Hà Nội police officers remove the checkpoint on Pháp Vân - Cầu Giẽ Expressway on Wednesday night. Photo vov.vn

HÀ NỘI — Checkpoints at the city's gateways will stop operation after more than three months of deployment to control COVID-19.

The move was stated in an official dispatch on the implementation of temporary measures on "safe adaptation, flexibility and effective control of the COVID-19 pandemic" signed by chairman of the Hà Nội People's Committee, Chu Ngọc Anh, on Thursday afternoon. 

Along with removing the checkpoints, the chairman assigned the city police, in co-ordination with the health sector and other forces, to supervise pandemic prevention and control at the airport, stations and traffic routes of the city's gateways, especially arrivals from outbreak-hit regions.

The city police was also assigned to work with the health sector and local authorities to update information on residence management, health information and movement of people in the locality and control arrivals returning from risk and high-risk areas.

The dispatch also stated that Hà Nội continues to implement the vaccination plan, giving priority to the second dose of vaccine for people over 50 years old, pregnant women, workers in industrial parks, processing zones, shippers, transporters, teachers and people working in areas with high risk of infection. 

The city will vaccinate children under 18 years old when receiving vaccines and instructions from the Ministry of Health.

Based on the actual situation, the Department of Education and Training, in co-ordination with relevant agencies, will consult with representatives of the parents' board and the guidance of the Ministry of Education and Training to urgently develop plans and activities corresponding to the level of pandemic risk to ensure safe adaptation to COVID-19.

The chairman of the city People's Committee requested the leaders of the departments, divisions and units and chairmen of the People's Committees of the districts, towns and communes to urgently implement the safety adaptation plan to the pandemic in each industry, field and locality; supervise the observance of regulations on pandemic prevention and control.

The capital city of Hà Nội on July 14 set up 22 checkpoints at its major gateways in response to growing risks of COVID-19 transmission from arrivals from outbreak-hit regions.   

At each checkpoint, the city police, in cooperation with traffic inspectors, health staff and civil defence officers of districts and towns, were working around the clock to control the flow of all vehicles and people returning to or travelling out of the city.

After three months of using the checkpoints, from October 14, the competent forces stopped checking commuters and vehicles entering and leaving the city when they pass through checkpoints and maintained guards to ensure traffic safety and handle any problems. VNS