New local Covid infection detected in Hanoi after 6 days

The new community infection was detected while most of new cases in the city were from centralized quarantine zones

Jasmine Le

lehang1997hanu@gmail.com June 05, 2021 | 08:38

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New local Covid infection detected in Hanoi after 6 days

Medical staff sprayed disinfectants at Hemisco apartment building Thursday evening (Photo: VNE)

Hanoi Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) on Thursday confirmed one community infection who returned from HCMC, breaking the streak of nearly one week of no such cases in the city. The apartment building where the patient lives was put under lockdown in the evening.

The 39-year-old man received positive test results from Ha Dong district Medical center on June 3, three days after returning to Hanoi from his 5-day business trip in District 1, HCMC. Epidemiological investigation shows he contracted the coronavirus during his stay in the southern city.

A total of six individuals having close contact with the patient (F1 cases) have been identified, including five of his family members and one taxi driver. They are now under centralized quarantine.

Meanwhile, authorities had also put fencing around the perimeter of the Hemisco apartment building, Phuc La, Ha Dong, the new patient’s residential area, to promptly contain possible spreading. Starting 8:30 p.m., over 500 households living in the high-rise were asked to stay inside their house. Medical staff have sprayed disinfectants throughout the entire building.

Hanoi CDC has been looking for passengers onboard flight VN 220 on May 30 from HCMC to Hanoi, which the female patient was on. These passengers must self-isolate at home and make immediate contact with the nearest medical station.

On the same day, over 750 households in the Park 7 apartment building, Times City urban area, Hoang Mai district, were also blockaded following the detection of a suspected patient.

Medical staff conducted epidemiological investigations for residents at Park 7 apartment building Thurday evening (Photo: VNE)

Hanoi had earlier gone six days without local infections. All added daily cases are inmates at quarantine centers, according to the municipal Department of Health. The two infected medical staff also had their test results confirmed during their stay at isolated areas for Covid-19 patients.

“Hanoi is facing a high risk of infections. It needs concerted efforts of all authorities and city-dwellers to contain the new outbreak,” Chu Xuan Dung, vice chairman of municipal People’s Committee, said Wednesday.

He asked relevant authorities to mobilize residents to strictly practice anti-pandemic protocols. Since late May, Hanoi has been continuously devising new solutions to reduce cross-infection risk at quarantine centers after one centralized quarantine facility in its suburb confirmed over 50 F1 cases becoming coronavirus patients.

Chu Ngoc Anh, chairman of the committee, on June 2 evening issued notice No.12 requesting tighter management at all concentrated isolation facilities, including thorough reviews of the entire operation process and anti-preventive methods.

Hanoi is among four localities prioritized for the fourth batch of Covid-19 vaccines distributed by the Ministry of Health. Along with Bac Ninh, Bac Giang, HCMC, the city will get 50,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Medics arrange files of people whose samples have been taken for the new coronavirus test at Hanoi's Noi Bai International Airport, February 10, 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy. (Photo: VNE)

Since May 25, all food and beverage establishments and beauty parlors in the northern metropolis have been shut over coronavirus fears. Food and beverage outlets can only allow takeaways, and residents have been told to "absolutely stop" entertainment activities, physical exercises, and large gatherings in parks, gardens and public locations.

As of June 4, Hanoi reported 432 cases since the start of the fourth wave on April 27. The city is calling for financial support from businesses to purchase up to 6 million Covid-19 vaccine doses costing over VND 1 trillion (US$ 43.3 million) to inoculate its population for free. It would reportedly require 5-6 million doses to reach heard community.

Vietnam is in the grip of the fourth Covid-19 outbreak, which started on April 27. Since then, 5,088 have been reported across 37 provinces and cities, claiming 13 lives. The two northern provinces Bac Giang and Bac Ninh are the hardest-hit, with 2,757 and 988 cases respectively. Record new infections have been continuously documented every day, mostly linked to clusters at industrial parks.

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Jasmine Le