Ho Chi Minh City on February 9 reported two more COVID-19 infections related to the Tan Son Nhat International Airport outbreak hotspot, according to the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control (HCDC).

The Tan Son Nhat airport's workers are tested for COVID-19.(Photo: SGGP)

The new patients were detected as the city's authorities were conducting COVID-19 testing for the remaining 830 employees of the airport. One of the two patients is an employee at the Vietnam Airport Ground Services Company (VIAGS), which saw five workers infected with the coronavirus, and the other is an employee of Vietnam Airlines who monitored goods with Patient 1,979 on January 30 and 31. As of February 9, the Tan Son Nhat Airport logged seven COVID-19 infections. The patients work at the baggage handling team at the airport apron. Besides, there were 25 other cases related to the airport's workers. Right after receiving information about infections at Van Don International Airport in Quang Ninh province, the city’s steering board for COVID-19 prevention and control decided to conduct mass testing for the airport's staff from January 30. All airport staff are tested for COVID-19 before they enter the next working day. The same day, all 1,800 samples of workers of the Military Hospital 175 taken for the coronavirus test showed negative results. The testing was conducted after Patient 1,979, who is a luggage handler at the Tan Son Nhat International Airport, went there for medical examination on February 3 and 5. While in the north, nearly 160 workers at the Van Don International Airport, who were put under quarantine, were negative for the virus twice, Sun Group said on February 9. Earlier, the Ministry of Health reported the first locally-transmitted case in Quang Ninh - a security worker at the Van Don airport. Relating to the airport outbreak, Quang Ninh saw an additional ten cases who work at Noi Bai Airport's security team, Vietnam Air Petrol Company Limited (SKYPEC), air traffic control centre, and VOR station. The Van Don airport has been shut down for 12 days, and is expected to reopen on February 21.

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