HÀ NỘI — The health ministry of Việt Nam late Monday announced a 17-year-old Vietnamese girl that recently returned from Malaysia had tested positive for the coronavirus, making her the country’s 123rd COVID-19 case.

She resided in Bình Đại District of the southern province Bến Tre but had stayed in the state of Sarawak, Malaysia for about three to four months before returning to Việt Nam.

She travelled on Royal Brunei Airlines flight number BI381 that landed in Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport of HCM City on March 17.

She then left for Bến Tre on a bus that had 12 passengers on board and after disembarking was given a ride home by a friend.

She has since remained in self-isolation at home.

On March 21, she had a sample taken by health workers. She said only two people have had close contact with her during her isolation and neither of them have shown any symptoms.

The patient is currently in quarantine at Bình Đại District’s medical centre.

The Mekong Delta province earlier announced it has put nearly 1,600 people of Bình Đại District into immediate quarantine to prevent the spread of COVID-19. — VNS