One of the two new cases in Hanoi is a Japanese man, 43, who is staying at Somerset West Point hotel in Tay Ho district. The hotel is the place where another Japanese expert was found dead with COVID-19 on February 13.
The other Hanoi case is a Vietnamese woman, 25, living in Ba Dinh district of the capital city.
They both attended a meeting together with the Japanese man on February 2, and tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus on February 15.
They are among hundreds of people who were immediately placed in quarantine on February 14 following contact with the Japanese man.
The two Japanese men were working for Mitsui Vietnam on Phan Chu Trinh street of Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi.
Elsewhere, Hai Duong province, the country’s biggest coronavirus hotspot, recorded 38 community cases that are closely tied to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak in the province’s Chi Linh City.
During an online meeting in Hanoi on February 15, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc requested relevant ministries and localities to intensify measures against COVID-19 as the epidemic is evolving in a complex manner.
The latest coronavirus outbreak has spread to 13 cities and provinces across the country since the virus recurred late last month. As many as 677 cases have been detected in the community, including 499 cases in Hai Duong province, a gateway to Hanoi capital.
Despite the outbreak localised, dozens of new cases have been detected on a daily basis during the past few days in Hai Duong. The provincial administration has decided to impose social distancing on the entire province, starting midnight February 16.