Cross-border control tightened against coronavirus threats
VOV.VN - Cross-border control should be tightened to prevent the SARS-CoV-2 virus entering the territory, agreed members of the National Steering Committee on COVID-19 Prevention and Control at a meeting in Hanoi on March 26.
The officials raised concerns about the possibility of virus transmission within the community if illegal entrants carrying the virus are not detected in a timely manner.
“Those who illegally enter the territory must be strictly dealt with according to the law,” stressed Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, who is also head of the National Steering Committee on COVID-19 Prevention and Control.
“It is impossible for few individuals to cause great harm to the whole society if the epidemic spreads,” said Dam.
He requested local police to encourage families with relatives living abroad to return to their homeland legally if they wish.
He also called on local residents to notify authorities of the presence of those who come back from the coronavirus hit areas or from abroad without declarations according to regulations.
Vietnam on March 26 confirmed two coronavirus infections that had illegally entered the territory from a neighbouring country.
Authorities of localities where the two patients had stayed and/or traversed moved to track down, quarantine and test those coming into contact with the patients.
Deputy PM Vu Duc Dam asked all healthcare facilities, schools, accommodation establishments, factories, wet markets, supermarkets, bus stations, as well as residents to remain highly vigilant and strictly implement anti-coronavirus measures.
Given the complex development of the virus, localities should restrict the organization of crowded events, especially weddings and funerals, in order to minimize the risk of infection if an epidemic occurs, said Dam.
During another meeting on the same day, Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long warned about the possibility of another coronavirus outbreak in Vietnam if anti-coronavirus measures are not tightened.
According to the minister, the risk of infection remains high in the community as the source of many cases remains unknown, with several cases showing no signs of any symptoms.
Vietnam has recorded a total of 1,586 coronavirus infections since the first case was detected in January 2020.
One year later, the virus recurred in Vietnam, generating the third wave of the disease in the country. The virus has since spread to 13 cities and provinces nationwide, with more than 900 cases detected.
