Chinese nationals who entered Việt Nam illegally have been taken to quarantine areas.— Photo tienphong.vn

HCM CITY — Thirty-five Chinese nationals who illegally entered Việt Nam and stayed at a hotel in HCM City have tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 for the first time, HCM City’s healthcare centre said on Sunday.

The group were spotted by local police when they hired rooms at a hotel located on Lý Tự Trọng Street, District 1, HCM City on Saturday morning.

They have been quarantined at the Củ Chi Field Hospital and will have samples taken for further testing.

Nguyễn Thị Quỳnh Triều, chairwoman of Bến Thành Ward, said after receiving the first set of results, the lockdown has been lifted at the hotel.

Authorities will continue to test people returning from social distancing areas and ask them to make health declarations at airports, coach stations, healthcare centres and industrial parks.

As of Sunday morning, the city has taken 25,853 random samples at crowded places like airports, train stations, bus stations. As many as 25,637 samples were negative and the remaining 216 samples are waiting for results. — VNS