The mass testing campaign began on Thursday and will end on Saturday for those who visited Da Nang from July 01 to 29.

At a meeting of the municipal steering committee on COVID-19 Prevention and Control on Wednesday, Chairman of Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung said that about 21,060 people had returned to the capital from Da Nang where local transmission was detected on July 24 after more than three months of no community infection.

“We must be vigilant but not too panicked despite the fact that two positive cases have been detected in the city over the past 24 hours. Both of them returned from Da Nang,” he said.

All people arriving from central provinces, especially Da Nang City and Quang Nam Province, would have samples taken for coronavirus tests, Chung said.

The Centre for Disease Control (CDC) Hanoi has 80,000 test kits available for districts and wards to test people returning from Da Nang.

Anyone who tests positive via the quick test will be confirmed using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method, he said.

Chung asked district authorities to regularly update information from the National Steering Committee for the COVID-19 Prevention and Control and the Ministry of Health so that people stay informed.

People are advised to urgently report to agencies and local authorities on COVID-19 suspected cases.

All people with symptoms of cough, shortness of breath or fever should immediately contact health centres in their locality for COVID-19 testing. While waiting for the test result, they must be put under quarantine at home.

All offices, agencies and enterprises in the city must have hand sanitiser and conduct temperature checks for everyone who enters.

Chairman Chung also ordered a ban on all crowds and festivals and closed bars and nightclubs, taking effect from midnight Wednesday.

Schools closed in Tay Ho District

In related news, the People’s Committee of Tay Ho District has decided to close all educational institutions including kindergartens and foreign language centres to ensure the health of students.

The move came after a 76-year-old man residing on Hoang Hoa Tham Street was confirmed positive for COVID-19 on Thursday.

Le Hong Vu, head of Tay Ho District’s Education and Training Sub-department, told Tien Phong (Vanguard) newspaper that the action was necessary to prevent transmission of the virus.

A teacher in the district who has returned from Da Nang was under self-quarantine at home, he said.

In addition to ordering all education institutions to close, all schools in the district must make plans for safe enrollment of pupils in the first grade and sixth grade.

Parents must wear masks and ensure a safe distance while completing enrollment procedures at schools, he said. 

Health declarations strengthened to stop COVID-19

Amid the recurrence of community transmissions of COVID-19, Hanoi’s health sector has continued to introduce measures to prevent the spread of the virus and monitor those who have recently returned from pandemic-hit areas, including the central city of Da Nang and neighbouring Quang Nam province, and to encourage them to follow preventive measures.

Staff at a healthcare clinic in Dong Tam ward, Hai Ba Trung district, in Hanoi have been receiving information from local people who have travelled to Da Nang and Quang Nam since July 8.

They then verify the information and visit people to have them declare their travel history and self-quarantine.

Each individual is responsible for monitoring their temperature and informing medical staff if it exceeds 37.5 degree Celsius and is accompanied by coughing, a runny nose, or a raspy throat.

People in Hanoi are already acquainted with preventive measures recommended by the Health Ministry, such as wearing a face mask when going out. 

Wearing face masks when in public places, washing hands regularly with soap, and limiting visits to crowded places have become good habits in preventing not only COVID-19 but also other respiratory diseases. People making health declarations and keeping in close contact with medical staff where they live also contribute to effective disease prevention.

Health staff takes samples of people in Mai Dinh commune, Soc Son district (Photo: VNA)   50 people in the commune are required to test (Photo: VNA)

Health staff takes samples of people in Mai Dinh commune, Soc Son district who have returned from Da Nang city (Photo: VNA)   Health staff takes samples of people in Mai Dinh commune, Soc Son district who have returned from Da Nang city (Photo: VNA)

Blood samples of Da Nang returnees are taken and kept carefully (Photo: VNA)   Health staff prepares rapid Covid-19 testing kit for people in Mai Dinh commune, Soc Son distric who have returned from Da Nang city (Photo: VNA)

Thoses who have returned to Hanoi from Da Nang are taken samples for testing at Hai Ba Trung disistrict’s Health Centre (Photo: VNA)   Health staff disinfects quarantine area at the health clinic of Mai Dinh commune, Soc Son district (Photo: VNA)