Konaka Tetsuo, chief representative of JICA's Vietnam Office, handed over the nCoV testing reagents to Dang Duc Anh, director of NIHE, with the presence of representatives of the MoH, NIHE, and JICA. Photo: (www.vir.com.vn)

The Ministry of Health has assigned the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology to carry out tests on samples of suspected nCoV cases in the northern region. The products were handed to the Hanoi-based National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology on Friday.

The batch is part of Japan’s aid package valued at about 14 million JPY for Vietnam, which includes different types of biological products in service of rapid and accurate virus testing.

Vietnam has confirmed 13 nCoV cases, three of whom have recovered. Meanwhile, 90 other suspected cases who return from nCoV-hit areas and show symptoms of cough and fever are being quarantined.