Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Chu Ngoc Anh has required local departments and relevant agencies to apply regulations on receiving visitors from aboard strictly in order to prevent another wave of coronavirus outbreak.

In a document sent to relevant agencies on January 6, the Hanoi mayor said Vietnamese returnees, depending on their categories, will be quarantined in concentrated centers or in other types of facilities.

"The measures aim at keeping the people vigilant on the pandemic that remains unpredictable as Vietnam and Hanoi in particular are at high risk of imported transmission," Mr. Anh 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.

Tourists are provided free face masks to prevent Covid-19 at the Temple of Literature. Photo: Kinhtedothi.vn

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.

“The health sector needs to ensure enough resources for dealing with any outbreak,” Mr. Anh said in the document.

He added that the city’s agencies will have to continue disseminating the "5K" message of the Ministry of Health since 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).

“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. Ngoc Anh noted.

Hanoi has gone more than four months without detecting any new cases of Covid-19 in the community. However, according to experts, the risk of a resurgence of the Covid-19 pandemic is latent, so staying vigilant is a must, as cold and dry winter conditions favor the transmission of the virus.

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.