Hanoi has again required people to wear face masks in public places and increase hygiene measures after one local infection was detected on July 23 that broke Vietnam’s 99-day zero community transmission streak.

Hanoi's residents wear face masks on a downtown street. Photo: Nhandan

As per a document sent to local authorities on July 25, the city requests implementing precautionary measures namely quick testing, contact tracing, wearing masks in public places, and washing hands.

In addition, it keeps an eye on protective measures in receiving visitors from abroad, including quarantine. Accordingly, Vietnamese nationals returning to the country will be quarantined in concentrated centers or in other forms depending on types of entrants.

Meanwhile, the city instructs implementations of simplified procedures for foreign diplomats, experts, investors, high-skilled workers, and foreign students when entering the city. Priority in procedure handling will be also applied to relatives of diplomats, experts, and investors as required by the National Steering Committee on Covid-19 Prevention and Control.

The city said the measures will enable Hanoi to keep vigilance on the pandemic that remains unpredictable as Vietnam and Hanoi in particular are at high risk of imported transmission.

The local authorities have been warned that they need to be on high alert in order to prevent the second wave of coronavirus outbreaks.

In details, the city’s Department of Health needs to lay a close watch on the pandemic evolution by imposing five principles namely preventing, detecting, quaranting, zoning, and stamping out the outbreaks.

It will take samples on visitors entering the country.

The health sector needs to ensure enough resources for dealing with any outbreak, the city government said in the document.