Rainy day at the checkpoint

10pm September 8th, the weather changed, another stormTyphoon Consonwaiting to make landfall, covering the whole Vinh city in a white blanket of rain. The rain was getting heavier, the wind was howling, at the checkpoints nestled at the street corners, the police officers, the militia comrades, and even the old veterans were still silently guarding the checkpoints.

On a rainy night, an old veteran and a young Mobile Police officer huddled under a mobile umbrella while on duty at a checkpoint. Photo: Tien Dong

Stopping at the checkpoint located on Le Viet Thuat Street, the last section of Hung Loc Commune, adjacent to Nghi Thai Commune (Nghi Loc), I came across the image of an old veteran and soldiers.Mobile policeThe children huddled under portable umbrellas placed on the side of the road. Every now and then, when a car passed by, they would leave their shelter and approach the car door to check their papers. When the road was empty, they would return to their positions, telling each other stories about their families and hometowns, and then...waiting for the night to pass.

Even though it was late at night and it was raining heavily, many vehicles and people still entered and exited the city. Photo: Tien Dong

Mr. Dang Khac Que - Head of the Association of War Veterans in My Trung hamlet (Hung Loc), has been on duty at this checkpoint for more than 20 days, since Vinh City had to isolate society according to Directive 16 for the second time. Despite his age, when the whole city was struggling to fight the epidemic, other forces were focusing on tracing and protecting green areas, he volunteered to take on the task at this checkpoint. Every day, he went to the checkpoint, sometimes working the day shift, sometimes working the night shift, never missing a moment. Mr. Que said, now he just hopes that the epidemic will end soon so that life can return to normal, because at the checkpoint, he has witnessed many cases, people who were forced to go out to make a living, always fearing that they would get Covid-19 at any time.

More than anyone else, Captain Pham Cong Ngu is probably the one who hopes that Vinh City will soon control the Covid-19 epidemic, so that he can return home to welcome his first child with his beloved wife. Photo: Tien Dong

On duty with Mr. Que was Captain Pham Cong Ngu, an officer of the Mobile Police Department.Nghe An Provincial Police. Captain Ngu was sent here when Vinh City had to isolate itself from the public. Like many other comrades, he has not been home for several months. After the first quarantine from June 19 to July 3, a few weeks later, he had just finished quarantine at the unit as prescribed, and planned to visit home, but then he had to go back to the post. More than anyone else, Captain Ngu is the one who hopes the Covid-19 epidemic will soon be extinguished. In the shimmering light of the road in the rain, he looked into the distance and said: "My wife will give birth this September, I really hope the city can control the epidemic soon, so I can leave the post to go home to welcome my first child."

The rain and wind made the task more difficult, but all the officers and soldiers persisted in staying at their posts. Photo: Tien Dong

In recent days, Vinh city has returned to social isolation according to Directive 16, however, 2 wards, 35 blocks, hamlets and 1 apartment building spread across 13 wards and communes are still having to implement 1 level higher than Directive 16 with the viewpoint of "wherever you are, stay there". To ensure epidemic prevention and limit travel, in addition to 14 checkpoints at the main gateways into and out of the city, 29 checkpoints managing branch roads and residential roads connecting to neighboring communes of Nghi Loc and Hung Nguyen districts, checkpoints in locked-down areas are still being maintained and must always ensure 24/7 duty.

Senior Lieutenant Nguyen Duc Anh - Hung Loc Commune Police, on duty at the My Ha hamlet blockade checkpoint (Hung Loc), where Covid-19 cases have been continuously detected in recent days, said: On duty at this checkpoint is a regular police officer, along with militia and police officers. Although the cases have been quarantined in advance, the brothers always determine that they cannot be negligent. Therefore, day and night, people are not allowed to enter or exit this blockade area.

Checkpoints in areas locked down due to Covid-19 cases are even more strictly organized. Photo: Tien Dong

Mr. Le Xuan Hai - a militiaman in Ngu Phuc hamlet (Hung Loc) added that because My Ha hamlet is under lockdown, in addition to the regular police of the commune, most of the participating forces are mobilized from other hamlets. Despite the rain and wind, we are always determined to complete our tasks, hoping that the epidemic will soon end so that we can return to normal life.

I went to the checkpoint right at the intersection of Cao Xuan Huy Street and Tran Phu Street, blocking the entrance to Hong Son Ward - where the security measures are being implemented at a higher level than before.Directive No.16. It was already past midnight, but officers and soldiers were still standing in the rain, checking each vehicle passing by. Because Hong Son ward is home to many agents and warehouses supplying essential goods, trucks carrying goods with QR codes still regularly come and go day and night.

Soldiers on duty at the checkpoint on Cao Xuan Huy Street, the checkpoint at the gateway to the center of Hong Son Ward, where the implementation of Directive 16 is one level higher. Photo: Tien Dong

Lieutenant Tran Hai Hoan - working at the Mobile Police Department, Provincial Police, on duty at this checkpoint shared: The force here was reinforced when Vinh City changed its status from Directive 16 to a higher level, because this area is still a hot spot for the risk of an outbreak, so while many other checkpoints have been withdrawn, this checkpoint is still being maintained.

Despite the heavy rain covering Vinh City, officers and soldiers still completed their duties in controlling vehicles passing through the checkpoints. Photo: PV

Due to the large number of vehicles coming in and out, the 3 soldiers on duty at this checkpoint have almost no time to rest. This checkpoint has 6 people in a team, divided into 4 shifts/day, each shift has 3 comrades, after finishing their shift, they return to the gathering place, each person has 6 hours to rest, eat and drink, then continue to go to the checkpoint, every day is the same. It is said to be 6 hours, but to get to the gathering place, shower, clean up, eat and drink, sometimes it takes 1 hour, especially during the noon and morning shifts, many times they don't have time to rest before having to go to the checkpoint. I asked Hoan, so how do we arrange our rest time? Hoan said, during this peak of the epidemic, we also have to arrange our time to minimize it as much as possible. "The most fearful thing is the rainy days, when our clothes and belongings won't be dry enough to go to the checkpoint in time" - Hoan said and laughed.

Despite the hardship, the functional forces at the checkpoints have never wavered in spirit or neglected their important tasks while the epidemic is still at high risk. Therefore, the spirit of fighting the epidemic like fighting the enemy and the steadfast will of the forces at the checkpoints are an example of spreading the spirit of serving the people of the functional forces at the present time.