Recently, netizens have been stirring up the news that the US has put Vietnam on the list of places “showing signs of spreading in the community”. The information has spread on many social networks and is causing a lot of confusion among people, in the context of the Covid-19 epidemic caused by the new strain of coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2).
However, looking deeper, it turned out the true meaning of this story is different from what many people are misunderstanding.
The source of the information comes from a notice issued by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with recommendations for citizens traveling abroad. In the recommendation, the CDC issued a list of three levels of warnings about sites of outbreaks, as follows:
Highest alert – level 3 (Red)
The highest level of alert was for China, where the new strain of corona virus disease broke out. The CDC recommends that citizens avoid all unnecessary travel to mainland China.
Level 2 alert (Yellow)
This is an alert level for sites that record increased community spread related to the Covid-19 virus. Currently, the two locations covered by this alert are Japan and South Korea.
CDC recommends the new strain of corona virus can be transmitted from person to person. Accordingly, the elderly and those who are suffering from chronic medical problems should avoid all unnecessary trips.
Alert level 1 (Blue)
At this level of warning, the CDC does not recommend the cancellation or delay of moving to the locations on the list – currently the Hong Kong Special Economic Zone (China). Nevertheless, citizens still need to take common precautionary measures against disease.
So where is Vietnam?
The truth is that according to what was published in the recommendation, Vietnam is not on the 3-level warning list of the CDC. However, the CDC refers to Vietnam with 4 countries and territories in another category, “ Apparent Community Spread” – roughly translated: There appears to be a spread in the community.
The locations on this list are Iran, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan (China) and Vietnam
“Communicable manifestation in the community” means that people have been infected with the virus in these areas, including cases where it is unclear where and how the infection was made. However, the spread did not escalate, or was not large enough to make travel-related recommendations. In case the list has changed, CDC will update quickly.
In other words, Vietnam and the remaining 4 countries and territories are not currently the locations where US citizens should receive warnings.