Officials of Cam Giang District in the COVID-19 epicenter of northern Hai Duong Province fined two Chinese technical experts a total of VND15 million (US$651) for leaving their residence in unnecessary cases while the district is locked-down to curb the ongoing virus outbreak.

H.C.L., 48, and H.W., 51, were found traveling on a motorbike and an electric bicycle on a road by the paddy fields in Hoang Gia Village, Cam Vu Commune at around 5:30 pm on Saturday.

Both the Chinese woman and man are working at Vietnam Baodi Technology Company Limited in the Cao An industrial cluster in Cao An Commune, Cam Giang, according to police investigation.

They are temporarily staying at the house of Vietnamese man, Pham Van Oanh, in Phu An Village, Cao An Commune.

The two Chinese nationals’ COVID-19 tests have returned negative for the novel coronavirus.

They had also not been in direct or indirect contact with any infected cases.

In their written report to local authorities, the two Chinese citizens admitted to having left their residence in unnecessary circumstances.

As a result, they were fined VND7.5 million ($325.3) each for their violations.

Hai Duong Province has been the biggest COVID-19 epicenter of Vietnam recently, registering a total of 615 community-based COVID-19 cases, including four recent infections announced by the Ministry of Health at 9:00 am on Monday, in the latest outbreak that has hit the country’s 13 cities and provinces since January 27.

Hai Duong authorities decided to impose 15-day social distancing in the area from February 16.

They had also issued a decision on February 5 to lock down and quarantine the whole district of Cam Giang, one of the six COVID-19 hotspots in the locality, until further notice.

January 27 marked the resurgence of COVID-19 in Vietnam after the country had spent almost two months with zero domestic infections.

A total of 795 local cases have been detected in 13 provinces and cities, making it the most serious wave to have struck Vietnam after the first-ever COVID-19 patient was recorded in the country on January 23, 2020.

Besides Hai Duong, which accounts for the majority of the new local infections, Quang Ninh logged 60 cases, Gia Lai 27, Hanoi 35, Bac Ninh five, Bac Giang two, Ho Chi Minh City 36, Hoa Binh two, Ha Giang one, Dien Bien three, Binh Duong six, Hai Phong one, and Hung Yen two.

The national tally stood at 2,387 coronavirus cases, including 1,488 local infections, as of Monday morning, with 1,717 recoveries and 35 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health.

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