Border provinces step up efforts to stop spread of COVID-19

Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Provinces and cities across Vietnam, especially border areas, are stepping up their COVID-19 prevention and control efforts.

Dong Thap provincial border guards are making efforts to prevent people from entering the province illegally from Cambodia to stop the virus from entering the community.

At about 4.30am on May 3, during patrol duty on the So Thuong River in Thuong Thoi Hau A commune, Hong Ngu District, the border guard discovered 14 people, including 11 adults and three children, on seven wooden boats, preparing to illegally enter Vietnam.

Previously, on May 1 and 2, they discovered 55 people travelling in 23 vehicles to the border on the Tien River to prepare to illegally enter the country.

On Dong Thap southern province’s 50.5km long border with Cambodia, comprising 40km of the river border and 10.5km on the mainland, the border forces deployed 21 fixed posts and 18 mobile control teams on patrol duty.

Meanwhile, in the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang, hundreds of soldiers have been deployed on the Vietnam-China border for border management and protection and COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control.

Colonel Luu Duc Hung, Political Commissar of the Ha Giang Border Guard Command, said the provincial border guards have worked with other forces to maintain operations of all fixed control posts, mobile teams on the border, supplement the establishment of posts when necessary to ensure tight control at the border gates and trails.

“We are determined to fight the pandemic from the border and carry out the 'dual task' of managing and protecting the sovereignty and preventing and combating the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.

Ha Giang has more than 277km of border with China. Due to the complex terrain and long border, illegal entry and exit activities are very complicated to handle.

Major Ta Tan Hoang, Director of the Xin Cai Border Guard Station in Meo Vac District, said pandemic prevention has been activated at the highest warning level.

In all 69 medical posts across the province, in addition to measuring body temperature and sterilising surfaces, people from other provinces and cities entering Hà Giang are instructed to make a medical declaration.

On May 3, Chairman of the Lạng Son Provincial People's Committee Ho Tien Thieu checked prevention and control activities in a number of key units and areas in the province.

At Huu Nghi International Border Gate, Thieu said the pandemic was developing in a complex manner with many cases of community infection in some provinces and cities. Therefore, the forces on duty at the border gate must uphold their sense of responsibility, promote vigilance and strictly comply with pandemic prevention measures.

At Tan Thanh Border Gate, many drivers still do not wear masks and many people gather at restaurants and yards with a potential risk of spreading the disease. Thieu asked the forces on duty here to take measures to prevent and control the pandemic under the Ministry of Health’s guidance.

He called for pandemic checkpoints on both access roads to the Tan Thanh bus station to ensure strict control of people and vehicles entering and leaving, and require all people entering and leaving the area to be medically examined, wear masks and keep a safe distance./.