Vietnam goes fifth straight day with no new Covid-19 infection

Medical staff collect samples from employees of the Linh Trung Export Processing Zone in HCMC for Covid-19 testing, April 20, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran.

Of the active patients, 12 have tested negative once and eight twice. As of this morning, the number of Covid-19 suspects had dropped by 166 against a day before to 405.

People are suspects if they have symptoms like cough, fever and shortness of breath, and have come from outbreak areas or have had direct contact with returnees from stricken areas.

Hanoi has gone six days without a new infection, while HCMC has done so for 17 days. Vietnam's latest patient, a girl from Ha Giang Province which borders China where her three brothers work as freelancers, was conrfirmed on Thursday morning.

The capital city is still treating 30 patients and the southern metropolis, two.

The Covid-19 pandemic has it 210 countries and territories, and its global death toll is reported at above 171,300.