Passengers at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City. HCM City's medical workers and immigration officers are collaborating to conduct rapid antigen tests for all arrivals entering the country from abroad from January 1, 2022. (Photo: VNA) HCM City (VNA) – Five people entering Ho Chi Minh City from abroad have tested positive for Omicron variant of coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, local health authorities have said.
All these people were immediately quarantined upon arriving in Vietnam from December 20 to December 25 and test positive for SARS-CoV-2, according to the Ho Chi Minh City Centre for Disease Control (HCDC).
Their samples were sent to the Pasteur Institute for gene sequencing and the institute reported on December 31 that the specimens were positive for the Omicron variant. They are now in stable health conditions and their tests results turned negative after 5-7 days.
All 305 passengers traveling on flights with these Omicron variant cases have been quarantined in line with the Ministry of Health (MoH)’s regulations and have tested negative for the virus.
Immediately after receiving the results of gene sequencing, the city's administration continued to trace the involved people according to the guidance of the MoH, and carry out the Omicron response measures in line with the prepared plan. The municipal health sector would closely monitor arrivals from overseas, take their samples for testing and bring them to quarantine sites as regulated and conduct genetic sequencing of imported cases of COVID-19.
From January 1, 2022, the city's health sector will coordinate with the immigration management agency at Tan Son Nhat International Airport to conduct quick tests for all arrivals entering the country from abroad. Medical workers are expected to take samples from more than 250 people for testing on January 1.
Nguyen Hong Tam, deputy director of the HCDC, said the city;s authorised forces have tightened inspections on arrivals, especially those coming from or transit in countries and territories where the Omicron variant has been detected. All passengers will have to take a quick test before boarding and after arriving and suspected cases will be quarantined immediately./.
