Hanoi will strengthen anti-pandemic measures to ensure safety of major events amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, including the 1,010th anniversary of Thang Long - Hanoi and the 17th Congress of the city Party.

Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Ngo Van Quy made the statement at a teleconference of the city’s Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control on October 8.

Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Ngo Van Quy. Photo: Kinhtedothi.vn

Mr. Quy requested districts to keep restricting public gatherings, except for important socio-political events.

"Anyone in a public area like Hoan Kiem lake must wear a face mask. District authorities must set up shops to sell masks and security personnel must strictly enforce masking regulations," the deputy mayor said.

Noting that the Covid-19 pandemic is still ravaging the world, Mr. Quy praised units that have strictly implemented the anti-pandemic measures in the new normal.

Vietnam in general and Hanoi in particular have put the pandemic under control, but the risk of coronavirus transmission remains high because pathogens may remain in the community, from people entering the country illegally, or via imported goods, among others.

“The National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control confirmed that the anti-pandemic activities could be in place until the end of 2021 so we must live with the pandemic,” Mr. Quy noted, adding that the World Health Organization and international organizations forecast that the pandemic could last till late 2021 due to the unavailability of vaccines.

Therefore, Hanoi’s authorities need to rigorously comply with the process of receiving, testing and isolating people on entry; strictly control centers for centralized isolation and deal with cases of illegal entry.

“Military barracks are incapable of accommodating all quarantined people. So the list of paid accommodation repurposed for hosting incoming people should be open to budget lodgings such as hotels of two to three stars,” Mr. Quy stressed.

He added that Vietnam in general and Hanoi in particular have been balancing between the two goals: containing the covid-19 pandemic and supporting public health on the one hand, and boosting economic growth on the other.

Vietnam has recorded 1,100 Covid-19 cases nationwide so far, of which 1,023 have recovered and 35 died.