Localities in Hanoi must tighten supervision of people arriving from abroad and enforce Covid-19 prevention regulations at concentrated quarantine facilities.

Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Chu Xuan Dung requested during a virtual meeting of the municipal steering committee for Covid-19 prevention and control on January 7.

Mr. Dung stressed that Hanoi must close the loopholes in regulations covering quarantine facilities with a view to preventing community transmissions of Covid-19 at all costs.

The vice chairman called on Hanoi Police to keep tightening management to prevent and strictly handle illegal entries, including five illegal migrants in Hoang Mai district.

Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Chu Xuan Dung speaks at the meeting.

Hanoi Capital Command needs to coordinate with relevant units to closely control concentrated quarantine facilities to avoid cross- infection at the premises and in the community, Mr. Dung added.

Relevant agencies were urged to review procedures related to concentrated quarantine, as all citizens returning from abroad must be quarantined for two weeks and could only leave the facilities if they test negative with Covid-19 twice.

“The measures aim at keeping people alert to the pandemic that remains unpredictable as Vietnam and Hanoi in particular are at high risk of imported transmission,” the vice chairman said.

He urged people to further comply with Covid-19 prevention regulations to prevent the outbreak and conduct precautionary measures of quick testing, contact tracing, masking up in public places, and washing hands.

“The authorities must strictly handle cases defying Covid-19 prevention protocols, prepare medical supplies for Covid-19 prevention and strictly control concentrated isolation establishments,” Mr. Dung noted.

Hanoi so far has logged a total of 198 infections, including 77 cases since July 25, and zero deaths, according to Deputy Director of Hanoi Department of Health Hoang Duc Hanh.

The capital city has gone through 143 days without locally transmitted cases, Mr. Hanh said, adding that eight new infections reported in the past week were all imported who had been quarantined upon arrival. The patients are receiving treatment at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases.

Local residents are still recommended to regularly wash hands with soap or hand sanitizers, clean surfaces and frequently touched objects (door knobs, mobile phones, tablets, tables, and chairs). People are also asked to keep safe distance with each other and avoid mass gatherings, the health official emphasized.