Vietnam vows to punish hiders of coronavirus

Vietnamese authorities vowed yesterday to punish anyone concealing sickness after 13 people caught the new coronavirus on a flight to Hanoi, sparking lockdowns and panicbuying in the capital.

The Southeast Asian country had previously reported only 16 cases of the virus despite bordering China but a cluster of infections was discovered at the weekend among 201 passengers on a Vietnam Airlines flight from Britain.

The group were in quarantine yesterday and recovering, Vietnam’s health ministry said, with the hospital they were held in placed on lockdown along with several houses and hotels in Hanoi where they had stayed.

Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc vowed Monday to duly punish those who fail to disclose a coronavirus diagnosis, according to media.

He told officials in Hanoi that “we need strong, adequate and immediate measures to effectively stop the source of infection”.

Authorities have launched an online tool asking all citizens to declare their health status.

“Declaring false information ... may be subject to criminal handling,” stated an official notice.

A woman, 29, on the flight from London was found to be suffering from the disease after returning to Hanoi from a tour of France, Italy and Britain.

She is believed to have infected her aunt and driver, forcing authorities to isolate several houses near her home and a private hospital where she first sought treatment.

The other patients included Vietnamese, British, Irish and Mexican nationals.

The health ministry said there may be “more cases to be discovered as a result of close contact” with the first patient.

People in the capital were seen panic-buying staple items as the lockdown of the hospital began.