HCMCity (VNS/VNA) – Ho Chi Minh City’s Department of Health has orderedstricter implementation of anti-pandemic measures at ports.

Ithas called on the International Medical Quarantine Centre, HCM City MaritimePort Administration and HCM City Border Guard Command to step up monitoring andinspection at ports in the city.

Theyhave been asked to regularly report on the results of anti-pandemic measuresand advise the department on allowing sailors to come ashore after a sufficientperiod of isolation on their ships.

Thedepartment instructed the HCM City Centre for Disease Control to providetraining in pandemic prevention to officers working at ports and disseminateinformation related to pandemic prevention to all port employees.

Itsaid captains and sailors of foreign ships should be clearly informed aboutVietnamese regulations on pandemic prevention, and the former must be heldresponsible if any of their crew is found violating them.

Violationsmust be properly handled, it said.

Supervisionof people entering and leaving ports must be enhanced to ensure compliance withpandemic prevention regulations, it said.

PrimeMinister Nguyen Xuan Phuc recently ordered the tightening of borders to preventillegal entry by people.

Healso instructed the Ministry of National Defence and its health, publicsecurity and foreign affairs counterparts to ensure everyone entering Vietnam isquarantined. 

Heearlier called on all citizens to report illegal entrants and stay vigilantagainst them since they could pose a risk of COVID infection.

Peopleentering the country illegally must be suitably penalised, he added./.