Hanoi bans unnecessary large events over coronavirus concern

Chu Ngoc Anh, Chairman of the Hanoi Municipal People’s Committee has issued a new document, directing urgent measures to prevent and combat COVID-19 epidemics, which based on the direction of Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

According to the new document, unnecessary large events are not allowed, the Health & Life news channel reported.

Yesterday evening,  Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has said that that if Covid-19 spreads in the community, each province shall only isolate high-risk areas and then effectively apply social distancing. He specifically ordered every province to not apply large-scale social distancing, for fear it could slow down the economy and the livelihood of citizens again, local media reported.

The government will continue to ban unnecessary large events. For those that do continue, attendees must sanitize and wear masks at all times. Events that involve the presence of people coming from abroad, especially those from high risks countries, must be reported to the Ministry of Health, the report said.

For now, citizens must wear masks and sanitize in quarantine facilities, populated areas, supermarkets, schools, public transport stations, factories and airports, etc.

The Vietnam Airlines flight attendant who violated quarantine rules and caused a mini Covid-19 outbreak in HCMC –  ending Vietnam’s nearly 3 months streak of no community transmission- has been suspended and faces possible dismissal.

The 28-year-old man, tagged as “patient 1342,” has been suspended for his actions “that led to serious consequences,” the carrier said in a statement.

According to VNExpress, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc had sought an explanation from it after at least three locally transmitted cases were found in HCMC.

Under Covid-19 prevention protocols, flight crews must isolate themselves on returning to Vietnam. But the flight attendant, who returned to Vietnam from Japan on November 14 and entered quarantined for four days at a facility managed by Vietnam Airlines in HCMC’s Tan Binh District, went to another quarantine area and contracted the virus from a crew member who had returned from Romania, according to VNExpress.

Related: Vietnam confirms first case of Covid-19 community transmission after nearly 3 months

After two tests showed he was negative for the coronavirus, he was let go but told to isolate himself at home. But he came into contact with his mother and two friends, including an English teacher who stayed with him for a few days.

On November 29, 15 days after he returned from Japan, he tested positive for the virus, and the next day the teacher did too. The latter had meanwhile spread the virus to a nephew and a student of the English teacher.

The Ministry of Health reported several new Covid cases in the past few days, all of whom are quarantined at immigration. Vietnam has now had a total 1,358 coronavirus cases.