Vietnam quarantines area with 10,000 residents over Covid-19 fears

A police official wearing a protective face mask amid concerns of the coronavirus outbreak stands guard at a checkpoint in Son Loi commune in Vinh Phuc province, Vietnam, on Feb 13, 2020. - AFP

BINH XUYEN, Vietnam (AFP) - More than 10,000 people in villages near Vietnam’s capital were placed under quarantine on Thursday (Feb 13) after six cases of the deadly new coronavirus were discovered there, authorities said.

In the first mass quarantine outside of China since the virus emerged there in late December, the Son Loi farming region about 40km from Hanoi will be locked down for 20 days, the health ministry said.