A transaction office of lender Eximbank in Ho Chi Minh City has been allowed to reopen from Wednesday morning, ahead of its previously announced 14-day suspension due to a coronavirus patient’s visit.

The Vietnam Export Import Bank (Eximbank) announced on August 3 it was suspending a transaction office located at 373 Su Van Hanh Street, Ward 12, District 10 for 14 days after a COVID-19 patient had been there and directly communicated with the bank's employees.

It was the first bank in Vietnam to have closed down an office over coronavirus patients’ visits.

On August 10 — just eight days into the suspension — Eximbank submitted a request to the People's Committee of Ward 12 asking for the transaction office to be reopened sooner.

After a discussion with the District 10 Health Center, the Ward 12 administration came to the conclusion that the Eximbank office was eligible to resume operations from Wednesday morning, according to a document sent to the bank.

The office must fully implement preventive measures against COVID-19 as per the Ministry of Health’s regulations, the document read.

Staff who are still under quarantine after coming into contact with the COVID-19 patient must be temporarily substituted.

In addition, all workers and clients conducting transactions at the bank office have to wear a face mask and wash their hands regularly.

The patient in question, 57-year-old P.T., lives in Ward 12, District 10, according to data obtained by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

T. took care of relatives at Hoan My Da Nang Hospital and Da Nang Hospital from July 1 to 20.

The patient returned to Ho Chi Minh City on a flight on July 25.

Since July 25, there have been 421 new local infections in Vietnam, nearly all of which are linked to Da Nang, including nearly 20 medical workers.

Da Nang Hospital is a major cluster in the coastal city, where strict social distancing measures are in place.

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