At present, laboratories across Vietnam capable of testing for SARS-CoV-2 are based at the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology in Hanoi, the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City, the Pasteur Institute of Nha Trang in Khanh Hoa province, the Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology of the Central Highlands in Dak Lak province and the National Institute of Malariology-Parasitology-Entomology in Hanoi.

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Some laboratories and centers are able to perform tests for SARS-CoV-2. (Photo for illustration)

These facilities also include the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases and Bach Mai Hospital; the Hospital for Tropical Diseases and Cho Ray Hospital in HCM City; and Hue Central Hospital in Thua Thien-Hue province.

Disease control centres in Hanoi, Da Nang city and the provinces of Quang Ninh, Thanh Hoa, Bac Ninh, Bac Giang, Ha Tinh and Lao Cai are also able to perform tests for SARS-CoV-2.

The Ministry of Health on March 7 afternoon confirmed the 18th COVID-19 infection case in Vietnam, who is a patient returning from the epidemic-hit Republic of Korea (RoK).

A day earlier, the 17th infection case was reported in the capital city of Hanoi. The 26-year-old female patient earlier visited her sister in the UK, then travelled to Italy and returned to Hanoi on March 1 on flight VN0054.

Vietnam has to date detected 18 COVID-19 infection cases. Of them, 16 patients had been successfully cured and discharged from hospitals.

Source: VNA