In Vietnam, a man received a five-year prison sentence for violating strict pandemic quarantine rules. After contracting COVID-19 in Ho Chi Minh City, he infected eight people in his home village, including one fatality.
Van Tri, a 28-year-old from Ca Mau province, was fined the equivalent of 780 euros and sentenced to five years in prison for "spread of dangerous infectious diseases," as reported by Vietnamese press and relayed by ABC News. He traveled to Ho Chi Minh City during lockdown, returned home in early July without completing the required 21-day quarantine, tested positive on July 7, and infected eight others—one of whom died on August 7, according to contact tracing.
This marks the second such case in Vietnam. In July, a 32-year-old man from Hai Duong province in the north received an 18-month prison term for the same offense.
Vietnam initially excelled in controlling the virus, recording just 1,500 cases in 2020 through rigorous measures like widespread testing, quarantine enforcement, contact tracing, and tight border controls.
However, infections surged from late May 2021, especially in Ho Chi Minh City. On September 6, the country reported over 12,000 new cases and more than 300 deaths in a single day. Cumulatively, over 536,000 infections and 13,385 deaths have been officially recorded, mostly recent.
Once a leader in the zero-COVID strategy, Vietnam has shifted to "living with the virus," amid challenges as a lower-income nation with limited early vaccine access. Over 20 million people (of Vietnam's 99 million population) have received a first dose, but only 2.8% are fully vaccinated. The rollout is accelerating, with 20 million Sputnik V doses from Russia expected soon.
