Quang Ninh successfully controls COVID-19 pandemic in one week

Quang Ninh (VNA) - The northern province of Quang Ninh announced on February 8 that it managed to control the COVID-19 pandemic just in one week after it detected the first locally-transmitted infection on January 27, according to the provincial steering board for COVID-19 prevention and control.

To date, the province has logged 50 SARS-CoV-2 infections in Van Don, Cam Pha, Ha Long and Dong Trieu township which is adjacent to the country’s largest hotspot of Chi Linh city in Hai Duong province.

Right after Chi Linh city reported the first COVID-19 infections, Quang Ninh province activated prevention and control measures with a view to containing the virus spread. In the past week, the province conducted mass testing, zoned off infected areas and quarantined people with a high risk of infection, helping reduce economic losses as well as stabilise the lives of local residents.

It was the first locality to carry out mass testing for COVID-19 so as not to leave out any F1 cases and miss travel history of F0 cases.

As of February 8, the province traced 109,000 people who had close contact with the confirmed cases, and carried out testing for 53,869 samples and at the same time, conducted mass testing for 40,891 samples in the community.

Particularly, the province has completed a map of safe zones to raise public awareness of safe and timely travel, as well as inform locals with travel history of confirmed cases, quarantine sites and medical facilities.

Earlier, all residents Quang Ninh were required to complete a health declaration from February 3 amid the spread of the coronavirus disease.

The provincial People’s Committee issued the instruction on February 2, asking people’s committees of districts, townships, and cities to partner with the provincial public security force, health departments, and relevant units to finish the task before February 9.

The public security forces of districts, communes, and townships must work with medical stations from January 15 to conduct health declarations for those coming from other localities or travelling through pandemic-hit areas from January 15.

Authorities in districts, townships, and cities were directed to set up anti-pandemic groups in residential areas, each in charge of 40-50 families.

The groups were responsible for reminding residents to follow anti-pandemic measures each day, fill in health declarations, and assist authorities and medical agencies in tracing down F1 and F2 cases.

Quang Ninh province decided to put its Van Don district under social distancing and Van Don’s Cai Rong town in lockdown from 12pm on January 30 to 12pm on February 21.

The People’s Committee of Dong Trieu town decided to impose a temporary lockdown on an additional 11 wards and communes from 9:00 am on February 2 until the province issues a new direction.

The lockdown was imposed on Dong Trieu, Hung Dao, Trang An, Xuan Son, Kim Son, Duc Chinh, Hong Phong wards, and Tan Viet, Nguyen Hue, Viet Dan and Binh Khe communes.

Earlier, Thuy An commune was put under quarantine while Binh Duong and An Sinh communes are being locked down until February 21.

Also on February 2, Van Don island district also locked down seven towns and communes from 0:00 am.

According to Director of the provincial Department of Information and Communications Le Ngoc Han, electronic medical declarations will be carried out from February 9 on the website www.khaibaoyte.quangninh.gov.vn. Besides, locals can use QR code to check information and link to the Ministry of Health’s data.

To look up the COVID-19 situation within the locality, residents can access to bandocovid.quangninh.gov.vn and covidmaps.quangninh.gov.vn.

In the coming time, Quang Ninh province will ease social distancing measures, while calling on officials and workers in the province not to leave the locality for the Tet holiday to reduce the risk of SARS-CoV-2 spread, contributing to the safety of the whole community./.