The Hanoi government has decided to take additional measures to prevent the outbreak of the Wuhan coronavirus after Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc declared the nCoV an epidemic on February 1.

The city will sterilize all offices, hospitals, public places and bus stations starting February 4 as sterilization is considered an effective measure to stop cross infection, Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee said at a meeting late on February 3.

 Until now, over 5,000 schools across the city have been sterilized and will be sprayed again later this week.

 He requested the Health and Finance Departments to purchase medical materials and supplies for the nCoV prevention. Particularly, the city will deliver five to seven million medical masks for pupils who are set to come back to school on February 10.

 Schools in the city are being closed for one week starting February 3 due to caution of the new virus outbreak. Hanoi is home to some two million pupils of all levels from kindergarten to high school.

 Chung also agreed to the proposal to shut down the walking street around Hoan Kiem lake and suspend all the spring festivals until further notice.

 The mayor asked municipal authorities publicize information to its citizens to avoid misinformation. In addition, fake news needs to be strictly dealt with.

 Hanoi has not recorded any individual positive with the nCoV. Of the 29 people suspected of infection, 27 have tested negative while the two other are waiting for test results.

Quang Ninh opens special hospital for handling suspected nCoV cases

A hospital particularly designated for handling suspected cases of novel coronavirus (nCoV) was put into operation in Mong Cai city, the northern border province of Quang Ninh, on February 3.

The special hospital in Mong Cai city has been equipped with modern facilities to ensure sufficient operation against nCoV

The hospital is tasked with receiving, screening, treating and isolating suspected patients as well as Vietnamese people returning from China via the Mong Cai International Border Gate.

It was set up on the basis of part of Mong Cai city’s healthcare centre. The five-storey building with about 500 beds stands isolated from other areas and has been equipped with modern facilities to ensure sufficient operation.

After the nCoV epidemic is addressed completely, this hospital will resume its initial functions as part of the medical centre of Mong Cai.

Secretary of the Quang Ninh Party Committee Nguyen Xuan Ky said since Mong Cai is considered the key area in the nCoV prevention and control, the province will reserve the best resources for the work in this city to prevent an nCoV outbreak or related deaths.

As of February 3, Mong Cai hadn’t recorded any nCoV cases. It is coordinating with relevant forces to increase patrol in border areas to prevent illegal exit and entry through border crossings, officials said.

Meanwhile, since 4pm of February 1, Vietnamese nationals entering the country via the Mong Cai International Border Gate have been kept in isolation and had their health monitored for 14 days.

Bordering China, where the deadly nCoV is raging, Quang Ninh has many border gates, points of customs clearance and border crossings, posing it to high infection risks. Therefore, this province has taken numerous measures to prevent the spread of this virus, according to local authorities. Hanoitimes/VNA