The illegal entry across borders is a threat to prevention and control of the Covid-19 pandemic, especially along the Southwest border. Provinces have made great efforts to prevent this.

Vinh Hoi Dong Border Gate Customs Branch coordinates with the Border Guard
to control at the border gate. Photo: T.H 

Establish checkpoints

As a province with a border of 240km adjacent to Cambodia, Tay Ninh province has 16 border gates, including three international border gates and many border crossings, flat terrain and is convenient for travel. However, this is a major challenge for the province in disease prevention and control, especially in the quarantine for people on entry and prevention of illegal entry.

Chairman of Tay Ninh Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Thanh Ngoc said, as a high-risk area, Tay Ninh province has used force to prevent illegal entry. The province has strengthened inspection and control; established 136 checkpoints with more than 900 officers and soldiers from the police, military, border guard, and regularly patrolled the area. It has also awarded any citizens providing information about illegal entry.

Provinces adjacent to the southwestern border such as Long An, Kien Giang, Dong Thap have also strengthened the establishment of checkpoints to stop the spread of the disease in the community. As a hotspot for illegal entry and cross-border smuggling, competent forces of An Giang provinces have strictly controlled the border.

According to the report of the People's Committee of An Giang province, the province assigned more than 200 teams, with more than 1,500 officers and soldiers of the Border Guard, Police, Military, Customs, Quarantine, Militia and Self-Defense Forces to prevent people illegally entering and exiting across the border and control the Covid-19 pandemic.

An Giang province also maintains forces ready to fight and prevent the pandemic; requires 100% non-commissioned officers and soldiers strictly comply with regulations on duty; closely controls at border gates, border crossings, trails, canals across the border, preventing people who enter illegally and escape from quarantine.

Vinh Hoi Dong Customs Branch (An Giang) and Border Guard control the border gate.
Photo: T.H

Tightly control targeting areas

From the beginning of 2021, Tay Ninh has detected 114 cases of illegal entry with over 800 suspects. All illegal entries have been quarantined and handled, of those 22 cases have been prosecuted with 70 suspects. The province has issued urgent documents on pandemic prevention and control.

Competent forces of An Giang have also handled more than 1,400 suspects illegally entering and exiting. An Giang has quarantined more than 500 people and installed surveillance camera systems to ensure isolation in a safe manner.

Lieutenant General Vu Hai San, Member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Minister of National Defense, Head of the Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control of the Ministry of National Defense.

Amid complicated development of Covid-19, following the direction of the Ministry of National Defense, the whole army has kicked off the Preventing Chronic Disease (PCD) at the highest level.

Military Region 3, Army Corps 2, Military Region 5, Military Region 7, Military Region 9 have reviewed and prepared quarantine areas for F1 cases. At the same time, they have prepared field hospitals to receive patients to respond to the scenario with the highest level of disease in the community. On the borders, 1,800 check points were established with more than 11,800 people, of those more than 8,000 Border Guard officers and soldiers and more than 3,600 people of other competent forces. Currently, more than 64,000 officers and soldiers have been vaccinated against Covid-19 to ensure safety.