Hanoi chairman Nguyen Duc Chung has said that 1,800 people who returned to Vietnam from areas affected by the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic will go home over the next three days, starting from Tuesday, after they have undergone quarantine for 14 days at local camps without signs of infection.

They are among 2,641 Vietnamese citizens who have been quarantined at isolation camps across the Vietnamese capital.

Vietnam requires a compulsory 14-day quarantine period -- the advised incubation time of the virus -- for anyone entering the country with a recent travel history to areas affected by COVID-19.

As many as 2,240 out of the 2,641 people have tested negative for the virus, while the remaining are still waiting for their test results, according to Chung.

Of the 2,240 coronavirus-negative people, 1,800 will have finished the required quarantine period between Tuesday and Friday.

These 1,800 citizens, including 200 residents in Hanoi, are thus eligible to leave quarantine camps and resume their normal life.

Chung hailed the release as good news amidst recently confirmed COVID-19 cases in Hanoi.

He said that the capital’s High Command and Department of Health will create all convenient conditions for the citizens’ safe return home.

The Hanoi High Command and health department were tasked with giving instructions to the 1,800 people on personal health care, diets, and taking further voluntary isolation if necessary.

The novel coronavirus, which first emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019, has infected over 119,000 people and killed almost 4,300 globally, according to Ministry of Health statistics.

Vietnam has so far confirmed 34 infections, including 20 Vietnamese, two Chinese nationals, one Vietnamese American, nine British citizens, one Mexican, and one Irish national.

Sixteen of the patients had recovered and been discharged from the hospital by February 26.

Vietnam confirmed its 17th patient in Hanoi on Friday last week after the country had reported no new infection since February 13.

Over a dozen COVID-19 cases reported over the last six days in Vietnam can be traced back to this patient.

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