Khanh Hoa declares free of COVID-19 epidemic

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Khanh Hoa declares free of Covid-19 epidemic

The decision was announced on February 26, in accordance with the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases, Decision of the Prime Minister and also based on the request of the Khanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee and the proposal of the Director of Department of Preventive Medicine, Ministry of Health.

Under the decision, Khanh Hoa has become the first province free of COVID-19 epidemic after the province as well as Vinh Phuc and Thanh Hoa, declared some cases of positive COVID-19 in early January.

Nevertheless, the Ministry of Health still requested the Khanh Hoa province’s authorities to continue monitoring the local situation, and take drastic measures against Covid-19 in the province.

A receptionist at a hotel in the province’s Nha Trang beach city was put into quarantine on January 27, and tested positive for the virus four days later. She had reportedly come into close contact with the first confirmed COVID-19 case in Vietnam, a Chinese father and son from China’s Wuhan city, the epicenter of the virus outbreak.

The ministry had subsequently declared a coronavirus epidemic in Khanh Hoa province in light of this case. Since the receptionist was discharged from hospital on February 4 after making full recovery and tested negative for the virus, Khanh Hoa province has reported no new COVID-19 cases.

COVID-19 is classified as a Class A contagious disease, a group of extremely dangerous infectious diseases that can transmit very rapidly and spread widely with high mortality rates, including the likes of influenza A-H5N1, SARs, Ebola or smallpox. The incubation period for the virus is around 14 days.

As of February 26, 16 people in Vietnam infected with the coronavirus were cured, while no new cases have been recorded in the past 14 days. Currently, 31 suspected cases are quarantined while 5,675 people who had close contact with the suspected are under close medical observation.