COVID-19 Patient No.1,440, 33-year-old L.T.T. (Photo from Facebook) The33-year-old man, whose name was given as L.T.T., was charged for the crime of“spreading dangerous contagious diseases for humans,” according to Col. HuynhThanh Mong, Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Public Security.
However,T. was still being treated for COVID-19 so the investigation is facing a numberof difficulties, Mong said.
Onthe morning of December 24, T. – originally from Nhon Phu commune, Mang Thit district,Vinh Long province – crossed into Vietnam via the Cambodia-Vietnam land borderat a river area identified near An Phu district, An Giang province, thenboarded a car with five other illegal entrants – three of which were laterconfirmed to have COVID-19 – to return to their hometown.
T.said he had paid 50 million VND (about 2,170 USD) to a group who claimed theycould bring Vietnamese citizens into the country without having to undergo themandatory 14-day quarantine as per COVID-19 prevention and control policies.
Hisown mother reportedly was the one to notify the local health authorities of hisillegal arrival, and T. was immediately brought to a centralised quarantinefacility and tested for COVID-19.
NguyenThi Quyen Thanh, Vice Chairwoman of the Vinh Long Provincial People’sCommittee, said that in this case, the mother’s good sense had helped thedisease prevention and control efforts as hundreds of people considered tohave come into contacts with these illegal entrants had been put intoquarantine. He was confirmed positive for the virus on December 26.
OnJanuary 8, An Giang province’s police announced they had detained three menalleged to have arranged the illegal entry of Patient 1,440 andothers./.
VNA
