Hà Nội authorities lock down an alley of Hoàng Hoa Thám Street in Tây Hồ District where a 76-year-old man who test positive for COVID-19 lives. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Hà Nội authorities haveconducted rapid coronavirus tests for all people returning from Đà Nẵng in a bid to halt the transmission of the virus.

The mass testing campaign began on Thursday and will end on Saturday for those who visited Đà Nẵng from July 01 to 29.

At a meeting of the municipal steering committee on COVID-19 Prevention and Control on Wednesday, Chairman of Hà Nội People’s Committee Nguyễn Đức Chung said that about 21,060 people had returned to the capital from Đà Nẵng where local transmission was detected on July 24 after more than three months of no community infection.

“We must be vigilant but not too panicked despite the fact that two positive cases have been detected in the city over the past 24 hours. Both of them returned from Đà Nẵng,” he said.

All people arriving from central provinces, especially Đà Nẵng City and Quảng Nam Province, would have samples taken for coronavirus tests, Chung said.

The Centre for Disease Control (CDC) Hà Nội has 80,000 test kits available for districts and wards to test people returning from Đà Nẵng.

Anyone who tests positive via the quick test will be confirmed using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method, he said.

Chung asked district authorities to regularly update information from the National Steering Committee for the COVID-19 Prevention and Control and the Ministry of Health so that people stay informed.

People are advised to urgently report to agencies and local authorities on COVID-19 suspected cases.

All people with symptoms of cough, shortness of breath or fever should immediately contact health centres in their locality for COVID-19 testing. While waiting for the test result, they must be put under quarantine at home.

All offices, agencies and enterprises in the city must have hand sanitiser and conduct temperature checks for everyone who enters.

Chairman Chung also ordered a ban on all crowds and festivals and closed bars and nightclubs, taking effect from midnight Wednesday.

Schools closed in Tây Hồ District

In related news, the People’s Committee of Tây Hồ District has decided to close all educational institutions including kindergartens and foreign language centres to ensure the health of students.

The move came after a 76-year-old man residing on Hoàng Hoa Thám Street was confirmed positive for COVID-19 on Thursday.

Lê Hồng Vũ, head of Tây Hồ District’s Education and Training Sub-department, told Tiền Phong (Vanguard) newspaper that the action was necessary to prevent transmission of the virus.

A teacher in the district who has returned from Đà Nẵng was under self-quarantine at home, he said.

In addition to ordering all education institutions to close, all schools in the district must make plans for safe enrollment of pupils in the first grade and sixth grade.

Parents must wear masks and ensure a safe distance while completing enrollment procedures at schools, he said.  — VNS