Breaking News! Vietnam Lockdowns Farming Region With A Population Of 12,000 Due To Coronavirus Outbreak
Source: Thailand Coronavirus News Feb 13, 2020 4 years, 10 months, 1 week, 1 day, 4 hours, 39 minutes ago
Vietnam Government and health authorities have place under lockdown a farming region that comprised numerous villages with a population of more than 12,000 people as a result of a six cases of the deadly
coronavirus emerging there. All six tested positive for the
Covid-19 coronavirus and it is suspected that hundreds could have already been infected.
The authorities locking down efforts of the region of Son Loi, about 40km from Hanoi, is the first mass quarantine outside of China since the
coronavirus emerged from a central Chinese city late last year.
A Vietnamese health ministry statement said, "As of February 13, 2020, we will urgently implement the task of isolation and quarantine of the epidemic area in Son Loi commune. The timeline is for 20 days initally".
The Vietnamese health ministry previously said five people in Son Loi had been infected with the
coronavirus, but on Thursday reported a sixth case. Son Loi is basically a farming region comprising of lots of smaller villages.
By Thursday early morning (1am), checkpoints were set up around the commune, in Binh Xuyen, a district on the outskirts of Son Loi.
Vietnamese health officials wearing protective suits sprayed disinfectant on vehicles by the checkpoints.
Authorities have warned all villagers against going out of the zone, to avoid large gatherings and to remain indoors
The lockdown will greatly affect the economic and financial wellbeing of the residents as most are poor farmers or labourers.
To date more than 1,360 people have died in China from the coronavirus, and nearly 60,67000 others have been infected, since it was first detected in the Hubei province in December 2019.
So far, China has imposed quarantines across Hubei, locking in about 56 million people, in a bid to stop it spreading.
Almost another hundred million or more people are affected in other lockdown cities in various other provinces in China including Zhejiang, Hunan, Henan, Jiangxi and Chongqing.
The
coronavirus has also had massive ramifications globally, with many countries banning travellers from China and other high risk countries, flight stoppages, border closures, travel restrictions etc
Vietnam shares a porous border with China and so far has 16 confirmed cases of the
coronavirus, including those in Son Loi.
It has had banned all flights to and from mainland China in a bid to stop the virus from spreading however its land borders are still porous.It also suspended new tourist visas for Chinese nationals or foreigners who had been in China over the past two weeks.
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