Vice Chairman of Hanoi People’s Committee Chu Xuan Dung chaired the conference in the afternoon of January 21, 2021 – Photo: Phu Khanh
From January 14 to 21, Hanoi recorded 3 new cases of Covid-19 on people returning from abroad and quarantined immediately after entry. Thus, 157 days have passed since Hanoi last recorded new cases in the community. However, according to Hanoi Department of Health, the disease situation remains complicated. Variant strain SARS-CoV-2 found in the UK in mid-December 2020 has spread to 50 countries and territories; the variant found in South Africa has also appeared in 23 countries. Domestically, experts are very concerned when the border crossing situation remains complicated; there are days with up to hundreds of cases of illegal entry. As the Lunar New Year Festival is approaching, with people’s desire to return home for the holiday, cases of illegal entry in the North and travelling down South have emerged.
According to Deputy Director of Hanoi Department of Health Hoang Duc Hanh, if illegal entry remains, the risk of community infection is certainly high. Besides, winter weather is a favorable condition for the virus to develop and spread the disease. In the near future, there will also be major events and public activities in celebration of the new year in the city. The disease being put in control twice also leads to people’s neglect. Some individuals, restaurants, supermarkets, etc. fail to comply with the prescribed anti-epidemic measures, leading to a high risk of epidemic outbreaks in the city.
Director of the Hanoi Department of Health Khac Hien mentioned that when the City’s inspection team checked on supermarkets in both the inner city and suburbs, some loosened the implementation of epidemic prevention measures (disinfection available but not masks; individuals without a mask not be reminded). “If the districts are reporting good compliance, why is it so? We need to improve on the overall situation. The city’s inspection team cannot check everywhere”, said the Director of Hanoi Department of Health.
Concluding the meeting, Vice Chairman of the City People’s Committee Chu Xuan Dung once again emphasized the complex situation of the Covid-19 epidemic and analyzed the visible risk face by the city. The Vice Chairman especially noted that in some places, people failed to strictly comply with the city’s regulations on epidemic prevention. “Right in the central area of the city on yesterday afternoon when I had a quick check, I found that the implementation was not strict; there were no instructors or reminders. The units must strictly comply with the regulations set out by the City”, said the Vice Chairman of the City People’s Committee.
Vice Chairman of the City People’s Committee Chu Xuan Dung suggested the units strictly comply with the latest instructions provided by the central government and the city. Districts and towns should continue to propagate to raise people’s awareness and responsibility in order to strictly implement epidemic prevention measures, especially in preparation for the many events taking place in the coming time. Propaganda and advocacy works must reach each residential area and residential group for each citizen to be a “reconnaissance soldier”, detecting cases of illegal entry in time.
Vice Chairman of the City People’s Committee especially emphasized: “It is necessary to strictly sanction not only the individuals, but also the organizations and units that fail to strictly implement epidemic prevention measures”. The Vice Chairman also reminded the units to continue strictly managing the isolated areas and home isolation cases, ensuring safe hospital criteria. The city public security department needs to strengthen the monitoring, closely inspect, prevent in time, and strictly handle cases of illegal entry and related cases. The Department of Industry and Trade must immediately have restaurants, supermarkets, etc. strictly implement epidemic prevention and control measures.
Phu Khanh