COVID-19: Low-risk localities told to remain vigilant

Hanoi (VNA) - Localities with a low risk of the COVID-19 pandemic are nonetheless not safe amid the outbreak, a health expert has said.

At a Cabinet meeting on the afternoon of April 15, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc agreed with a proposal from the National Steering Committee on COVID-19 Prevention and Control on classifying the risk in different localities.

Twelve cities and provinces face a high risk of infection, the group with medium risk comprises 15 cities and provinces, and the low-risk group include the remaining 36 cities and provinces.

However, Associate Professor Tran Dac Phu, former head of the General Department of Preventive Medicine and adviser to Vietnam’s public health emergency operations center, said these classifications are resulting in many people believing that low-risk localities are completely safe.

Nowhere and no one in Vietnam, he explained, is completely safe from COVID-19.

He took the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang as an example. It is classified as a low-risk locality but reported its first infection on the morning of April 16.

Everyone, he said, including those in low-risk localities, must remain vigilant and strictly obey prevention and control measures such as wearing face masks, washing hands with antibacterial soap or sanitiser, and keeping a distance of at least 2 meters away from others.

Social distancing is extremely important, he emphasised, recommending that everyone with a fever and cough make medical declarations to be tested.

After its first infection was reported, Ha Giang province held an urgent teleconference to identify and adopt appropriate measures and boost its communications activities with locals, especially ethnic minority groups in remote areas./.