Hanoi is considering activating the city-level crisis response unit and each district would also set up one to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government Portal quoted Chairman of the municipal People's Committee Nguyen Duc Chung as saying at a meeting with Chuong My district's authorities on March 19.

Chung said that the risk of the pandemic spread is considerably high at present and the number of Covid-19 patients in the city is likely to increase sharply in the days to come.

Chairman of the municipal People's Committee Nguyen Duc Chung (standing) speaks at the meeting. Photo: Gia Huy

He, however, did not elaborate more on how the unit will work.

The Hanoi mayor said at a meeting on March 18 that the city will face an intense period until April 3 as there will be a surge in number of passengers arriving in the city from abroad. The city is receiving 600-1,000 Vietnamese people returning home a day and the total may reach 10,000 people in the coming days.

Therefore, the number of infections detected a day will not be just a few cases any more and the city's socio-economic activities would be dealt a more severe blow, Chung assessed.

Facing that fact, he called on people to stay calm and follow the measures that the Ministry of Health has instructed. The local government is proactively and well controlling people entering the city from abroad and cases of Covid-19 cross-infection.

As of March 20, Hanoi has 24 active coronavirus-infected cases, the largest number in Vietnam. Over 2,000 people have been place in quarantine at concentrated establishments in the city.

Regarding the prevention of Covid-19 in Chuong My district in particular, the mayor said that although the district has not recorded any Covid-19 patient, there have been cases of suspected infection.

He asked Chuong My district to pay attention to the fact that many industrial parks in the district are homes to foreigners, especially experts from Thailand who have come to work in the last 15 days, therefore it is necessary to review and take security measures.