“This is false information. The COVID-19 pandemic is under good control in Hanoi,” Chung told reporters on Friday.

Public concern has increased as the number of COVID-19 infections cases in Hanoi has risen recently. This was because a number of citizens have returned from coronavirus-hit regions as well as some foreign tourists coming to the city, he said.

At present, people are being informed about the disease in a transparent manner and information is updated daily so they could work together with the local administration in disease prevention and control.

“The city authorities have taken drastic measures to ensure health and lives of local residents and prevent the spread of the pandemic in the area,” Chung said.

On Thursday, city authorities held a meeting with local retailers regarding the current reserves and supplies of goods in the city.

Representatives of enterprises and supermarkets said they were ready to boost stockpiles by 300 per cent in case of need.

Chung also urged Hanoians to stay calm, trust the government and only believe in information which has been verified.

Earlier, the chairman requested the municipal Department of Information and Communications to collaborate with press agencies to intensify the dissemination of information on the disease.

It was necessary to raise people’s awareness and responsibility towards themselves, their families and communities in disease prevention and control. They were asked to strictly follow Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc’s direction, which took effect on Monday, on wearing masks in public and crowded places like supermarkets, airports and bus stations.

Dissemination campaigns should be launched so people can detect symptoms as well as how to prevent COVID-19. People should be informed with the most up-to-date information and trust sources of information to avoid exposure to misinformation which only fuels public panic.

Book on quarantine instructions released

Health workers take samples from passengers at the Hà Nội-based Nội Bài International Airport.

A book providing instructions on medical quarantine for areas affected by the COVID-19 pandemic has been released by the Ministry of Health.

The book will be circulated nationwide.

The instructions include blockading the affected areas to control the pandemic, preventing it from spreading to other places.

Localities can choose the quarantine scale based on their situation – quarantine in a village, a street, a commune or a district.

The minimum quarantine period is 28 days. It can be lengthened depending on the situation.

The quarantine area must have supervision stations to ensure public security in the area and supply food and necessary medicines for people in the quarantine area.

Rubbish discharged from the area must be treated based on regulations.

Also detailed in the book, hospitals supplying treatment should be divided into different parts for COVID-19 patients, for COVID-19 suspected cases and waiting for test results, for COVID-19 suspected cases testing negative and for COVID-19 patients completing their treatment and twice testing negative.

The book also gives instructions on sterilising the affected area, and founding inspection teams to supervise the quarantine area every day.

Military medical units qualified to perform coronavirus testing

Health workers of military medical units take part in a training course on novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) testing on March 19.

The Ministry of National Defence’s military medical department on March 19 provided training on novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) testing for health workers of military medical units as the virus continues to spread widely in Vietnam.

Health workers from the country’s major military medical units, including 108 Military Central Hospital, 103 Military Hospital, Military Institute of Preventive Medicine and Vietnam – Russia Tropical Centre (Hanoi), 175 Military Hospital, Military Centre of Preventive Medicine in the South (Ho Chi Minh City) received training on how to properly conduct coronavirus testing.

They were instructed on how to safely collect and handle human specimens for testing; to correctly perform testing for SARS-CoV-2 using Real-time PCR technology; and to analyse the results.

The department’s deputy chief Colonel Nguyen Huu My said the Ministry of Health has authorized a selected number of military medical units to perform testing for the novel coronavirus in order to keep up with the growing number of suspected cases across the country.

The training course is important as it allows the medical staff to early and correctly confirm whether a person carries the virus, he said.

After the course, these military facilities are qualified to conduct the coronavirus testing, alongside dozens of hospitals and medical institutes nationwide, such as Bach Mai Hospital; National Hospital of Peadiatrics; Hanoi Centre for Disease Control; National Hospital of Tropical Diseases; National Institute of Malariology, Parasitology and Entomology; Pasteur Institutes in HCM City and Nha Trang; Hospital of Tropical Diseases in HCM City; Cho Ray Hospital; and Hue Central Hospital; among others.

Three more flights with COVID-19 cases announced

Measuring body temperature at quarantine areas

The Ministry of Public Health on March 19 afternoon announced three more flights that carried passengers who have then tested positive for the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.

They are Emirates Airlines’ flight EK392 from Dubai to Ho Chi Minh City on March 15, Vietjet Air flight VJ642 from Ho Chi Minh City to the central city of Da Nang on March 12, and Turkish Airlines’ flight TK162 from Istanbul to HCM City on March 10.

The ministry has called on all passengers on these flights to immediately contact the disease control centres in cities and provinces to receive guidance on health monitoring.

Ticket agents for the flights are responsible for informing their passengers.

As of March 18 night, Vietnam recorded 76 infection cases, of which 16 have fully recovered.

Bình Thuận Province receives aid to curb COVID-19

Medics from Chợ Rẫy Hospital are deployed to Bình Thuận Province to help the local hospital treat patients with COVID-19. Photo courtesy of Chợ Rẫy Hospital

The Chợ Rẫy Hospital in HCM City will distribute dozens of thousands of personal protective equipment like masks, protective suits, and gloves to Bình Thuận Province in a bid to support the local health sector during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

The Ministry of Health on Wednesday directed the hospital to use medical supplies from a national stockpile stored at the hospital to distribute to the province.

A total of 50,000 surgical masks, 2,000 N95 respirators, and 4,000 protective suits will be sent to the provincial Department of Health which will be distributed to medical facilities in the province.

Bình Thuận Province’s People’s Committee had asked the Government to provide its health care system with 5,000 protective suits, 200,000 surgical masks and 10,000 N95 respirators, which will be crucial to protect doctors and nurses on the front lines of the pandemic.

