HANOI, March 22 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam's Ministry of Health on Sunday afternoon confirmed four new cases of novel coronavirus infection in its southern Ho Chi Minh City, bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 98.
The new cases included two Vietnamese, a 20-year-old male studying in France and a 21-year-old female who has traveled to Belgium, Germany, Czech and France in two weeks before her return to Vietnam.
The other two new cases are both British, a 34-year-old male working as a foreign language teacher who has stayed in Malaysia for two weeks before returning to Vietnam and his roommate of the same age, also a foreign language teacher in Vietnam, who has traveled back from Malaysia.
The country has seen 82 new infections since March 6, including a number of people traveling from abroad. A total of 17 patients have been discharged from hospital after recovery.
There are 196 suspected cases being quarantined and more than 36,000 being monitored in Vietnam as of Sunday, according to the ministry.
Vietnam temporarily banned all foreigners, except for entrants on diplomatic or official purposes or other special cases permitted, from entering the country from Sunday in a bid to control the pandemic outbreak.
