Hanoi considers easing business restrictions and timing for students to return to schools (07:50 24/02/2021)
According to a report by Vice Head of the municipal Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control and Director of the Health Department Nguyen Khac Hien, as of February 22, the task forces identified 51,595 returnees from Hai Duong - the country’s current pandemic hotspot. Of these, 49,637 were tested for coronavirus and the results of 40,672 came back negative.
Hanoi has officially removed the blockade on 14 locations. Four others are still under lockdown, including Do Ha village in Tien Phong commune (Me Linh district), Somerset Westpoint building at 2 Quang An Street (Tay Ho district), Sun Red River Building at 23 Phan Chu Trinh Street (Hoan Kiem district), and a house at 14/4B Yen The Street (Ba Dinh district). These places are expected to be set free from lockdown on March 1.
Regarding the sequencing of variants of the virus related to the death of a Japanese COVID-19 patient (now tagged patient 2229), the health official said that the result of the case is pending.
On behalf of the municipal Party Committee’s Standing Board, Hanoi Party chief Vuong Dinh Hue praised the effort made by the local administration in fighting the pandemic, as well as maintaining production and business activities.
Stressing that the COVID-19 pandemic is set to stay for long-term, the leader asked all levels, sectors and localities to strictly follow anti-coronavirus measures as guided by the Party Central Committee, the Government, the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, and the authority of Hanoi.
He urged the task force to cooperate with functional agencies to assess risks related to the Japanese COVID-19 carrier, whose transmission source remains unknown, ordering the municipal authorities to consider the easing of business restrictions and the timing for students to return to schools.
Related agencies are required to continue promoting sales of agricultural products from virus-hit regions in super markets in Hanoi, aiming to not only boost domestic consumption of agricultural products, but also to aid Hanoi’s economic growth.
This year, Hanoi targets an economic growth rate from 7.5-8% from the 3.94% growth rate recorded last year, as the city stands firm in pursuing the dual target of both containing the pandemic and boosting economic recovery.
The Standing Board assigned the Vietnam Fatherland Front’s Hanoi committee to launch a fundraising campaign to support those who are directly involved in the prevention of the pandemic and treatment of patients.
