Vietnam records three new Covid-19 infections today [March 26] after a week of no community transmission, making Ho Chi Minh City, the northern port city Hai Phong, and the souther province of Binh Duong the newest affected localities.

Binh Duong closes an area where a Covid-19 case detected. Photo: Yen Khanh

Meanwhile, other cities and provinces are put in high alert after the confirmed cases associated with a flight from the south to the north on March 22.

On March 26, the Ministry of Health reported one case who is now in Ho Chi Minh City, one in Hai Phong and another case in Binh Duong.

These cases in Ho Chi Minh City and Hai Phong are two women who illegally returned to the country from Cambodia, where the pandemic is sweeping. Meanwhile, the case in Binh Duong is a Chinese man who infected the virus after contacted with some Chinese nationals at the Vietnam-Cambodia border some days ago. This Chinese man has been staying in Binh Duong for months.

It means that all three new cases will likely cause transmission in the community.

On the same day, the ministry announced to find contact of passengers of the low-budget carrier VietJet Air's VJ458 flight from Phu Quoc Island to Noi Bai International Airport, Hanoi.

Authorities in Haiphong and Binh Duong have quarantined people who made contact with the patients, closed affected areas, and traced contact of related people.

So far, Vietnam has confirmed 2,581 cases, including 2,265 convalescents.