Workers wearing protective gear spray disinfectant at a market in Daegu city, the Republic of Korea.

The ministry has ordered the Embassy of Vietnam in the RoK to launch a round-the-clock hotline, 82 106 315 6618, for Vietnamese expats here to seek help while the management authority of Vietnamese guest workers in the Eastern Asian country has also set up a hotline number 82 103 248 6886 to provide support for those in need.

The embassy has established close contacts with people living in communities hit by the novel virus to get regular updates about the situation there and offer timely support if necessary. It has advised Vietnamese people residing in the affected areas to rigorously follow instructions made by the local authorities to prevent the spread of the virus.

According to the embassy, around 200,000 Vietnamese people are living in the RoK, including 18,502 in Gyeongsangbuk province and 8,285 in Daegu city. There is no reports about Vietnamese nationals confirmed or suspected of having the virus in the RoK so far, the ministry said.

On February 21, the ministry and the embassy advised Vietnamese citizens to avoid travelling to areas hit by or vulnerable to the COVID-19 in the RoK as warned by local competent agencies, given the complex development of the epidemic here.

The ministry asked the Korean side to ensure safety and offer medical and other support for Vietnamese people, particularly those living in the coronavirus-hit areas. The ministry is also available to provide help via its citizen protection hotline 84 981 84 84 84.

Returnees from RoK’s coronavirus-hit areas under strict observation

A special quarantine area for COVID-19 patients

Hanoi has ordered strict observation for anyone returning from the Republic of Korea’s coronavirus-hit Daegu city and Gyeongsangbuk province in the latest attempt to contain the acute respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

The order came as the number of coronavirus infection cases had skyrocketed in the two Korean localities, home to 26,000 Vietnamese citizens.

At a meeting on February 23, Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung asked competent departments, sectors and agencies to arrange Korean, Japanese, Chinese and English interpreters for areas inhabited by a large number of foreigners to facilitate communication work.

Wards, districts, local police, and management boards of apartment buildings were urged to keep close watch on the number of foreigners living and working in the areas. Meanwhile, hotels in the city were asked to keep track on their customers’ travel schedules.

Restriction of entertainment zones like karaoke and bars should be put into effect to prevent the virus spread, he said, adding returnees from the virus-hit areas must inform local authorities so that they will have timely response measures.

According to Vice Director of the municipal Department of Health Hoang Duc Hanh, quarantine has been served as the most effective and important measure amidst the complicated development of the epidemic.

The department has ordered Koreans traveling to Hanoi to self-quarantine at their residential areas, while quarantine sites have already been set up for Vietnamese returnees from the East Asian country, he added.

Local citizens are advised to avoid travel to areas affected by the novel virus and places vulnerable to the disease. Besides, foreign tourists at entertainment zones and tourism hotspots must undergo body-temperature check, he stressed.

The health department’s report showed that as of 15:00 on February 23, Hanoi reported no COVID-19 case and 77 suspected people tested negative for the virus. Medical quarantine was applied for 64 cases while 384 others were under home-quarantine./.VNA/VNN

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