Vietnam Suddenly Has a Community COVID-19 Case After 3 Months with No Local Case

A Wise Old Man once said: “Records are meant to be broken.”

But here’s the thing; that statement, wise as it may sound, is flawed. Because in the end, only certain records should be broken;

Others, especially those of beneficial value, should be kept as they are… ongoing and running.

Vietnam Suddenly Has a Community COVID-19 Case After 3 Months with No Local Case

Vietnam has inadvertently broken a much-cherished record: After nearly three months of “abstinence”, the nation is now facing its first locally transmitted case of COVID-19.

The information was confirmed yesterday (30 November 2020).

According to the report, the 32-year-old is the first reported local case in 89 days.

He had come into contact with a flight attendant – who tested positive for the coronavirus after returning from Japan two weeks ago.

Apparently, the man had worked at language-learning centres since he went within proximity of the flight attendant, and also visited cafes and karaoke bars.

Those venues were subsequently closed down.

Vietnam’s health minister has since called for provinces and state agencies to enforce screen and controls.

Contact tracing efforts are also underway.

1,347 Cases

To date, Vietnam has recorded 1,347 cases; 655 of which were reportedly imported.

It should be noted that just recently, an average of five imported cases has been reported on a daily basis.

The locally transmitted case came days after the health ministry issued a warning, as the country heads into winter season.

“The Covid-19 situation remains complicated,” said health minister Nguyen Thanh Long. “The disease has returned in many parts of the world in winter time.”

Stringent Practices

Through stringent quarantine and tracking practices, Vietnam has managed to curb previous coronavirus outbreaks with relative ease and speed.

In April, the country annihilated its first wave of infections. It then went nearly 100 days without local transmission until July, when the virus re-emerged in the central city of Danang.

That was also quickly contained.

To fight off the virus, Vietnam closed its borders to the general public, save for certain business travellers and those with foreign expertise.

They are permitted to go on special flights, but will have to undergo quarantine.

Re-Emergence

Over the last couple of weeks, several countries have seen their once-curbed outbreaks return in terrifying form.

The situation over in Hong Kong, for instance, has only gone from bad to worse, as 115 new COVID-19 infections were reported on 29 November.

It’s reportedly the highest number in nearly four months, with the previous record being 125 on 1 August 2020. We can therefore say goodbye to any air travel bubble with the city.

Meanwhile, South Korea is facing a “third wave” of infections, and it’s one that could well surpass the previous two.

On 22 November 2020, the nation reported more than 300 new coronavirus cases for the fifth consecutive day.

It was a level that has not been witnessed since August, when the second wave broke out.

And to end off, Malaysia recorded 1,884 new Covid-19 cases on 23 November 2020.

Not the total tally; it’s the number of cases in a single day.

Suffice to say; it has not been a pleasant November.

Here’s hoping that December, if anything else, will be a better one.

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