A worker fumigates a classroom of the Dong Thai Primary School in Hanoi's Tay Ho district (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The Disease Control Centre of Hanoi capital city on February 18 issueda document requiring healthcare centres in the city’s districts to intensify their supervision in order totimely detect any cases of novel coronavirus-caused acute respiratory disease (COVID-19).
According to statistics of the city’s Health Department, there were 74suspected cases of COVID-19 as of 18:00 on February 18. However, all those 74patients have by now tested negative for coronavirus.
In addition, a total of 409 persons are under quarantine in the city, with55 staying at the Hanoi Police Hospital.
Deputy Director of the municipal Health Department Hoang Duc Hanh hailedthe quarantine work at districts for suspected cases. He affirmed the city hasprepared sufficient equipment and personnel to conduct quick tests forCOVID-19.
The official highlighted the high risk of epidemic in the city, which isa major international transport hub with connections with many countries, includingChina and those with confirmed COVID-19 cases. Besides, the city borders VinhPhuc province which is home to a majority of COVID-19 cases in the country (11out of 16 confirmed cases so far).
Therefore, the city needs to keep up with drastic epidemic preventivemeasures, Hanh said.
So far, Vietnam hasconfirmed 16 cases of COVID-19 and not recorded any new patients since February13. Among them, 11 have been discharged from hospital.
The Hanoi TourismDepartment has reported an increase in the number of tourists visiting localdestinations as compared to the beginning of February.
It said the flow ofvisitors to tourist sites in the city has reached 50 – 70 percent of that innormal time before the outbreak of COVID-19. The recovery is attributable todrastic epidemic preventive measures taken by the Government and the municipalauthorities as well as the management of tourist destinations./.