Distributing free masks at the launching ceremony. (Source:Vietnam Red Cross Society)Hanoi (VNA) – The Vietnam RedCross Society (VRCS) on February 7 launched a campaign to bolster publicawareness of the prevention against the acute respiratory disease caused by a newstrain of coronavirus (nCoV).
At the launch event in Hanoi, the VRCShanded out 10,000 face masks and 1,000 hand sanitisers free of charge, alongwith leaflets on preventive measures for local residents.
President of the VRCS Central Committee NguyenThi Xuan Thu said that to respond to the nCoV threat in a timely way, the VRCShas kept a close watch on the development and maintained regular informationsharing with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red CrescentSocieties to call for assistance if needed.
It has also devised response plan againstthe virus, she added.
Earlier, the committee presented a relief of1.1 billion VND (47,200 USD) to nine localities to launch communicationscampaigns on nCoV prevention, public health care and blood donation.
The organisation also offered 40,000 N95masks worth a total of 100,000 USD to China and sent personnel to distributethe relief in Wuhan, China.
Vietnam reported two more 2019-nCoV caseson February 6, bringing the total in the country to 12.
On February 1, Prime Minister Nguyen XuanPhuc signed a decision declaring the nCoV-caused disease an epidemic inVietnam.
Earlier, the World Health Organisation(WHO) had declared the 2019-nCoV outbreak a public health emergency ofinternational concern./.
VNA
