HCMC – Nguyen Duong Thai, chairman of the Hai Duong Province government, issued a decision on February 5 to lock down and quarantine the whole district of Cam Giang due to the complicated development of Covid-19.

The lockdown took effect starting from 6 p.m. on February 5 until further notice. This is the second district in this northern province to be put under lockdown in the latest coronavirus wave, reported the local media. The provincial steering committee for Covid-19 infection prevention and control asked local authorities, State agencies and businesses in the province to raise Covid-19 prevention to the highest level. Leaders of localities have to take responsibility for the implementation of anti-epidemic measures. Also, competent forces in the province were urged to step up contact tracing, collecting and testing samples from a small- to large-scale. All cases having close contact with Covid-19 patients have to undergo a 21-day quarantine and have their samples collected and tested at least twice during the quarantine period. Returnees from virus-hit areas have to self-isolate at home for 14 days under the surveillance of the local authorities. Data from the provincial steering committee showed that Hai Duong reported 281 Covid-19 cases by community transmission as of February 5. The provincial Health Department had sent 45 health workers to two field hospitals to provide treatment for coronavirus cases.