Vietnam builds worst scenario as its neighbors' cities on lockdown

Vietnam is building the worst scenario for Covid-19 as its neighboring countries of Cambodia and Laos are struggling with surging infections, including putting their capital cities on lockdown.

Border checking in An Giang province. Photo: Pham Ngon/Zing

According to the Vietnam Public Health Emergency Operations Center (PHEOC), Cambodia records some 300-500 new cases per day over last week despite the country’s containment efforts.

The caseload in Cambodia has so far hit nearly 8,000, showed statistics by Johns Hopkins University.

The preparations include tightening control along the borderline and building field hospitals in the boundary provinces.

Best health professionals from Ho Chi Minh City and army officers from different areas have been dispatched to the Southwestern provinces of Kien Giang and An Giang.

An Giang, where shares more than 100 km of border with Cambodia’s Kandal and Takeo provinces, has increased the number of checkpoints to control the cross-border movement, including goods transport at Tinh Bien Border Gate.

Building field hospital in Kien Giang. Photo: Tien Phong

Meanwhile, Kien Giang’s Border Guard has set up additional dozens of checkpoints to total nearly 100 currently to ensure the tighten control on road and waterways in Ha Tien City and Phu Quoc Island.

Kien Giang has deployed dozens of mobile groups and patrol boats to support the mission.

Chairman of the An Giang People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Binh has asked local authorities to build a field hospital in Chau Thanh District to serve quarantine and treatment of Covid-19 patients as well as avoiding cross infection among clinical stations.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Kien Giang People’s Committee Lam Minh Thanh urged more efforts by border guard, navy and coast guard in controlling illegal immigration, mostly at border gates and local trails.

Since February 20, local authorities have uncovered 31 illegal immigration cases with 142 immigrants.

Even for Covid-19 vaccination certification holders, Kien Giang has required a close watch on them in terms of health safety.

The province is building a field hospital of around 500 beds in Ha Tien City while concentrated quarantine centers in Hon Dat and Kien Luong Districts get ready to be active.

Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long works with border guards in Kien Giang on April. Photo: Pham Ngon/Zing

Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long earlier this week said that Kien Giang needs to prepare for the worst-case scenario.

Apart from An Giang and Kien Giang, all 13 city and provinces in the Southwest of Vietnam are at the high alert against threat of imported Covid-19 cases.

Since the fresh Covid-19 outbreak in Cambodia broke out on February 20, a large number of Vietnamese people, Cambodian and Chinese nationals attempted to cross the border to enter Vietnam.