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

Many people seen on Ha Giang street amid COVID-19 outbreak (Source: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Localities with a of the pandemic are
nonetheless not safe amid the outbreak, a health expert has said.

At a Cabinet meeting
on the afternoon of April 15, 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 , 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./.