Localities focus on fighting Covid-19 at the highest level

ABO/NDO – Localities across the nation are strengthening efforts to prevent the new coronavirus disease (Covid-19) infection at the highest level, despite all 16 confirmed cases in Vietnam so far having recovered.

A delegation from the Ministry of Health inspect an ambulance run by the Rapid Response Team No. 1 at Thai Nguyen Provincial Hospital. (Photo: NDO)

On March 1 (Sunday), a mission from the Ministry of Health (MoH) examined the prevention of Covid-19 at Thai Nguyen Central Hospital in Thai Nguyen Province, as well as in some local industrial parks and medical facilities.

As of March 1, there were no recorded cases of people infected with Covid-19 in the northern province. However, Thai Nguyen is in high risk of infection due to the large number of foreigners arriving there.

The province has applied medical monitor for 1,065 foreigners (from the Republic of Korea (RoK), China and Japan), of which 150 people from the epidemic areas (including 86 Koreans), for 14 days. All have normal health. Meanwhile, 181 others crossing the border from Cao Bang Province showed no health abnormalities.

Thai Nguyen has formulated appropriated response measures as local medical units have prepared 200 beds and can increase to 1,000 beds to serve treatment and isolation work. Thai Nguyen Central Hospital has established two rapid response teams to be ready to support medical facilities.

* On the same day, another mission from the MoH led by Deputy Minister Do Xuan Tuyen inspected the prevention and control of Covid-19 at Can Tho International Airport in Can Tho City, in which Tuyen highly praised efforts by the Mekong Delta city’s authorities in the prevention and control of the disease.

Tuyen assessed that Can Tho has implemented well medical declaration and quarantine at the airport, as well as dividing people to concentrated areas for classification and isolation under the guidance of the MoH.

Currently, flights from the RoK, where the Covid-19 epidemic broke out, will land at Can Tho Airport, Van Don Airport (Quang Ninh) and Phu Cat Airport (Binh Dinh) to help control better the Covid-19 prevention work.

As soon as passengers from the RoK’s cities with Covid-19 prevalence land at Can Tho, they will be sent to concentrated isolation areas.

On Sunday afternoon, three flights from the RoK landed at Can Tho International Airport with more than 600 passengers entering Vietnam.

The Hanoi functional force inspect the prevention and control of the Covid-19 epidemic at hotels with foreigners staying in Hoan Kiem District. (Photo: NDO)

* On March 1, the MoH said that Covid-19 is a new disease which is difficult to control, so the medical isolation is only deployed at competent medical facilities. Employees working in isolation facilities are equipped with medical knowledge and personal protective equipment and must strictly follow procedures to limit the spread of the disease.

Currently, the isolation of people passing through and coming from the epidemic areas into Vietnam has been assigned by the National Steering Committee for Prevention and Combat of Covid-19 to the Ministry of Defence and the medical examination and treatment facilities of the health sector.

* Starting from March 1, Hai Phong City has recruited the Centre for National Security and Defence Education (at Hai Phong University) as a concentrated medical isolation place for 500 to 1,000 citizens returning from epidemic areas.

* On March 1, the Centre for Disease Control in Thanh Hoa Province said that the results from testing specimens of two local people were negative for Covid-19. There are currently three cases of isolation treatment at three district hospitals in the province.

Doctors monitor the health of a person returning home from an epidemic area who is being isolated at Bim Son District General Hospital in Thanh Hoa Province. (Photo: NDO/Mai Luan)

* On March 1, at Van Don (Quang Ninh) and Can Tho airports, functional forces received more than 1,000 passengers from the RoK. The reception and isolation for people returning or passing through the Covid-19 epidemic areas was implemented according to regulations.

Returned aircrafts from the RoK were parked at separate locations, ensuring no influence on the overall operation of the airports. All flight crews and passengers were inspected and disinfected according to special processes.

* According to information from the Vietnam Disease Monitoring System, as of 17:00 on March 1, 86,980 cases of Covid-19 have been recorded across 64 countries and territories in the world, including 2,979 deaths. The number of recorded cases in China stands at 79,824 across 31 provinces and cities, accounting for 91.8% of the total number of cases worldwide (with 2,870 deaths). The number of cases infected in other countries is 7,156 cases.

As of March 1, Vietnam has not recorded any new cases for 18 days. The total number of suspected cases under surveillance and isolation is 115, while the total number of people who have had close contact with the suspected cases and those returning home from the epidemic areas under health monitoring is 10,089.

(Source: NDO)