A doctor puts on protective gears at the HCMC Hospital of Tropical Diseases, March 13, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran.

Of the new patients, one is quarantined in HCMC, six in the Mekong Delta and seven in Hanoi.

Sunday’s 19 new infections was the highest number in a day since Vietnam’s first Covid-19 case was recorded late January. The country recorded five new cases in the afternoon.

"Patient 100" is a 55 year-old man living in District 8, Ho Chi Minh City. He has a history of diabetes and arthritis. He returned to Vietnam from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on AirAsia flight AK524 on March 3 and had quarantined himself at home. From March 4 to 17, he went to pray five times a day at the Jamiul Anwar Mosque in District 8.

On March 18, he was still asymptomatic, but his samples were taken by the District 8 medical center because he was among the people who had participated in a Muslim ceremony in Malaysia that later recorded hundreds of infections. He was confirmed Covid-19 positive Sunday by the HCMC Pasteur Institute. He is currently being treated at the HCMC Hospital of Tropical Diseases.

In the quarantine zone of Mekong Delta’s Dong Thap Province, four more Covid-19 patients were detected - all passengers on Vietnam Airline’s flight VN50 from the U.K. that landed March 18 in Can Tho. All of them were asymptomatic on arrival.

"Patient 101" is 26-year-old Vietnamese woman from Vung Tau who was on seat 26F; "Patient 102" a 9-year-old girl from Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, on seat 20D; "Patient 103" a 22-year-old man from Phu Nhuan District, HCMC, on 12F; and "Patient 104" a 33-year-old man from District 12, HCMC, on seat 27D.

The remaining two patients are quarantined in the Mekong Delta’s Tra Vinh Province. They had boarded AirAsia flight AK575 from Malaysia and landed March 18 in Can Tho. These two were also asymptomatic on arrival. "Patient 105" is a 35-year-old woman living in the Mekong Delta's An Giang Province, who was on seat 6E. "Patient 106" is a 20-year-old woman also from An Giang, seat 6C. Their swab samples were tested at the HCMC Pasteur Institute.

Among the seven Hanoi patients, six are Europe returnees.

"Patient 107," a 25-year-old Vietnamese woman, is the daughter of one of two Covid-19 infected nurses working at the Bach Mai Hospital. The mother and daughter live together in Thanh Xuan District.

"Patient 108" is a 19-year-old resident of Cau Giay District studying in the U.K. He landed in Hanoi March 18 on Vietnam Airlines flight VN054.

"Patient 109" is a 42-year-old lecturer at a U.K. university who resides in Hoang Mai District, Hanoi. He landed in the capital city March 15 on Thai Airways TG560 seat 37E after transiting in Thailand.

"Patient 110" is 19-year-old student in the U.S. who lives in Dong Da District, Hanoi. He flew from the U.S., transited in Japan and landed March 19 in Hanoi on Japan Airlines flight JL571, seat 1A.

"Patient 111" is a 25-year-old woman from the northern province of Nam Dinh who is studying in France. She landed in Hanoi March 18 on Vietnam Airlines flight VN18.

"Patient 112" is a 30-year-old man living in Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem District studying in France. He also landed March 18 in Hanoi on flight VN18.

"Patient 113" is an 18-year-old resident of Hoan Kiem District who is studying in the U.K. She landed in Hanoi March 18 on Vietnam Airlines flight VN54.

As of Sunday, Vietnam had recorded 96 Covid-19 cases since March 6. The earlier 17 patients have been discharged from the hospital. Of the current active cases, 10 have tested negative either once or twice.

The Covid-19 pandemic has so far infected more than 300,000 people globally, claiming more than 13,000 lives.