Lang Son holds teleconference to boost nCoV fight

(LSO) – The People’s Committee of Lang Son province held a teleconference on February 3 to discuss countermeasures against the acute respiratory disease caused by the 2019 novel coronavirus (nCoV).

The event was chaired by Pham Ngoc Thuong, Vice Secretary of the provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee and head of the province’s steering board for the nCoV-caused disease prevention and control. It was also participated by Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Duong Xuan Huyen, representatives of provincial departments and sectors, and officials of local districts, communes, wards and towns at nearly 200 sites via the telecoms system.

So far, Lang Son hasn’t recorded any nCoV cases. The 18 suspected patients who show fever symptoms and have returned from nCoV-hit areas are being isolated and monitored.

Pham Ngoc Thuong, Vice Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, speaks at the conference.

However, facing complex developments of the virus, the local steering board has taken drastic actions in disease prevention and control. Accordingly, relevant forces have increased communications, completed fumigation at all schools and densely populated areas, examined medical equipment and facilities, and readied 12 isolation wards. All people entering Lang Son from China have had their body temperature checked by thermal scanners and filled in health declaration forms. Besides, authorities have also kept a strict control of entry and exit and boosted the sharing of nCoV-related information with China’s border guard force.

At the meeting, representatives of departments, sectors and districts discussed communications in the disease prevention and control, saying that more information about preventive measures should be disseminated to help the public actively steer clear of the virus. Additionally, it is also necessary to set up communal-level steering boards to better carry out anti-nCoV tasks.

Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Pham Ngoc Thuong asked relevant agencies to thoroughly grasp directives issued by the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Health and the provincial People’s Committee, and work to minimise the disease’s impact on the people.

All-level authorities and sectors have to review the number of Lang Son’s people studying and working in China so as to take suitable isolation measures. They also need to discourage locals from illegal exit, increase patrol in border areas and border crossings, suspend festivals, receive and isolate Vietnamese returning from China in 14 days to prevent the virus from spreading in the community, and manage students well when schools are closed temporarily. Relevant agencies also need to keep a close watch and strictly deal with those popularising false information, the official added./.