A Russian woman and her daughter tested negative for COVID-19 in Vietnam on Tuesday, hot in the heels of their positive retest following their recovery from the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

COVID-19 tests on the woman, 31, and her one-year-old daughter returned negative at the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City on Tuesday morning, the Department of Health of southern Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, where they stay, said the same day.

On November 24, the Russians entered Vietnam by plane from Russia and were sent to quarantine in south-central Khanh Hoa Province as per protocols to prevent COVID-19 transmission.

The two tested positive for the novel coronavirus on November 26 and were later confirmed as Vietnam’s COVID-19 patients 1,333 and 1,334.

They were treated at the medical center in Cam Lam District, Khanh Hoa and made a full recovery on December 25.

As per coronavirus prevention rules, the Russian nationals were quarantined again at a hotel until January 7 despite having tested negative for the novel coronavirus twice.

The woman’s husband, who is an expert at Vietnam-Russia oil and gas joint venture Vietsovpetro, arrived in Khanh Hoa on January 7, before the three family members boarded flight VN6203 from Khanh Hoa to Ho Chi Minh City on January 8.

They got on a passenger bus and arrived in Vung Tau, a beach city in Ba Ria-Vung Tau, at 10:30 pm the same day.

The three were quarantined at the Vietsovpetro Medical Center in the city.

Their samples were taken for COVID-19 testing at Thong Nhat Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City on January 9 and 10.

Their test results came back positive on the afternoon of January 10, two days before they retested negative at the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City.

Their close contacts have tested negative for the virus.

Vietnam has confirmed 1,520 coronavirus cases as of Tuesday evening, with 1,361 recoveries and 35 virus-related fatalities, according to the Ministry of Health.

It has detected zero local infections since December 2.

The Southeast Asian country is sealing its borders to all international arrivals but it still allows entry to skilled workers, experts, diplomats, and Vietnamese repatriates, who are all subject to mandatory quarantine upon arrival.

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