The government of Hanoi, a city of eight million people, said that it would declare the epidemic if one case tests positive with the novel coronavirus (nCoV).

As of February 5, Hanoi found no infection and 31 out of 37 people quarantined at hospitals were confirmed negative with nCoV, according to Hoang Duc Hanh, deputy director of the municipal Department of Health.

Hanh said that 37 suspected cases include seven coming from China’s Wuhan city, 26 from other places in China, and four Vietnamese working in Noi Bai International Airport.

Chairman Nguyen Duc Chung of the Hanoi People’s Committee chaired an online meeting on Feb 5. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Hanh made the statement at a meeting on February 5 chaired by Chairman Nguyen Duc Chung of the Hanoi People’s Committee.

Hanh said the city’s authorities are aware of the coronavirus outbreak as Vietnam has confirmed secondary infections.

To tighten control over the epidemic, the Departments of Finance and Health have proposed the city spend an additional VND254 billion (US$11 million) on the purchase of medical equipment and chemicals.

To prevent the spread of the epidemic, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has stopped sending athletes to China for training while the city has halted all festivals.

Meanwhile, Director of the Department of Tourism Tran Duc Hai said the city has also tightened control over tour operations and conducted safety measures to protect tourists. In January, Hanoi welcomed 2.3 million visitors, down 3.3% on-year. Of the total, the number of foreign visitor fell 9% to 482,000.