Nghe An: Thoroughly fighting the epidemic at the 'gateway'

PEACE OF MIND AT THE PORT

Cua Lo Port is an international seaport, the "gateway" for Nghe An's export goods to the world and vice versa. Every day, Cua Lo Port receives many types of ships, cars carrying goods, sailors, crew members, drivers, and workers coming in and out. It can be said that Cua Lo Port has many potential risks of Covid-19 epidemic infiltration. These include ships returning from other countries, ships coming from localities.epidemic areas nationwide, trucks carrying goods from Laos to...

Cua Lo Port controls people and vehicles entering and exiting. Photo: PV

Carrying out the dual task of "both production and epidemic prevention", in recent times, Cua Lo Port has coordinated with inter-sectoral units and agencies such as the Border Guard Station of Cua Lo - Ben Thuy Port, the Provincial Center for Disease Control to control means of transport, people and prevent and control Covid-19 as well as other dangerous diseases. Specifically, establishing a steering committee for epidemic prevention and control; setting up checkpoints at the entrance and exit gates to spray disinfectants, disinfect vehicles, measure body temperature and require implementation of the "5K" message for people entering and exiting.

With ships from other countries,epidemic areaWhen entering Cua Lo Port, the International Health Quarantine Department, Nghe An Province Center for Disease Control is in charge. Before the ship enters the port and anchors at buoy 0, medical officers from the International Health Quarantine Department will board the ship and boat to spray disinfectant; have all crew members and sailors declare their health according to the instructions of the Ministry of Health and have them screened and have their body temperature measured. After that, other forces will deploy the next tasks.

Doctor Hoang Chi Thanh (International Medical Quarantine Department) shared: “The work is very hard and dangerous when the weather turns bad, with big waves and strong winds. The ships and boats carrying officers to quarantine at sea are very small, while the ships carrying cargo are large, so moving is very difficult.”

People entering and leaving the port have their temperature taken and complete health declarations. Photo: PV

Almost all ships arriving at port carry cargo, without passengers entering the country. However, there are still occasional ships and boats that change crews, or sailors fall ill. At this time, medical staff will carry out quarantine classification, and take sailors to be examined and treated safely.prevent the risk of Covid-19 infection.

Doctor Cao Xuan Thanh - Head of the International Medical Quarantine Department said: Since the beginning of 2020, the department has done a good job of quarantine. 100% of ships and boats entering and leaving Cua Lo and Visai Ports have been quarantined. The total number of ships and boats entering and leaving the country is 223; the total number of ships and boats leaving the country is 242; the total number of sailors entering the country is 4,288; the total number of sailors leaving the country is 4,517; the total number of sailors and crew members sent to quarantine is 207. All vehicles comply with quarantine regulations when entering and leaving the country.

Officers of the International Health Quarantine Department measure body temperature and check the health of crew members and sailors. Photo: PV

According to Dr. Chu Trong Trang - Deputy Director of the Provincial Center for Disease Control: “Like the road border gate, quarantine work at seaports is being carried out very well. People and ships are strictly controlled. The functional forces have had good coordination in handling epidemic situations. For example, at 12 noon on May 31, the Provincial Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control received information that there was a case of crew member Zhang Weifang, a Chinese national, traveling on a ship from China to Japan, arriving at Hai Phong Port on May 24, then returning to Cua Lo Port feeling tired, with no signs of fever, cough, or difficulty breathing. The Provincial Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control considered this crew member as a case of the disease to direct the forces to handle, screen, take samples for testing, and take this crew member to Nghe An General Hospital for treatment. However, when the ship docked, this person died after having a seizure and turning purple. The forces The port force took a Covid-19 test sample (negative), and brought the body to the forensic agency for preservation so that relatives could complete the procedures to transfer it back... All activities to handle the epidemic situation must ensure absolute safety."

AIRPORT WORRIES

It is also an epidemic situation that just happened but the handling work atVinh International Airportconfusion, causing concern about Covid-19 prevention and control activities here. Specifically, on the afternoon of June 4, a male passenger temporarily residing in Binh Duong boarded a flight from Tan Son Nhat International Airport to Vinh. Before boarding the plane, his health was normal, however, on the flight he appeared to have a fever.

At Vinh International Airport, a remote body temperature measuring device located here detected abnormal health of passengers. The airport medical and security department detained them and requested to take samples for testing.

The Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control of Nghe An province inspects Vinh International Airport. Photo: PV

It is worth mentioning that at this time, Vinh International Airport does not have a quarantine room to temporarily detain this passenger; the medical department is confused in handling the case; the security force is also not determined in temporarily detaining the passenger as a suspected case; there is a lack of necessary sanctions to require this uncooperative passenger to comply with epidemic prevention and control regulations. In addition, the communication between Vinh International Airport and the functional forces is not smooth, causing delays in taking samples and transferring the passenger to the quarantine location, the passenger has moved to many places in the airport area... It was quite a while later that the male passenger was tested; and taken to quarantine and treatment at Vinh City General Hospital. Fortunately, his test result was negative for SARS-CoV-2.

The Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control of Nghe An province inspects Vinh International Airport. Photo: PV

Mr. Hoang Anh Thu - Director of Vinh International Airport said: "Vinh International Airport has strictly implemented epidemic prevention and control activities according to regulations, but has only been able to control a part of the departing passengers, while returning passengers are facing difficulties. If returning passengers do not voluntarily declare their health status and do not cooperate with the anti-epidemic force, Vinh International Airport has no sanctions to handle it. The airport itself also finds it difficult to identify whether they have declared honestly or not...". The representative of Vinh International Airport's leadership proposed to establish a control team, including police, medical and airport forces tocontrol, get passenger informationreturn immediately at the airport to serve the anti-epidemic tracing work.

In a recent meeting between the Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control of Nghe An province, representatives of departments, branches, sectors and Vinh City People's Committee with Vinh International Airport, the opinions expressed were unanimous that it is necessary to control all returning passengers and the airport itself must develop an effective plan and solution for epidemic prevention and control. Associate Professor, Dr. Duong Dinh Chinh - Deputy Head of the Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control of the province, Director of the Department of Health requested: "Vinh International Airport needs to continue to review the procedures and measures for epidemic prevention and control currently applied to detect the risk of disease transmission; strictly implement regulations on quarantine for incoming flight crews and people returning from epidemic areas; instruct passengers to make electronic health declarations when doing online procedures; refuse to transport cases that do not make health declarations and regulations on epidemic safety. The airport needs to take the lead in developing coordination regulations between Vinh Airport,Provincial Center for Disease Control, Vinh Provincial and City General Hospital in implementing epidemic prevention and control measures. All levels and sectors themselves need to actively coordinate with ports to prevent and control epidemics in accordance with assigned functions and tasks."