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Vietnam health ministry reports rise in coronavirus cases to 134

A police officer wears a protective mask while he guards at a quarantined area for repatriated people from oversea due to coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Hanoi

HANOI (Reuters) - Vietnam's health ministry reported an additional 11 coronavirus cases on Tuesday, taking the Southeast Asian country's tally to 134, though it reported no deaths.

Vietnam had said in mid-February that all its then-16 confirmed coronavirus cases had recovered, but it has since been battling an influx of imported cases from overseas visitors and Vietnamese citizens escaping outbreaks elsewhere.

Restaurants in Vietnam's business hub, Ho Chi Minh City, must remain shut until March 31 to help curb the spread of the coronavirus, the city's ruling body said on Tuesday. [nL4N2BH2QU]

Nearly 47,000 people are in quarantine and 24,300 tests have been carried out in Vietnam.

(Reporting by Phuong Nguyen; Editing by James Pearson and Gareth Jones)