4 Nghe An people on the same flight with the first Omicron infected case in Vietnam

On the afternoon of December 28, health authorities are urgently investigating and tracing four passengers from Nghe An who were on the same flight as the first case of Covid-19 infection with the Omicron variant recorded in Vietnam.

The four passengers have specific addresses in Truong Thi Ward, Ben Thuy Ward (Vinh City), Tien Thanh Commune (Yen Thanh District) and Quynh Hau Commune (Quynh Luu District). They entered Noi Bai Airport from the UK on December 19 and were quarantined for 7 days as required. They have now completed their quarantine period and left the quarantine area.

"We just received the information so we are still investigating and tracing. Currently, everyone has left the quarantine area, but it is still unclear whether they have returned to their hometown in Nghe An or not," said a source from the Nghe An Department of Health.

Illustration: Thanh Cuong

At noon on December 28, the Ministry of Health announced the first case of Omicron infection in Vietnam. This person entered Noi Bai airport (Hanoi) on December 19, tested positive for nCoV, and was taken by a specialized vehicle to the quarantine area of ​​the 108 Military Central Hospital. Because this person had epidemiological factors returning from the UK, the hospital sequenced the gene of the patient's samples on December 20 and 21 - the results confirmed infection with the Omicron variant (B.1.1.529).

The Omicron variant was first recorded in South Africa in late November, and is believed to be more contagious than the Delta strain and can evade vaccines. To date, this variant has appeared in many countries and territories around the world such as the US, UK, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, India, etc. The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified this as a variant of concern due to its adverse changes in the epidemiology of Covid-19, and it is likely that Omicron will spread globally./.