Nghe An man holds back his grief as he mourns his father in a centralized quarantine area

On March 23, Mr. Tran Dinh Sy (51 years old, Nghia Trung commune, Nghia Dan), was stunned when he received a phone call from a relative informing him that his father had passed away. At that time, he was being quarantined to prevent the Covid-19 epidemic at a military unit in Da Nang. Mr. Sy was a worker who returned from Malaysia on March 18 by air.

An altar was hastily set up in the quarantine area for Mr. Sy to pay his respects to his father. Photo: Hung Le

Mr. Sy immediately discussed with the officers on duty at the quarantine area. Taking Mr. Sy's opinion into account, the officers and soldiers here reported to ask for opinions from leaders at all levels about this special case. However, to ensure safety and prevent the spread of the disease to the community, the relevant agencies could not allow Mr. Sy to return home to mourn his father during the quarantine period.

After being informed, encouraged and explained by the staff, Mr. Sy sympathized with the Center and the relevant departments. “For the sake of public health, I had to sacrifice my personal interests, even though I know that “a duty to the dead is a duty to the end”. I pray that my father’s soul will understand during the outbreak. After completing my quarantine, I will go back to apologize to my father”, Mr. Sy said with tears in his eyes.

Mr. Sy video called his family to film the altar in the quarantine area. Photo: Hung Le

Faced with that situation, the National Defense and Security Knowledge Training Center, where Mr. Sy is quarantined, proactively prepared offerings, incense, flowers, and made a temporary altar for him to burn incense in memory of his old father.Sympathizing with Mr. Sy, many citizens in the quarantine area also came down to offer incense and pay their respects to his father.

While performing the ceremony in the quarantine area, Mr. Sy also made a video call so that his brothers and relatives in his hometown could sympathize... "The leaders and officers of the National Defense and Security Knowledge Training Center sympathized, shared and created all favorable conditions for me to burn incense in memory of my late father. I sincerely thank the leaders and officers of the National Defense and Security Knowledge Training Center", Mr. Sy shared.

According to the authorities, Mr. Sy's incubation period is still very long, in this situation if he returns it will be difficult for the quarantine work and the "wariness" of relatives and neighbors...

People in the quarantine area came to burn incense and share the pain with Mr. Sy. Photo: Hung Le

Also at another centralized quarantine area in Da Nang, a month ago, a 30-year-old man from Quang Binh also suppressed his pain and visited his mother from afar. He was on a business trip to South Korea, but before the trip ended, he received news that his mother was seriously ill and immediately bought a plane ticket back home. But when the plane landed in Da Nang, he was immediately taken to a centralized quarantine area according to regulations. Three days later, he received news that his mother in his hometown had passed away. Although he was heartbroken because he had not seen his mother for half a year and that she was sick and could not take care of him, he still suppressed his pain, completed the centralized quarantine period, and then returned to mourn his mother.