Hanoi rejects rumors about lockdown on whole city

A representative of Hanoi's government has rejected rumors that the city will be placed under lockdown due to the growing number of coronavirus infections in the city.

Asked about the information spread on social media networks, Deputy Director Nguyen Thi Mai Huong of the municipal Department of Information and Communications told Zing News on Thursday evening that the information on the lockdown is completely groundless.

“Hanoi is effectively conducting quarantine measures in areas and sections of streets where infections have been found. Truc Bach is an example of lockdown due to human-to-human transmission detected there. Except for that, the city has not made any proposal on locking down the whole city. This is a complete fabrication,” Huong said.

The mass quarantine or city lockdown must be based on the number of infected people, contagion situation, and decision-making competence, she said, adding that people should not go panic with such misinformation that is “extremely poisonous.”

Rumors on social media platforms on Thursday afternoon said that Hanoi authorities had decided to put the city under lockdown following a sudden rise in the number of infections. The dissemination of misreport has been investigated.

Of 69 active cases in Vietnam since March 6, Hanoi has confirmed 24 people positive with the virus.

Earlier on March 16, Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung said that the city had prepared more quarantine facilities as the municipal authorities anticipated a rise in infections in the time to come.

Accordingly, several localities are likely to become new quarantine areas, such as Thuong Thanh resettlement area in Long Bien district capable of accommodating 2,000 people, Tu Hiep student dormitories in Hoang Mai district for 2,000 people, Me Linh General Hospital for 200 patients, vocational schools in Son Tay Town, Phu Xuyen and Chuong My Districts, among others.

During the quarantine period, the city spends VND100,000 (US$4.3)/day on each person regardless of their nationalities.

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