New Zealander culinary TV star Bobby Chinn has taken to social media to express gratitude toward altruistically minded Vietnamese volunteers working at an isolation facility for the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) where his father is staying.

“When I think of the Vietnamese, I bow my head to them with utmost respect,” the chef wrote on his verified Facebook page with more than 74,000 followers.

The post is accompanied by a photo of Vietnamese volunteers sleeping outdoors on the ground at a centralized isolation zone.

“No beds, sleeping in the streets and sidewalks... This is dedication,” the caption reads.

The update had received over 44,000 ‘likes’ and been shared 17,000 times on Facebook by the time of writing.

Speaking with Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, Chinn confirmed the photo was authentic.

His father, Wayne Frank Chinn, is being quarantined at the Center for National Defense and Security Training, managed by the Vietnam National University-Ho Chi Minh City, in neighboring Binh Duong Province.

The father was placed in isolation upon recently entering Vietnam from Malaysia.

He and all other passengers on the flight were transported to the centralized isolation facility on March 18 and will stay there for a 14-day period.

According to the chef, despite being 78 years old, his father maintains an optimistic spirit during the quarantine and has no pre-existing medical condition.

The septuagenarian is adapting well to the isolation process and wishes to express his appreciation for the work of Vietnamese volunteers.

Chinn told Tuoi Tre his father understands that the mandatory quarantine is what needs to be done to prevent the disease from spreading and that the Vietnamese government is doing the best they could with what they have, and their responses deserve recognition.

Bobby Chinn is an international chef, television host, restauranteur, and cookbook author.

He has achieved celebrity status across Asia and the Middle East thanks to his roles as host of Discovery TLC's ‘World Cafe’ culinary show and judge in MBC's ‘Top Chef Middle East’ cooking competition.

Bobby Chinn is no stranger to Vietnamese cuisine and culture as he has opened two restaurants named for himself in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in 2001 and 2011, respectively.

He also runs a Vietnamese restaurant in London.

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