Ha Long – the capital of Quang Ninh province – is a densely populated city with a large number of restaurants, hotels and tourist areas. It would be in the high risk of Covid-19 infection if the local government and people did not take initiative in the disease prevention and control. Since the Covid-19 outbreak, Ha Long Municipal Steering Committee on Covid-19 prevention and control has undertaken comprehensive measures with the motto “each citizen in Ha Long City is a soldier in the fight against Covid-19”
The government – Strong fortress
Amid Covid-19 spirals, Ha Long’s local authority has made detailed plans and senarios, then assigned specific missions to each individual and unit while promulgating these plans to each residential area.
Working groups knock every door to check local people’s body temperature and supervise abnormal health status. At bus stations, markets, tourist areas, tourist attractions on Ha Long Bay…propaganda activities on Covid-19 prevention and control are conducted via various forms, thereby local people and visitors become more aware of their responsibility of coordinating with local authority.
To date, 261 roving medical check-up teams have been set up. They have come to 26,765 households to provide medical check-ups for 91,151 people in 33 communes and wards. All cases with symptoms of cough, fever, and hard breathing are tested.
A citizen – A soldier
As usual, on early summer evenings, local people do exercise at Ha Long Park and Oct 30th Square or walk along the coastal ring-road but they all wear face masks. When the night falls, there are groups patrolling around the city and reminding local people not to gather. Local people get more understanding about the disease prevention and control, so many families have suspended weddings, birthday parties, anniversaries…
Furthermore, with the spirit of going along with the government in the fight against Covid-19, on these days, a number of hotel owners are willing to turn their hotels into isolation places with free accommodation costs and free meals. Locals offer financial support to buy face masks and instant hand sanitizer gel. Gifts filled with love are sent to doctors and nurses, the front-liners in the fight against the disease, as a thank for their sacrifice for the community. Women unions and youth unions sew face masks and prepare meals for everyone in the field hospital No.2…
It can be seen that people in Ha Long City in particular and Quang Ninh in general stay calm to face challenges. They still keep production going on. Key projects are urgently implemented to meet schedule. Aquaculture farming and trade activities go as usual. Supermarkets and market are full of commodities.
Ha Long City’s Chairman Pham Hong Ha said that the city is doing a good job in controlling the situation. He called for people to raise their responsibility in accompanying the government to push back the pandemic.
Translated by Quynh Trang
