The Thua Thien-Hue Military School where four Chinese who entered Vietnam illegally are quarantined (Photo: Vnexpress/ Vo Thanh)

Authorities in the central province confirmed onThursday that these four people, whose identities have not been revealed, entered Vietnam illegally to avoid the novel-killing more than 3,000 Chinese coronavirus.

Nguyen Dinh Bach, a Thua Thien-Hue official, said the Chinese nationals confessed that they had crossed the border into Quang Ninh Province before going to the central of Da Nang city by a rent car.

Those four, along with two Vietnamese drivers, were found on Wednesday night on a bus in Phu Thuong Commune, Phu Vang District. Three of those Chinese nationals did not have passports, while one had without stamped, the local police said.

Medical checks by Phu Vang authorities have shown that those four illegal immigrants are in good health, however, they and two Vietnamese drivers must be quarantined in the same night in the provincial military school in Thuy Bang Commune under current safety protocols.

Thua Thien-Hue police are consulting the Immigration Department under the Ministry of Public Security about options sending those Chinese back. They could be sent back even after they have been quarantined for 14 days, or got Covid-19 virus negative test as per established protocol.

Under Vietnam’s current regulations, anyone entering the country from mainland China, Italy, Iran and South Korea have to be quarantined for at least 14 days. These four countries are currently the worst-hit by the novel coronavirus outbreaks.

All Covid 19 cases are quarantined in The Thua Thien-Hue Military School where four Chinesevid-19 infections so far have been successfully treated and the patients were discharged. The country has reported no new infection since February 13.

The novel coronavirus has spread to 87 countries and territories to date, killing 3,381 people, mostly in mainland China, followed by Italy (148), Iran (107) and South Korea (42).