Foreign sailors anchored at Vung Tau test positive for coronavirus
Two crew members aboard a Singaporean vessel anchored offshore of southern Ba Ria-Vung Tau province have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, while two others are suspected of carrying the virus.
The sailors are still on the vessel and have not carried out procedures to enter Vietnam. (Photo: PLO)
Ba Ria-Vung Tau (VNA) - Two crew members aboard a Singaporean vessel anchored offshoreof southern Ba Ria-Vung Tau province have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, whiletwo others are suspected of carrying the virus.
The ship Ocean Amazingtravelled from Indonesia and was scheduled to deliver cargo in Vietnam, but on February20, when it was about to enter Vietnamese waters, one of its 21 sailors committedsuicide.
The provincialCentre of Disease Control tested the remaining 20 sailors for the novelcoronavirus on the same day, detecting five positive cases and one suspectedcase.
However, a secondtest conducted by the centre on February 23 found only two infections and one suspectedcase.
Gene sequencing isbeing performed on the samples by the Ho Chi Minh City-based Pasteur Institute.
The sailors arestill on the vessel and have not carried out procedures to enter Vietnam.
The ship’s ownerexpects it to return to Indonesia to replace the crew and disinfect before it returnsto Vietnam with the cargo.
According to theprovincial Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, no communitytransmissions have been reported in Ba Ria-Vung Tau./.
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The sailors are still on the vessel and have not carried out procedures to enter Vietnam. (Photo: PLO) 
