A worker fumigates a plane of Vietnam Airlines (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The crew members of Flight VN0054, which several cases of COVID-19 infection boarded, have tested negative for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the acute respiratory disease (COVID-19).
Vietnam Airlines announced that aside from the four pilots and 12 attendants on this flight, the 23 technicians who got on the plane to examine it also haven’t shown any symptom of the disease.
All the staff have been sent to a concentrated quarantine centre, according to the national flag carrier.
It added that since the outbreak of the disease, its employees have been equipped with medical face masks, gloves and knowledge about COVID-19 prevention and control.
The 17th infection case of Vietnam, also the first in Hanoi, boarded Flight VN0054 from London to Hanoi, which landed at Noi Bai International Airport at 4:30am of March 2. The country continually recorded more cases who were also on this flight on the following days.
As of late March 9, Vietnam had confirmed 31 COVID-19 cases, 16 of them have fully recovered.
Also on March 9, authorities of Bac Ninh, Lao Cai, Ninh Binh and Hai Duong said many people in these northern provinces were negative for SARS-CoV-2.
They included four workers of a company based in Dai An Industrial Park of Hai Duong. The workers came to the house of the 17th patient on Truc Bach street in Hanoi’s Ba Dinh district for interior repair, the disease control centre of Hai Duong said.
The three female natives boarding Flight VN0054 were also tested negative for the virus, and they are currently quarantined.
On March 9, the Hospital for Tropical Diseases of Hai Duong also brought a man returning from the Republic of Korea to quarantine as he showed cough and shortness of breath.
By the end of March 8, the province had quarantined 1,100 people returning from coronavirus-hit areas, including 254 at medical establishments and 846 at home.
In Ninh Binh, the four persons who were on Flight VN0054 also tested negative for SARS-CoV-2, the province’s disease control centre said.
As of March 9 afternoon, 155 people in Ninh Binh had had their samples taken for testing, including one positive case which has been sent to the provincial General Hospital for treatment and 148 others negative.
The province currently has 1,515 people who returned from coronavirus-hit areas but haven’t finished the 14-day quarantine period, along with several others having contact with suspected cases. All have been put under monitoring.
In Bac Ninh province, 32 suspected cases have been reported, 25 of them found to be negative for the virus while the rest are waiting for test results./.
VNA
