All close contacts to latest imported COVID-19 cases negative for SARS-CoV-2

Before that, on the evening of December 26, the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Response confirmed that a local person who was illegally returning to Vietnam in Vinh Long had tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, becoming the country’s latest COVID-19 patient.

Known as Patient 1440, the 32-year-old Vietnamese citizen returned to his home in the southern province through an illegal border crossing on December 24.

He is now in quarantine in Vinh Long. All of his F1s and their close contacts (F2s) have also been isolating themselves according to regulations.

The health sector of Vinh Long has cooperated with the Pasteur Institute of Ho Chi Minh City and related units to continue investigation of the case and boost the tracing work.

On December 26, the Vinh Long Committee for COVID-19 Response held an urgent meeting to discuss solutions to prevent and control COVID-19 in the locality, which has been identified as having a high risk of infection following the detection of Patient 1440.

Accordingly, members of the committee stressed the need to initiate proactive plans in response to any local infections to limit the spread of the epidemic in the community, while urging local people to be more proactive with medical declarations.

On the same day, the first three volunteers received their first shot of a 50mcg dose of Nanocovax COVID-19 vaccine at the Hanoi-based Military Medical University.

Following the injection, the volunteers were placed under health monitoring at the university, were they will stay for a period of 72 hours. The remaining 17 in the group will get injections of the 50mcg dose if the vaccine’s safety is confirmed.

The first group testing the 25 mcg dose received their first injections on December 17.

Developed by the Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology JSC and the Vietnam Military Medical University, Nanocovax is Vietnam's first candidate of a COVID-19 vaccine to reach the human trial stage.

A total of 60 volunteers, aged 18-50, were selected for the first phase of the clinical trials. They have been divided into three groups receiving three doses of 25 mcg, 50 mcg and 75 mcg, respectively. The vaccination will consist of two injections 28 days apart.