Vietnam evacuating Da Nang a city of 80,000 after three positive coronavirus cases
Vietnam has ordered the evacuation of a city of 80,000 people after three residents tested positive for coronavirus over the weekend.
The Vietnamese government said that the evacuation of Da Nang is likely to take at least four days with around 100 flights departing the city each day.
The evacuees, mostly tourists, will be taken to 11 different cities in Vietnam, upon arrival they will be required to quarantine at home for 14 days, the health ministry said.
The South East Asian country, which has been praised for its pandemic response after reporting just 420 cases and no deaths - is back on high alert after confirming its first local infections since April, all in the Da Nang region.
An aggressive and widespread testing along with strict quarantine has helped the country almost eradicate coronavirus within its borders, the South East Asian country is still closed to foreign tourism.
Despite being closed to tourism, there has been a surge in domestic travelling with travellers taking advantage of discounted flights and holiday packages to local hotels and resort.
Prime minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has also ordered police to step up a crackdown on illegal immigration to the country, following the local outbreaks.
Although authorities have not officially linked the new cases in Da Nang to illegal immigration, state media on Sunday said that police had arrested a 42-year-old Chinese man, accused of running gangs helping people enter Vietnam illegally from China.