As new COVID-19 community cases have been reported, Hà Nội authorities have called on people to strictly follow preventive measures and limit going out. VNA/VNS Photo Thế Mạnh

HÀ NỘI - Vice-chairman of Hà Nội People’s Committee Chử Xuân Dũng on Tuesday called on residents in the capital to continue taking COVID-19 prevention and control measures seriously, after 10 community infections were reported in the city, breaking a 10-day caseless streak.

Dũng said people should only go out in very necessary situations and submit health declarations after travelling from COVID-19-hit areas.

The move was made after ten COVID-19 community cases were reported in the last two days, posing a high risk of increased infections in two areas.

One cluster is linked to a security guard employed by SEI Company in Bắc Thăng Long Industrial Park and another is a family of five all confirmed to have COVID-19 in Kênh Đào, An Mỹ Commune in Mỹ Đức District.

According to authorities in Động Anh District, the guard rented a house in Mai Châu Hamlet, Đại Mạch Commune in the district and violated health declaration regulations.

On June 26, he drove his motorbike to his hometown in Việt lập Commune, Tân Yên District in Bắc Giang Province and on June 26 and 27, he had contact with three people who were confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 on Monday.

On July 4, the commune was locked down after a worker who took a COVID-19 test as part of procedures to return to work and was found to be positive. After mass testing, several new cases were detected including the guard’s brother and the latter's sons.

The guard returned to Hà Nội and went to work from June 28 and July 3 despite having a cough and fever since July 1.

The company’s health worker advised him to stay at home and submit a health declaration to his local healthcare centre but he failed to do so.

At least three people who had contact with the guard tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 including a worker of MOLEX Company in Thăng Long Industrial Park.

More than 1,800 people have been tested in the Đông Anh outbreak.

Vice director of the city’s Health Department Trần Văn Chung said the Đông Anh outbreak posed a high risk of community infections as the confirmed cases worked in an industrial park and had contact with many people.

In addition to the family and industrial park outbreaks, another possible outbreak is related to a driver in the city's Hoàng Mai District who drove four people who travelled on flight VN286 that departed from HCM City to Hà Nội on July 3 that were later confirmed as COVID-19 patients.

Chung said that besides isolating high-risk areas, the city would concentrate on testing people who arrive from other localities with complex COVID-19 outbreaks like HCM City and drivers who work on interprovincial routes.

Vice-chairman Dũng said people in the capital were not strictly following disease prevention and control regulations, with some not keeping safe distances, failing to close restaurants after 9pm and opening street-side drink stalls.

Many people went to malls without submitting health declarations, Dũng said.

Dũng added that authorities loosened preventive measures to help people resume daily activities but people should stay vigilant in disease prevention and control.

He also asked agencies to ensure there is enough space in concentrated quarantine areas for up to 40,000 people.

He asked the city’s Department of Education and Training to inspect preparations for the national high school graduation exam on Wednesday and Thursday in Mỹ Đức and Đông Anh districts.

The department must report the number of students who are set to sit the exam but have contracted COVID-19 or had contact with confirmed COVID-19 cases.

As universities in the city will hold separate enrolment exams with candidates coming from many other provinces and cities, local authorities must work with the universities on disease prevention and control plans. VNS