The Health Ministry confirmed four more Covid-19 cases in Hanoi on February 1, while the Covid-19 threat advisory was elevated.

The latest patients are two women residing in Nam Tu Liem and Cau Giay districts of Hanoi and a couple living in Me Linh district.

All of them got infected with the new coronavirus after having contact with people who were later confirmed Covid-19 infections in the northern province of Hai Duong, the biggest cluster of Covid-19 in Vietnam with 188 cases confirmed since Covid-19.

The new patients have raised Hanoi's caseload of the Covid-19 resurgence to 19 and 242 nationwide.

Hanoi turns on high alert on Covid-19 prevention. Photo: Kinhtedothi.vn

The Hanoi Party Committee has urged the people and authorities of Hanoi to strengthen measures to prevent the Covid-19 pandemic in the capital city.

The whole city must review and tighten the anti-epidemic measures, especially in medical establishments, schools, industrial parks, factories, and areas of public gatherings.

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 for Covid-19 twice.

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

The city’s agencies have to continue disseminating the "5K" message of the Ministry of Health since, they said, the good observance of the 5K is a "steel shield" to protect people from the Covid-19 pandemic. 5K means "Khau trang" (face mask) - "Khu khuan" (disinfection) - "Khoang cach" (distance) - "Khong tu tap" (no gatherings) - "Khai bao y te" (health declaration).

Besides, localities in Hanoi must tighten supervision of people arriving from abroad and the pandemic-hit areas, enforce Covid-19 prevention regulations at concentrated quarantine facilities.

Especially, the city’s Department of Health needs to keep close watch on the pandemic evolution by imposing five step protocol namely preventing, detecting, quarantining, zoning, and stamping out the outbreaks.

In addition, Hanoi authorities need to provide accurate, timely and transparent information for people; prevent and enforce regulations on fake news that causes confusion in public as well as actively detect and handle illegal entry.

Localities in Hanoi must proactively put in place the pandemic prevention and control measures, applying social distance or isolation based on the level of Covid-19 risk for each area in the locality.