Thanh Hoa shares experience in containing COVID-19 with Lao province

Thanh Hoa (VNA) – The northern province of Thanh
Hoa and neighbouring Lao province Huaphanh exchanged experience in combating
the COVID-19 pandemic in an event held at the Na Meo International Border Gate’s
border station on April 13.
Thanh Hoa took the occasion to present the Lao province with
medical supplies required for the fight, including ventilators, face masks and
hand sanitiser, worth 1 billion VND (42,900 USD) in total.
Speaking at the event, Vice Chairman of the provincial
People’s Committee Pham Dang Quyen said the province has established a steering
committee for COVID-19 prevention and control and developed scenarios in
response to different scales of infection, planning how to put infected cases
into quarantine and zone off any outbreak cluster when it is small.
It has intensified communication campaigns to raise
public awareness of preventive measures against the disease, such as wearing masks,
properly washing hands and avoiding gatherings, and provided related training for
local medical workers, he said.
The province has also set up monitoring groups at not only
the provincial level but also in each village and street which are tasked to
report on returnees from pandemic-hit areas and those in close contact with
infected or suspected cases, the vice chairman added.
The COVID-19 outbreak is under control in Thanh Hoa, Quyen
continued, the province has so far quarantined more than 10,100 people and
provided coronavirus tests for 2,094 people over the last three months. Three infections
have been confirmed, of which one was treated at the provincial general
hospital and fully recovered while the others were transferred to the National
Hospital for Tropical Diseases.
He suggested the two provinces increase information sharing
about the COVID-19 and enhance cooperation between their border districts to
educate people on precautionary measures and prevent illegal
entry and exit.
Huaphanh Vice Governor Phusone Thammavisay, for his part,
thanked Thanh Hoa for sharing experience and presenting medical supplies to the
Lao province. He asked the Vietnamese province to find ways for the two
provinces to resume trade at the Na Meo International Border Gate and send
medical experts to Huaphanh to assist its COVID-19 fight.
On the same day, Thanh
Hoa’s police force also shared experience in COVID-19 control with their
counterparts from Huaphanh and presented the Lao side with five
disinfectant sprayers; 25kg of Chloramine-B, a disinfectant that can
kill the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 on surfaces; 20 protective suits; 1,000
masks and 100 bottles of hand sanitiser.
These activities have
helped strengthen the special friendship and solidarity between the Vietnamese and
Lao people./.