A Vietnamese student in Vientiane is tested. VNA/VNS Photo Phạm Kiên

HÀ NỘI ­– The Hà Nội Centre for Disease Control reported five domestically transmitted COVID-19 infections on Sunday morning.

Among the new cases, four were connected to the outbreak in Bắc Ninh Province and the other was from the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Kim Chung facility.

The four patients are 12th graders living in Gia Lâm District. They are classmates of two COVID-19 patients at Kinh Bắc High School, Hoà Mãn Commune, Bắc Ninh Province’s Thuận Thành District.

The fifth patient is a 74-year-old residing in Hiệp Lộc Commune of Phúc Thọ District. The patient tested positive on May 5 after visiting patient 3181 who was being treated at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases.

Hà Nội CDC was working with the Health Centre of Gia Lâm and Phúc Thọ districts to trace people who came into close contact with the five patients to take samples for testing and quarantine according to regulations. The households relating to the cases have been disinfected.

Regarding Bắc Ninh’s Mão Điền outbreak, the CDC also announced it was looking for people in Hà Nội who went to a wedding in Công Hamlet, Mão Điền Commune from April 30 to May 1.

The wedding attendees had to quarantine at home and immediately contact the nearest medical facilities for advice and guidance on pandemic prevention measures.

Vietnamese patient dies in Laos

On the same day, the Embassy of Việt Nam in Laos’ Vientiane confirmed that a COVID-19 patient was a Vietnamese person who died after a week of treatment.

The patient, who is a 52-year-old woman, was one of the first Vietnamese COVID-19 patients in Vientiane, according to the embassy.

The patient moved to Laos early last year and worked at a karaoke bar in Vientiane, one of the locations connected to patient 59, who was believed to have caused this outbreak of COVID-19 in Laos.

The patient tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 virus on April 28 and had other medical conditions. On April 30, the patient was admitted for treatment at Setthathirath Hospital in Vientiane.

On May 8, when the patient had a bad prognosis, the Vietnamese Embassy in Laos asked the Ministry of Health of Việt Nam to support Setthathirath Hospital through a remote medical examination and treatment system.

However, by 1am on May 9, the patient had died.

Currently, the Vietnamese Embassy in Laos is co-operating with the Vietnamese Association in Vientiane and the local authorities to support the patient's family. – VNS