Crowds in the backpacker street Ta Hien in Hanoi (Source: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – Hanoi will enhance COVID-19 preventive measures in publicplaces, especially in bars and karaoke lounges, said Vice Chairman of themunicipal People’s Committee Ngo Van Quy.
Despite no new local cases recorded in the capital for more than a month, thelocal health department said the risks of the virus are still high, especiallyas more international flights started to resume.
“There were definitely signs of negligence in pandemic prevention in publicplaces, especially in some bars and karaoke when they are allowed to operateagain,” Quy said during a meeting of the municipal Steering Committee forCOVID-19 Prevention and Control on September 23.
Director of the municipal health department Nguyen Khac Hien added: “Therefore,if the disease control efforts were insufficient, especially when people lettheir guard down, there would be an elevated risk of outbreaks.”
He went on to say reports of many people are not wearing face masks inpublic, and food and beverage businesses are not complying with preventionmeasures.
According to Dinh Hong Phong, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of HoanKiem district, donwtown Hanoi, after months of social distancing measures, thenumber of visitors to bars and karaoke lounges have hiked after the decision toallow them to reopen, especially in the area around the backpacker street Ta Hienduring the weekends, so the district authority had sent special force to ensuredisease prevention protocols are observed.
“Some bars and karaoke lounges which did not meet the pandemic preventionmeasures were asked to close down temporarily,” said he.
Deputy Director of the Hanoi Health Department Tran Thi Nhi Ha told the meetingthat all hospitals and health facilities in the city has fulfilled pandemicprevention requirements.
In a recent week, districts inspected 417 private medical and pharmaceuticalestablishments uncovering and sanctioned 126 violations, mainly not wearingmasks and lacking of protection measures for staff and patient information, Hatold the meeting.
She recommended districts and wards enhance information dissemination as wellas push up training of pandemic prevention for medical workers.
Meanwhile, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Tourism Department Ngo Minh Hoang, saidthat as of September 22, 27 hotels had registered to receive foreign guests butafter inspection, some hotels had not met the set criteria.
He said the municipal tourism department would co-ordinate with the healthdepartment to continue to guide implementation of pandemic prevention measures,while at the same time mobilise more establishments to participate in hostingand quarantining foreigners entering Vietnam.
Hanoi Vice Chairman Ngo Van Quy told the meeting the city ensured at least3,000 beds to serve as paid quarantine when commercial flight routes to Vietnamare resumed.
“The city would continue to ask people to wear masks in public places,including public transport”, said Quy.
He also requested units to immediately inspect bars, karaoke lounges and discosfor pandemic and fire prevention measures.
He also proposed restrictions on holding festivals, meetings and celebrations.
For important events, it is necessary to consult the health department toensure the full implementation of epidemic prevention protocols, he added./.
VNA
