HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working with European and Vietnamese embassies to provide information on the movements of a Vietnamese person infected with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the continent.

The ministry has informed the embassies of France, Italy and the UK in Hà Nội and asked Vietnamese embassies in Paris, Rome and London to share with relevant agencies of the host countries the movement history and temporary residence addresses of the woman who tested positive after travelling to several European nations.

Spokeswoman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Lê Thị Thu Hằng made the announcement on Saturday, adding that the ministry also informed nations which had citizens on the same flight with the confirmed patient so they could deploy measures to prevent the spread of the virus.

“Việt Nam will continue and regularly share information and co-ordinate with other countries and international organisations and relevant partners in the fight against the acute respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2,” she added.

The 26-year-old patient visited her sister in the UK in February, then travelled to Milan (Italy) and Paris (France) and returned to Hà Nội on March 1 on flight VN0054 of Vietnam Airlines.

After coming back to Việt Nam, she showed symptoms of fever, cough and tiredness. The patient then came to Hồng Ngọc Hospital in Hà Nội’s Ba Đình District for medical check-up and was diagnosed as suffering pneumonia.

As she had gone through COVID-19-hit countries, the patient was brought to the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases for treatment and supervision. Her sample then tested positive for the virus.

Việt Nam has to date confirmed 30 COVID-19 infection cases. Of them, 16 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospitals. — VNS