Villages with a population of 10,000 are quarantined over coronavirus fears in Vietnam – the first mass isolation outside of China – after six cases are discovered
- Vietnamese police are guarding checkpoints in Son Loi, 25 miles from Hanoi
- Villagers in the farming region face a 20-day quarantine to contain the virus
- Vietnam has already stopped flights to China and suspended many tourist visas
A series of villages in Vietnam were put under quarantine today after six cases of the deadly coronavirus were discovered there.
The lockdown of 10,000 people is the first major quarantine outside mainland China since the outbreak began.
Police officers in face masks were today guarding checkpoints in the farming region of Son Loi with villagers facing 20 days in quarantine.
The drastic measures have been imposed after a sixth case of the virus was confirmed in Son Loi today, in addition to five who were already infected.
Vietnamese police wearing face masks guard a checkpoint in Son Loi today after the area was locked down over coronavirus fears
A map showing the Son Loi region which has been put under quarantine. Vietnam shares a border with China and has 16 confirmed cases of the coronavirus
‘As of February 13, we will urgently implement the task of isolation and quarantine of the epidemic area in Son Loi commune,’ said a health ministry statement.
‘The timeline… is for 20 days’.
Son Loi is a farming region made up of several villages, around 25 miles from Hanoi.
On Thursday, checkpoints were set up around the commune including in the district of Binh Xuyen on the outskirts of Son Loi.
Health officials wearing protective suits sprayed disinfectant on vehicles by the checkpoints.
Villager Tran Van Minh told AFP that authorities had already advised residents to avoid large gatherings.
‘Life has been badly affected,’ he said, adding that much of the labour force is reliant on jobs in construction and house painting.
‘Now we cannot get out and even if we do, clients don’t welcome us that much as before.’
A health worker in protective gear sprays disinfectant over a motorcycle at a checkpoint today with 10,000 villagers facing nearly three weeks in quarantine
Vietnam, which shares a porous border with China, has 16 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, including those in Son Loi.
The country has already banned all flights to and from mainland China in a bid to stop the virus from spreading.
It also suspended new tourist visas for Chinese nationals or foreigners who had been in China over the past two weeks.
More than 1,350 people have died in China from the virus, and nearly 60,000 others have been infected, since it was first detected in the Hubei province in early January.
China has imposed unprecedented quarantines across Hubei, locking in about 56 million people, in a bid to stop it spreading.
Tens of millions of others cities far from the epicentre are also enduring travel restrictions.
The virus has also had massive ramifications globally, with many countries banning travellers from China in a bid to stop people spreading the disease.