Vietnam confirmed its first outbreak of the coronavirus in nearly two months and warned it could be more serious than its last wave of infections, as authorities rushed to contain the spread and test tens of thousands of people, Reuters reported.

The health ministry earlier reported two locally transmitted cases, the country’s first in 55 days, one of which was exposed to an individual who had tested positive in Japan for the more contagious B117 UK variant.

The 83 infections announced were a new record daily for Vietnam which has effectively closed its borders and avoided the larger epidemics seen by its neighbours.