Health workers take blood sample for quick COVID-19 test at National Economics University on Tuesday. — VNA/VNS Photo Minh Quyết

HÀ NỘI Five new cases of COVID-19 were announced Wednesday morning by the Ministry of Health, bringing the total number nationwide to 212.

One of the cases is a 38-year-old woman who works at the Trường Sinh Company, which provides services to the Bạch Mai Hospital in Hà Nội.

Another is a woman aged 55 who previously had close contact with a patient who previously tested positive and the other three cases of people who have recently returned to Việt Nam from overseas.

Patient 208 is working at Trường Sinh Company. She is the 24th person from the business to test positive for coronavirus.

The 209th patient is a 55-year-old woman from Hà Nội’s Long Biên District. She is a niece of the 161th patient – an 88-year-old who was treated at Bạch Mai Hospital after having a stroke.

The niece went to the hospital to look after of the aunt (Patient 161). After the patient tested positive for COVID-19, her caregivers including a daughter-in-law and a niece were isolated and then also tested positive.

The 210th patient is a 26-year-old woman returning from Thailand on March 20 and reportedly had close contact with 146st patient. She was isolated on arrival at the Centre for Disease Control in central province of Hà Tĩnh and is being treated at Cầu Treo General Hospital in the province.

The 211th patient is a 23-year-old woman who was studying in the US. She returned home via Abu Dhabi and Bangkok, arriving Hà Nội on March 20 where she was isolated at Brigade 24 in Quỳnh Lưu Commune, Nho Quan District, northern province of Ninh Bình. She is now at the province’s General Hospital.

The 212th patient is a 35-year-old woman returning from Russia on March 27. She and her husband were on the flight SU290 and isolated at the Culture and Art School in the northern province of Vĩnh Phúc. Two days after her arrival, she developed a light fever and fatigue, and was taken to the Central Tropical Diseases Hospital’s branch in Hà Nội’s Đông Anh District.

Việt Nam has 212 COVID-19 infections. Of those, 58 people have made a full recovery.

Two other patients are expected to be released from hospital on Wednesday after testing negative three times.

Việt Nam started 15-day nationwide social distancing on Wednesday.

People are ordered to stay at home and only go out in emergencies, to buy food or medicine, or to go to work at factories and essential services that are not closed down. 

When outside, people must keep a minimum distance of two metres apart. Gatherings of more than two people in public outside of offices, schools and hospitals are prohibited. VNS