Hanoi's residents must wear face masks in churches and public places during Christmas as a measure to strengthen the Covid-19 pandemic prevention and control.

The requirement was made by Vice Chairman of the municipal People's Committee Ngo Van Quy at an online meeting on December 18.

The vice chairman highly valued the anti-pandemic actions taken by the city’s authorities so far. However, he pointed out that many people still flout the Covid-10 prevention protocols.

An overview of the meeting. Photo: Kinhtedothi.vn

The risk of another Covid-19 outbreak is quite high due to its serious evolution in the world, Mr. Quy said, adding that at the end of the year, many events and activities will take place allover the country, gathering large groups of people - a situation which is prone to Covid-19 spreading.

He added that the city’s agencies should keep 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).

In particular, Mr. Quy emphasized that in the coming days, localities and units need to monitor crowded events and map out plans on the pandemic prevention during the occasions of Christmas and New Year.

Moreover, the authorities must strictly handle cases defying face mask regulations, prepare supplies for Covid-19 prevention and strictly control concentrated quarantine establishments, Mr. Quy noted.

For his part, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Health Hoang Duc Hanh said that nationwide, from December 11-18, there were 16 imported cases of Covid-19 who were quarantined immediately upon entry.

Hanoi has recorded three new cases from abroad and two cases of re-positive Covid-19 patients.

Meanwhile, Hanoi has gone four months without detecting any new cases of Covid-19 in the community since August 17. 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, Mr. Hanh added.

He stressed that people 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.