Lifting the blockade of Nghe An Mental Hospital, 'liberating' 329 people previously quarantined

On July 9, Dr. Nguyen Canh Hung - Deputy Director of Nghe An Mental Hospital said that after 21 days of lockdown, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee has decided to stop medical isolation at this hospital. 329 people including medical staff, patients, and patients' relatives can go out from the morning of July 9 after many times testing negative for Covid-19.

"However, the hospital is still locked down in the Southern Psychiatric Department with 106 F1s inside," Dr. Hung added.

The Mental Hospital has been unsealed. Photo: PV

Previously, on the afternoon of June 17, a female nurse in the male Psychiatric Department had symptoms of fever so the hospital quickly tested her for Covid-19. The results showed that she tested positive twice. On the morning of June 18, the PCR test results confirmed that she had Covid-19.

On the afternoon of June 18, the People's Committee of Nghe An province decided to apply medical isolation measures to prevent and control the Covid-19 epidemic at Nghe An Mental Hospital. At the time of the lockdown, there were 435 people inside the hospital, including 122 medical staff, 241 patients and 72 cases of patients' relatives.

To date, health authorities have discovered many cases related to this female nurse, including 3 medical staff of Nghe An Mental Hospital. These three people were announced to have Covid-19 on the morning of July 2.

The checkpoint at village 1, Quynh Vinh commune was removed on the morning of July 9. Photo: PV

In Hoang Mai town, Dr. Ho Sy Duong - Director of the town's Medical Center said that since July 9, Village 1 (Quynh Vinh commune) has stopped social distancing according to Directive 16. The remaining villages of this commune have also stopped implementing social distancing according to Directive 15. The checkpoints to control the entrance and exit of the village have been removed. This village has been locked down since June 25 after discovering that a mother and her child were infected with Covid-19, in which the mother is a trader who often buys goods at Vinh wholesale market. Up to now, the health agency has tested thousands of people related to the two mothers, all of whom are negative for Covid-19. Thus, in Hoang Mai town, there are no more areas that are locked down or socially distanced.