Update:

The National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control announced later on Thurday the man is no longer considered a COVID-19 patient after testing negative on two occasions. 

He is, however, at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases for further medical observation.

The E Hospital in Hà Nội where the 87-year-old man had a health check-up and tested positive for COVID-19. — Photo plo.vn

HÀ NỘI — An 87-year-old man from northern Phú Thọ Province has tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 while being treated for another disease at a hospital in Hà Nội.

This was the only new case confirmed by the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control on Thursday morning, increasing the national tally to 994.

The patient lives in Thanh Ba District, Phú Thọ Province and went to E Hospital in Hà Nội for a health check-up on August 12.

He stayed at a relative’s house in Cổ Nhuế, Bắc Từ Liêm District, Hà Nội after that and was admitted to the Hepatobiliary Department of the E Hospital on August 13.

The patient was diagnosed with pneumonia after a CT scan and transferred to the Department for Tropical Diseases of E Hospital.

He had his blood sample taken on August 18 and the result was positive for COVID-19.

The man is being treated at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Hà Nội’s Đông Anh District.

The E Hospital stopped receiving new patients at 8pm on Wednesday and traced all staff who came into close contact with the man.

It was initially estimated that nearly 100 medical workers had close contact with the new patient.

All employees at the hospital will be tested for COVID-19 and each department sprayed with disinfectant.

The new patient lives with his son, daughter-in-law, two grandchildren and one great grandchild in Phú Thọ Province.

He had not left his house in Phú Thọ for a month prior to travelling to Hà Nội.

His family’s relatives did not visit any COVID-19 hotspots and he has no underlying medical conditions.

So far, 25 people have died of coronavirus-related complications in Việt Nam. — VNS