Virus outbreak tied to Vietnam Airlines flight triggers hoarding

Bloomberg

An outbreak of four coronavirus cases tied to a Vietnam Airlines flight from London to Hanoi triggered hoarding in the Southeast Asian country’s capital, the lockdown of a central city neighbourhood and the home quarantine of an investment minister aboard the aircraft.
A growing sense that the virus may be bypassing Vietnam, which hadn’t reported an official case in more than three weeks, was shattered after a 26-year-old Hanoi woman, who landed at Noi Bai International Airport March 2 after visiting London, Milan and Paris, tested positive for the virus, the Ministry of Health said. The government immediately quarantined five acquaintances of the woman.
The woman’s uncle and family driver also tested positive and a 61-year-old man on flight VN 0054 — who, like the 26-year-old woman, sat in business class — was confirmed to have the virus, the ministry said. The government immediately quarantined 50 people who had close contact with the 61-year-old man at home and in hospitals.
Planning and Investment Minister Nguyen Chi Dung, who sat in seat 1A — the first patient sat in seat 5K — had self-quarantined at home for 14 days after testing negative for the virus. The minister’s headquarters were also disinfected, the government said.
Of the more than 200 passengers on the flight, 28 were in business class, according to the government. The flight’s crew and ground staff are also in isolation, according to the health ministry’s news website, Suc Khoe Doi Song. Thirty-two of the passengers on board the aircraft journeyed on to nine different cities in the country, including Ho Chi Minh City, Danang and Phu Quoc.
Vietnam is notifying officials in Europe and elsewhere about the airline virus case and foreign passengers on board, the government said.