British Ambassador to Vietnam Gareth Ward has expressed his gratitude toward the Vietnamese government for supporting UK citizens affected by the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic over the past weeks.

Ambassador Ward conveyed his thank-you message in Vietnamese in a video posted to the UK Embassy in Hanoi’s verified Facebook page on Monday.

“During the last couple of weeks, we have been helping many British visitors who have been affected by the new quarantine measures in Vietnam. Stopping the spread of the virus is the most important task at the moment,” the diplomat remarked.

"I’d like to thank all of the doctors and nurses and all of the government officials in Vietnam who have helped us to support British visitors during this time."

“We have heard from many visitors that they are also very grateful.”

The British Embassy in Hanoi will continue to work closely with the Vietnamese government in the fight against the COVID-19 epidemic, as well as aiding those in need, he added.

In an announcement on Tuesday, the British Embassy advised British nationals to follow the instructions of Vietnamese authorities in order to help curb the epidemic.

The novel coronavirus, which first emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019, has infected over 182,700 people and killed more than 7,100 globally as of Tuesday afternoon, according to Ministry of Health statistics.

Vietnam has announced 61 COVID-19 cases to date, 16 of whom had fully recovered and been discharged from the hospital by February 26.

Among the 45 active cases being treated, 18 are foreigners, including 13 Britons and one each from Ireland, Germany, the Czech Republic, Latvia, and France.

Vietnam has temporarily stopped allowing visitors from 26 countries in Europe's Schengen Area and the UK to enter the country for 30 days starting from Sunday amid concerns over the spread of the disease.

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