It also asked for 10,000 gloves, 500 hand-held thermometers, and 10,000 protective suits for preventive medicine workers.

As of March 18, there were nine confirmed COVID-19 cases in the province. All of the patients are being treated at the Bình Thuận Province General Hospital and are in stable health condition, according to the province’s Department of Health.

In March 11, Chợ Rẫy Hospital deployed medics to the province to support the local hospital to treat infected patients and offer guidance on early detection and prompt quarantine to prevent the disease from spreading.

The Ministry of Health has formed multiple rapid response teams to deal with infections at commune and district levels, with health staff from central hospitals deployed to support them.

Strengthening the prevention of COVID-19 for the elderly

Doctors from Sài Gòn Eyes Hospital provide free eye tests for the elderly in HCM City.

The Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control has asked provinces and cities nationwide to strengthen the prevention of COVID-19 for the elderly on Thursday.

The move was put forward in response to the development of COVID-19 across the country and worldwide.

The People's Committees of provinces and cities are requested to urgently direct relevant agencies take specific measures to strengthen prevention of the COVID-19 epidemic for the elderly, people with underlying diseases and other high risk groups.

Localities are requested to count and strictly manage the health of the elderly, especially people with underlying medical conditions and other high-risk groups

Families of elderly people, people with underlying medical conditions and high-risk groups are recommended to minimise going out to public areas and contact with others. When experiencing health problems, they must immediately contact the commune health department, ward or family doctor.

They should visit medical facilities only in cases of real necessity or emergency, medical examination and treatment (out of drugs, dose adjustment required) and always use a mask and disinfect their hands when they go out.

The committee also suggested health facilities to provide medicine for treatment of chronic diseases for a longer time (at least two months) to the elderly, people with diseases and other high risk groups.

Localities are required to implement electronic medical declarations or electronic records, of which priority should be given to the declaration for people aged 60 and older and people with underlying medical conditions, non-communicable diseases or other high risk groups.

The elderly are Vietnamese citizens who are 60 years of age or older, according to the Law on the Elderly.

Health experts said that the elderly face several disadvantages in declining abilities to cope with infectious diseases and adapt to the environment due to the decrease of lung capacity, narrowing of chest wall, reduction of mucous membranes and weak coughing force. So, the elderly are susceptible to respiratory infections and cardiac hypertrophy. Older people are more likely to get more diseases at the same time.

A study by the National Geriatrics Hospital showed that the average number of disease among the elderly is 2.6 and for people over 80 years old, this figure is 6.8.

COVID-19: Tay Ninh suspends activities at auxiliary border gates

COVID-19: Tay Ninh suspends activities at auxiliary border gates hinh anh 1Tay Ninh border guards

The People’s Committee of southern Tay Ninh province has decided to suspend all travelling and trading activities at auxiliary border gates and border line trails for 30 days starting from 0:00 on March 19.

These activities are still going on at Moc Bai and Xa Mat international border gates and Ka Tum, Chang Riec, Phuoc Tan, and Tong Le Chan main ones but with enhanced medical control.

On March 18 - 19, the provincial Border Guard High Command coordinated with the public security and military forces in Ben Cau district to bring 292 people entering the locality via Moc Bai international border gate to the concentrated quarantine area in Cam Giang commune, Go Dau district. Seven of them were brought to medical facilities for quarantine.

Honda Vietnam donates 420,000 USD to COVID-19 prevention fund

Honda Vietnam Company on March 19 donated 10 billion VND (over 420,000 USD) to the fund for COVID-19 prevention and control managed by the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee.

Nguyen Huy Trung, a representative from Honda Vietnam, said the firm is willing to join hands with the Government and the people in the fight against the COVID-19 epidemic.
He expressed the hope that the donation will contribute to partly solving difficulties caused by the disease.

Previously, on February 22, Honda Vietnam also donated hand sanitizer and infrared body temperature meters with a total value of 1 billion VND (42,739 USD) to the northern province of Vinh Phuc.

The company is implementing other programmes to present face masks and hand sanitiser to people in 10 provinces: Phu Tho, Tuyen Quang, Thai Nguyen, Bac Ninh, Quang Binh and Thua Thien Hue, Phu Yen, Quang Tri, Lam Dong and Ba Ria - Vung Tau.

It also gave face masks to over 320,000 workers in 16 industrial parks in eight cities and provinces (Can Tho, Da Nang, Hai Phong, Thai Nguyen, Vinh Phuc, Bac Ninh, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City)./

Over 12 million USD raised to support COVID-19 prevention

T&T Group contributes 5 billion VND to the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee's fundraising campaign.

The Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee has raised over 282 billion VND (over 12 million USD) since its fundraising campaign was launched on March 17.

President of the committee Tran Thanh Man on March 19 received funds worth nearly 40 billion VND (1.7 million USD) from agencies, organisations and individuals at home and abroad.

He said the committee will quickly transfer the funds to support those who are directly involved in the prevention of the pandemic and treatment of patients.

The Ministry of Information and Communications, the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee’s Standing Board, the Health Ministry, and the Vietnam Red Cross Society jointly launched a text message campaign to call for public support for the country’s fight against COVID-19 from March 19 to June 18.

Supporters can donate by texting “CV n” to 1407, of which “n” is the amount they wish to pledge. Each text message will contribute at least 20,000 VND to the fund.

All the money pooled by the programme will be used to buy medical equipment, necessities and support COVID-19 patients and those being quarantined./.VNS/VNA/VNN