Health Ministry officials examine the screening of passengers exhibiting symptoms possibly connected with the novel virus at Noi Bai International Airport. (Photo: VNA)

The Ministry’s urgent dispatch said medical facilities must classify patients from the time they come to register for examination and those with symptoms of acute respiratory infection such as cough or fever must be quarantined. Other measures include increasing communication campaigns and setting up quick response teams to support hospitals at the lower level.

No coronavirus cases had been reported in Vietnam by Sunday, according to the Preventive Medicine Department. The Hanoi Centre for Disease Control and Prevention said quarantine at airports is the first effort made to prevent the disease. Although there is no direct flight to Vietnam from Wuhan where the first cases of the acute pneumonia were found, screening has been enhanced for flights from China and countries reporting cases of the deadly virus.

As of late Monday the number of confirmed cases in China had climbed to 291, with 4 deaths, according to the National Health Commission.