Illegal returnee found in HCM City positive to COVID-19
The Ho Chi Minh City Disease Control Centre (CDC) has confirmed a new COVID-19 case, a 24-year-old man who illegally entered Vietnam together with Patients 1,440 and 1,451 and three others.
The motel where the new COVID-19 patient lives is blocked (Source: VNA)
HCM City (VNA) – The Ho ChiMinh City Disease Control Centre (CDC) has confirmed a new COVID-19 case, a24-year-old man who illegally entered Vietnam together with Patients 1,440 and1,451 and three others.
The man was detected at a motel in LongBinh ward of District 9 on December 28, according to the centre.
Fifteen people having close contacts with thenew patient have tested negative to SARS-CoV-2 once and sent to quarantine.Local authorities have isolated the motel where the man stayed, and hisworkplace, a mechanical workshopat Nguyen Xien street.
The man said thathe arrived at District 9 on December 24, and rent a room at the motel. He saidhe only stayed at the motel and went to work without going out or meet anyoneoutside. However, the CDC is still tracing people who had contact with the caseto minimise the risk of virus spreading.
The centreadvised local residents to strengthen preventive measures against the pandemic,while reporting all illegal returnees to authorised agencies.
It also warnedthose who return to Vietnam from abroad to strictly follow quarantineregulations to prevent the risk of transferring the virus to their family and community./.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on December 27 night issued a dispatch requiring urgent tracing of those who had contact with COVID-19 patient No. 1440, thus preventing the spread of the coronavirus in community.
A 30-year-old driver in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang who had close contact with COVID-19 Patient 1,440 has tested negative for coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 once, a local official said on December 29.
Leaders of the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap on December 29 had an urgent online meeting with the People’s Committee of Lai Vung district, where one COVID-19 case has been found, to seek measures to prevent the spread of the pandemic in the locality.
Vietnam now boasts a nationwide healthcare network with 1,665 hospitals, 384 of which are non-public, supported by local commune- and ward-level stations. At the end of 2024, hospital bed capacity reached 34 per 10,000 people, slightly above the global average.
The 56-year-old patient from Quang Tri province was discharged in stable condition as he no longer experienced shortness of breath and was able to walk, move around, and eat normally.
Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Vu Trung, Director of the Pasteur Institute, said that under the MoU, the two sides committed to promoting diverse and practical collaborative activities, including joint conferences and workshops, exchanges of scholars, researchers and students, sharing academic materials, and the development of specific programmes and projects in scientific research, training, and epidemic prevention.
TytoCare, a leading Israeli telemedicine company based in Netanya, is willing to work with Vietnamese regulators, insurers, and healthcare providers to develop a sustainable digital health ecosystem.
The partnership is under the framework of a Memorandum of Understanding on the development and implementation of the National Action Plan on Breast Cancer and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Control, signed in Hanoi on July 22.
An estimated 7 million Vietnamese are currently living with diabetes, but about 50% remain undiagnosed, a dangerous gap that is fuelling serious, preventable complications and increasing the burden on the healthcare system.
In 2024, Vietnam achieved 99% coverage for the first dose of the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine, up from 80% in 2023. Immunisation coverage in the country has not only rebounded to the high levels seen before the COVID-19 pandemic but has now surpassed the rates recorded in 2019.
Health authorities in HCM City have issued an urgent alert after six people died from dengue fever, amid a spike in infections driven by the onset of the rainy season.
During the peak months of July and August 2025, the National Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion (NIHBT) needs at least 90,000 units of blood to supply 180 hospitals in the northern region. However, despite continuous efforts, the reserve blood is still short of 30,000 units.
The Hanoi ceremony highlighted efforts to ensure all citizens, especially women and youth, can access accurate information and healthcare services to make informed reproductive choices.
After such a long time, the law has revealed many limitations, prompting the Ministry of Health (MoH) to gather opinions to amend the law to give more chances to thousands of patients every year.
Currently, cardiovascular specialists from the 108 Military Central Hospital are working alongside a team of Prof.Dr. Jan D. Schmitto, Deputy Director of MHH’s Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery on clinical trials for MCS devices, implanted in heart failure patients either as a bridge to transplantation or as permanent treatment.
The centre not only serves residents living on the island, but also receives tens of thousands of visitors every year, according to Assoc Prof Dr Tang Chi Thuong, Director of the HCM CIty Department of Health.
Not only does Vietnam attract international tourists with its landscapes, culture, and cuisine, but it is also gradually becoming a reliable destination for medical treatment, offering high-quality services at reasonable costs.
Over the past six months, 150 communal health stations in provinces including Ha Giang, Bac Kan, Lang Son, Lao Cai, Lai Chau, Yen Bai, Tay Ninh, Hau Giang, Ben Tre and Ca Mau have been equipped with information technology systems. In addition, 117 key provincial healthcare workers have received training, with thousands more expected to follow.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Ministry of Health swiftly launched a telemedicine programme, connecting more than 1,000 medical establishments nationwide. The model, which remains in operation, has benefited tens of thousands of patients, including foreign nationals.
After more than three weeks of intensive treatment, the patient's pneumonia improved, breathing stabilised, sedation was reduced, and the breathing tube was removed. He is now conscious, able to eat orally, and in recovery.