Two cases of COVID-19 infection detected in the community.
(Baonghean.vn) - The morning news bulletin on January 28th from the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control stated that on the night of January 27th, after receiving confirmatory test results, two cases of COVID-19 infection in the community were confirmed (one case in Hai Duong and one case in Quang Ninh).
The Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Health held an urgent online meeting with the provinces of Quang Ninh and Hai Duong. Measures to contain and suppress the outbreak in these two provinces are being proactively and decisively implemented.
Following information received from Japan regarding the detection of a woman from Hai Duong testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 after entering Osaka, on January 27th, Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long immediately dispatched a working group from the Ministry of Health, including leaders and epidemic control experts from three units: the Department of Preventive Medicine, the Department of Environmental Health Management, and the Central Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, to Hai Duong to support the local authorities in conducting epidemiological investigations, surveillance, and emergency response measures to prevent and control the epidemic.
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| The Ministry of Health issued a directive to deploy testing experts from leading units under the Ministry of Health to Hai Duong to support testing efforts. |
“This task force is led by Associate Professor Dr. Tran Nhu Duong - Deputy Director of the Central Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology - who has experience in combating epidemics in hotspots over the past year such as Son Loi, Binh Thuan, Da Nang..., in charge of monitoring, tracing, and zoning, along with two leaders from the Department of Preventive Medicine and the Department of Environmental Health Management.
The delegation will be stationed in Hai Duong and will coordinate with the province to immediately implement comprehensive measures to combat the epidemic in accordance with the Prime Minister's directive on "rapid epidemic control" - Minister Nguyen Thanh Long said.
Late in the afternoon of January 27, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, Head of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, held an emergency meeting with the Standing Committee of the Steering Committee at the Ministry of Health.
Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long reports at the meeting. Photo: Tuan Anh
Immediately after the meeting, Deputy Minister of Health Do Xuan Tuyen - Deputy Head of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control - went directly to Hai Duong to direct emergency epidemic prevention and control work in the province.
Late on January 27th, after confirmatory test results confirmed two community-transmitted COVID-19 cases (one in Hai Duong and one in Quang Ninh), the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Health held an urgent online meeting with the two provinces of Quang Ninh and Hai Duong to hear reports from the Ministry of Health's working group and the two localities' COVID-19 prevention and control steering committees on the implementation of measures to isolate, detect, and quarantine those who had close contact with the positive cases at their homes and workplaces, as well as the implementation of testing and treatment.
At the meeting, Minister Nguyen Thanh Long stated that the Ministry of Health would continue to deploy testing experts from Bach Mai Hospital, the Central Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, the School of Public Health, and Hanoi Medical University to Hai Duong to support testing starting on the morning of January 28th.
An urgent online meeting between the Steering Committee and the leaders of Hai Duong and Quang Ninh provinces took place late on the night of January 27th. The Hai Duong side was attended by Deputy Minister of Health Do Xuan Tuyen and members of the working group sent by the Ministry of Health.
In addition, the Ministry of Health also requested Hai Duong University of Medical Technology and Hai Duong Central College of Pharmacy to send staff and students to participate in epidemic prevention and control work in the area.
Regarding treatment, the Ministry of Health has deployed the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases to assist Hai Duong province in establishing a local treatment system to provide on-site treatment; only severe cases will be transferred to the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases.
On the night of January 27th and the morning of January 28th, the Ministry of Health will deploy its units to Hai Duong to assist in sample collection and testing. Professor Dr. Le Thi Quynh Mai - Deputy Director of the Central Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology - will directly supervise the testing work.
Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, Head of the Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, delivered a directive speech at the meeting. Photo: Tuan Anh
Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam instructed: “Due to the approaching Lunar New Year, the implementation of epidemic prevention and control measures must be at a higher level. Hai Duong must put itself in the same situation as Da Nang before, the Ministry of Health will provide maximum support, however, Hai Duong must focus intensely on ensuring that the affected area is completely contained within 10 days.”
The Deputy Prime Minister also emphasized that, because the case in Hai Duong is linked to a case infected with the new SARS-CoV-2 strain according to information from Japan, special caution is needed to ensure maximum safety for the epidemic prevention and control forces.
Regarding Quang Ninh province, the Deputy Prime Minister instructed the province to conduct contact tracing down to F3, immediately implement disease prevention and control measures according to the regulations of the Ministry of Health, and regularly report on the situation. The Ministry of Health will provide support if necessary.
The Ministry of Health's location is connected to the Quang Ninh location.
Information about the two new cases:
CASE 1552 (BN 1552): Female, 34 years old, Vietnamese nationality, occupation: Worker at POYUN Co., Ltd., permanent address in Kim Dien, Hung Dao commune, Chi Linh city, Hai Duong province.
The patient had close contact with a female patient who tested positive after entering Osaka (Japan).
The patient was placed in centralized isolation and samples were taken for testing. The test results, confirmed on the evening of January 27th, showed the patient was positive for SARS-CoV-2.
The patient is currently isolated and receiving treatment at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Dong Anh facility.
CASE 1553 (BN 1553): Male, 31 years old, Vietnamese nationality, occupation: employee of Van Don Airport, permanent address in Hong Ha Ward, Ha Long City, Quang Ninh Province.
Due to symptoms such as fever, dry cough, and sore throat, the patient went to the hospital for examination on their own.
The hospital took samples, and the test results from the Quang Ninh Center for Disease Control on the evening of January 27 confirmed that the patient tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.
The patient is currently isolated and receiving treatment at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Dong Anh facility.
The Steering Committee stated that it will continue to provide updates on the COVID-19 prevention and control situation in Hai Duong and Quang Ninh in subsequent bulletins.
