People have been ordered to wear face masks in public places to curb the spread of COVID-19.— VNA/VNS Photo Chu Quốc Hùng

PHÚ THỌ — A man has been arrested in the northern province of Phú Thọ for assaulting a hospital security guard who asked him to wear a face mask.

Phạm Hồng Hải, 35 , from the northern province of Tuyên Quang, allegedly attacked a security guard at Hùng Vương General Hospital on Monday evening while he, together with two other men, was taking an injured man to the hospital.

The security guard asked Hải to put a face mask on but rather than complying he rounded on the man, verbally and physically assaulting him.

The hospital’s security team quickly escorted Hải from the premises.

The guard suffered bruising to the eyes and face, said head of the hospital’s Organisation and Legal Affairs Department Nguyễn Đức Nhưng.

The hospital reported the incident to Đoan Hùng District Police, who summoned Hải for questioning.

Hải was reportedly involved in a traffic accident on Monday evening in which a car crashed into a motorbike in Đội Cấn Commune, Tuyên Quang City. Hải was the car driver.

The motorbike driver Phạm Văn Sanh, 29, from Sơn Dương District, Tuyên Quang Province was diagnosed with brain trauma at the hospital.

He is undergoing treatment. 

To curb the spread of COVID-19, people in Việt Nam are asked to wear face masks and frequently wash their hands with soap, especially in public spaces like hospitals and offices. People without face masks in public places during the pandemic face fines from VNĐ100,000 to VNĐ300,000 (US$ 4 -12). — VNS