Hanoi (VNA) - Hanoi authorities have ordered anestimated 15,000-20,000 local residents who recently returned from DaNang to fill in health declarations, self-quarantine and cooperate withhealth officials for SARS-CoV-2 testing if required.

Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Ngo Van Quy made the order at a meeting of the city’s Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control held on July 27 afternoon.

The movecame after Vietnam confirmed 15 new cases of communitytransmission in Da Nang city and QuangNgai province between July25 and 27. The new cases were confirmed after the country had experienced 99days without any community transmission of coronavirus.

Quy also told municipal agencies to take drastic measures to prevent the spread ofthe pandemic.

The agencieswere required to manage quarantine areas, detect and prevent cases of illegalentry, prepare facilities if the city confirmed new cases of infection andensure safety for more than 180,000 students who will sit thenational high school exam on August 9 and 10, he said.

Also at themeeting, Tran The Cuong, Chairman of the People’s Committee of BacTu Liem district,said a man of the district’s Xuan Dinh ward who had been suspected of contracting thevirus was confirmed as negative for SARS-CoV-2.

The manvisited Da Nang city on July 13 and returned to Hanoion July 26 with symptoms of cough and sore throat. Hewas then taken to Bac ThangLong Hospital for quarantine and testing. His relatives and people whodirectly contacted with him were also quarantined.

NguyenKhac Hien, Directorof the city’s Health Department, said although Hanoihad experienced 103 days without new cases of COVID-19 in the community and all121 COVID-19 patients had recovered, the pandemic was still complex.

Therefore,the local health sector had prepared facilities and equipment for theprevention and control of COVID-19, he said.

The healthsector would take samples for SARS-CoV-2 testing at least twice forpeople who returned to the city from foreign countries andquarantine them. More tests would be taken after a month if necessary.

The healthsector highly recommended local people avoiding travelling to provincesand cities with new cases. If local people had to go to the provinces and cities,they must seriously obey regulations on the prevention of the COVID-19pandemic, he said.

Additionally,local residents were told to wear masks in crowded places and wash their handswith sanitiser.

All offices,agencies and enterprises in the city must have hand sanitiser and conducttemperature checks for everyone who enters, he said.

Hienalso tasked People’s Committees at district-level to take responsibility forsupervising health declarations and quarantine for people who recentlyreturned to the city from Da Nang.

In a relatedmove, the city’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has adjusted itsprogrammes and plans for tourism in the city. Some tourism activities that wereplanned for August will be postponed until further notice.

The tourismsector will work with the health sector to inspect the implementation ofCOVID-19 pandemic prevention and control of local hotels registered to hostforeign experts in the city./.