens were analysed and genomic sequencing revealed they were infected with the Omicron variant.

The city has carried out contact tracing efforts, and related people (passengers on the flights, crewmembers, along with staff at quarantine facilities) were quarantined and tested for COVID-19. All 223 cases returned negative results for the first test.

As Việt Nam has started to gradually restart regular commercial international flights, with Tân Sơn Nhất and Nội Bài international airports in HCM City and Hà Nội the first to receive foreign arrivals, authorities complete COVID-19 testing at the airport to increase epidemiological surveillance.

Previously reported Omicron cases in Việt Nam are all asymptomatic or showing very mild symptoms, and some patients received the all-clear quite quickly after positive tests.

Still, the country’s health ministry has urged local health authorities and administrations to have strict management of arrivals and warned of the high risks of the variant spreading into the community.

Việt Nam so far has logged over 1.8 million cases of COVID-19, with over 6,600 active cases in serious condition.

The death toll stands at about 33,600 cases, or 1.8 per cent of confirmed infections. — VNS