Border guards in northern mountainous Điện Biên Province patrol to prevent illegal migrants entering the country. — VNA/VNS Photo Xuân Tiến

Secretary of the Party Committee and Political Commissar of the Vietnam Border Guard Command Đỗ Danh Vượng talks to An ninh Thủ đô (Capital Security) newspaper about COVID-19 prevention and control measures in border areas

After months fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, the country started to enter a new normal and many people seemed to forget that the disease still spread complicatedly across the border. What was the life of border guards like in the 99 days Việt Nam recorded no community transmission?

Although the country started to enter the new normal, we still worked to prevent the disease like the first days COVID-19 appeared in Việt Nam. The 99 days Việt Nam recorded no community transmission were 99 days border guards keep watching border areas. At the same time, they implemented measures and plans to deal with illegal immigration into the country. However, with subtle tactics, illegal migrants have made it difficult for authorised forces to discover them.

With the highest determination to prevent the disease spreading to the country via border areas, border guards have worked with authorised agencies of foreign countries sharing borders with Việt Nam to deploy measures to manage border areas and border gates in the new normal.

After COVID-19 returned, what measures have the border guards taken in this second fight against the pandemic?

When the first new community transmission case of COVID-19 was discovered in central Đà Nẵng City after 99 days, the Border Guard High Command immediately held an online meeting with border guards in 45 locations to kick off all urgent measures on COVID-19 prevention and control and on preventing illegal migrants entering the country.

The command decided to set up 10 task forces to come to border areas in high-risk localities to check prevention and control tasks and encourage border guards to work. They have also consulted the Ministry of Defence, authorised agencies and authorities of localities on specific and resolute measures in COVID-19 prevention and control in line with the conditions of each border area and locality.

The border guard forces are on duty around the clock. More soldiers have been sent to key border areas to support patrol stations.

An action month was held to mobilise residents in border areas to take preventive measures against COVID-19.

How important it is to promote information dissemination on COVID-19 prevention and control for residents in border areas?

With the role of protecting national sovereignty and national border security, from the beginning, border guards strived to work with the whole nation in COVID-19 prevention and control with the highest responsibility placed on controlling the whole border route, contributing to minimising illegal migrants entering the country. However, with the long border and tough terrain, it is necessary to mobilise the participation of the whole nation, people and soldiers to prevent harmful diseases entering the country.

Border guards were assigned to go to every village and hamlet to provide local residents with medical materials and food while disseminating information to raise their awareness of preventive and control measures as well as of protecting border security.

With COVID-19 in the world entering a new and more dangerous stage, the prevention and control of illegal immigration must be performed with more strength and resolve. — VNS