Hai Duong tightens control of quarantined, lockdown areas to stem cross infections

• Two more community cases detected in Hanoi
• Quang Ninh records three additional COVID-19 cases

Taking samples for COVID-19 testing in Cam Giang district, Hai Duong. (Photo: VNA)

The northern province of Hai Duong has ordered its provincial and district-level Steering Committees for COVID-19 Prevention and Control to tighten management of concentrated quarantine centres, lockdown areas and COVID-19 hospitals to prevent cross transmission.

There are 103 concentrated quarantine centres across Hai Duong at the present, including 29 in the hardest-hit Chi Linh city, 27 in Kinh Mon town, and 16 in Cam Giang district.

Some experts from the Ministry of Health voiced serious concern over a high risk of cross infection at poorly-managed concentrated quarantine facilities in Hai Duong during a virtual meeting with the provincial Party Committee and town- and district-level administrations in COVID-19 response on February 14.

A day later, Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Pham Xuan Thang requested stricter preventive measures against COVID-19 in local lockdown areas and quarantined centres. District top leaders must take responsibility and will be disciplined if more cross infections are founded in concentrated quarantined centres, he said.

The provincial Party Committee’s Standing Board has also issued a directive assigning the local military to take up management of quarantine facilities accommodating more than 100 people, and cooperate with local authorities to manage those housing less than 100 people. The directive also asked Military Zone 3 to allow the use of military facilities and schools in Hai Duong for quarantine purpose.

As of 3:00pm on February 16, the northern province confirmed a total of 539 COVID-19 cases across all 12 districts and towns. On February 16 alone, the province reported 40 new cases. Meanwhile, 64 patients have been given the all-clear

In Hanoi, local authorities have been tracing contacts of a Japanese man who was found dead in Somerset West Point Hotel in Tay Ho district four days ago and later tested positive for COVID-19.

On his visit to check on the quarantined hotel on February 16, Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Vuong Dinh Hue asked for coordination between the municipal Department of Health and the district’s administration to determine the cause of his death and the source of infection. They were also tasked to continue enforcing strict quarantine rules and quickly tracing direct (F1) and indirect (F2) contacts.

According to Director of the municipal Department of Health Nguyen Khac Hien, the department has collaborated with Tay Ho district to trace 63 F1 contacts of the Japanese man, two of whom had already tested positive for the novel coronavirus while the remainder negative; and 116 F2 contacts, all of whom tested negative for the virus.