A woman in Dong Thap Province, who illegally entered Vietnam in a car along with COVID-19 patient 1,440 last week, tested positive for the novel coronavirus and came into close contact with at least six more people, including a shipper and a sugarcane juice vendor.

Doan Tan Buu, vice-chairman of the Dong Thap People's Committee, held an urgent meeting on Tuesday upon the discovery of a coronavirus-positive case.

The patient was part of a group of six Vietnamese, including patient 1,440, who unlawfully crossed the border into Vietnam from Cambodia on December 24.

Upon entering Vietnam, she transferred to a 45-seater bus from a stopover at a small restaurant in Cai Be District, Tien Giang Province and bought sugarcane juice from a vendor in Lai Vung District, Dong Thap Province.

She stayed home when she arrived in her hometown in Lai Vung and came into contact with no one except her family members, a shipper, and a neighbor.

Preliminary reports revealed that the patient remained masked and had limited contact with others while traveling and staying home.

People who had close contact with her are quarantined in Hong Ngu District, Dong Thap and had samples taken for tests while 118 people were in indirect contact with her, of whom 62 will self-isolate at home.

Authorities require local residents to minimize gatherings and organizing parties, disinfect and temporarily seal off all locations where the patient visited.

Four members of the group have tested positive for the novel coronavirus so far, with the remaining two having tested negative once.

Two of the positive cases, patients 1,440 and 1,451, were confirmed by the Ministry of Health on Saturday and Monday.

The health ministry has yet to register the other two positive cases, both detected on Tuesday, as it only gives daily updates on patient counts at 6:00 pm.

Vietnam has confirmed 1,451 COVID-19 patients as of Tuesday afternoon, with 1,318 recoveries and 35 virus-related fatalities, according to the Ministry of Health.

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