Thanh Xuân District's health workers collect samples for coronavirus testing from a close contact of a positive case detected on Friday in connection to HCM City's COVID-19 outbreak. — VNA/VNS Photo Minh Quyết

HÀ NỘI — Hà Nội’s health department on Friday evening asked local authorities to step up monitoring people returning from outbreak-hit regions.

All those who have been to HCM City – currently the country’s COVID-19 epicentre with more than 10,000 cases since the end of April – from June 23 to July 7, will be subjected to COVID-19 tests.

They have also been asked to monitor their health conditions and limit contact with other people for 14 days since leaving HCM City and a negative test result has been returned.

People are advised to limit travel to outbreak-hit areas and HCM City, and in case there is a need for business or official trips, they must seek approval from an authorised agency and strictly observe prevention and control measures.

Hà Nội’s health department said that between June 23-July 7, there were around 6,000 people returning from HCM City based on health declaration software’s statistics, but Nội Bài reported that between June 30-July 6 alone there were 66 flights from HCM City to Hà Nội carrying more than 13,000 passengers though not all are Hà Nội’s residents or would stay in the capital.

Currently, Hà Nội’s authorities stipulated that people returning from outbreak areas must self-isolate at home for seven days under the guidance of the Ministry of Health, then continue to observe your health conditions for the next seven days. — VNS