Border soldiers with a simple meal in the fight against coronavirus in Thanh Hoa Province. — Photo vietnamnet.vn

Life may be hard for the troops stationed at Bat Mot border station, Thuong Xuan District, Thanh Hoa Province, but they know they have to do their bit to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

With an area of 17km bordering Lao's Hua Phan Province, the station is considered as an important shield to prevent the spread of the deadly disease.

Twelve groups with six soldiers in each group have been set up to strictly control entry and exit across the border to detect possible infections as early as possible.

The soldiers and officers work hard with the motto "fighting the epidemic is like fighting against the enemy", Lieutenant Bui Nhu Luc said, adding that they make use of all available resources to combat the pandemic.

Tents have set up to facilitate border patrol around the clock and soldiers return to their border station every few days to get food because their tents are more than 20km from the border point.

Sometimes, they have to find vegetables such as banana flowers in the forest to eat.

"There is not much water from the streams because it's the dry season. We have to use bamboo troughs to get water from streams and contain it in plastic tarpaulin sheets," Luc told vietnamnet.vn.

"Sometimes, we have to go tens of kilometres to get water for daily use."

"It is very normal in these days if we can not access electricity, phone signal, as well as water and get bitten by mosquitoes."

Water taken from streams is contained in plastic sheets for daily use. — Photo vietnamnet.vn

However, they overcome their hardships to carry out their duties, Lieutenant Colonel Thinh Van Kien said.

From April 1 to 15, the border guards will work closely with local police for strict controls around the clock of people and vehicles entering and leaving the province to fight the pandemic.

The Government has decided to suspend cross-border activities of individuals at main and secondary border gates, and trails in border areas with Cambodia and Laos from April 1 as part of measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The Lao government also ordered the temporary closure of 10 border gates with its neighbouring countries, including Vietnam, from March 19 to April 20, amid the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus.

Bat Mot station’s border guards have tackled 10 cases of illegal cross-border travelling and handed over the people involved to competent authorities for quarantine.

In Muong Lat and Quan Son border districts, human resources from district-level hospitals and healthcare centres have been assigned to work the entire day at border areas to assist border guard forces.

Other supplies have been provided to ensure good hygiene to fight the disease and keep officers and soldiers safe.

The forces have strictly controlled cross-border activities along the Thanh Hoa-Hua Phan borderline and other cross-border trails. — VNS

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