Hanoi will not allow sale of poor-quality medical masks in the city, Chief of National Office 389 on fighting smuggling and counterfeiting Dam Thanh The said at a meeting on February 4 about preventing respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus, the Government Portal reported.

The mission of the Hanoi General Department of Market Management conducts a survey on supplying medical masks and equipment in the new coronavirus prevention at Hapulico Drug Market. Photo: Thuy Linh

The customs force needs to tighten the control at the border gates, thereby preventing the intrusion of poor-quality medical masks with unclear origin.

"If the authorities fail to fight poor quality face masks, the efforts to prevent the epidemic will fall in vain," said The.

An inspection by the Hanoi Market Management Surveillance at Hapulico drug market in Thanh Xuan district showed that most of the drug shops are no longer selling medical masks or hand sanitizers. Meanwhile, some shops are supplying free medical masks to their customers.

It is expected that in the next few days, Hanoi residents’ demand for medical masks will be met because a large number of masks will be available in the market thanks to producers increasing production after the Lunar New Year break.

In another move, the Hanoi government has requested local authorities and health sector to boost the production of medical masks to ensure around 15-20 million units in stock and deliver to its citizens in case of outbreak.

Vietnam has recorded ten cases positive for the new coronavirus and isolated 78 suspected cases.