The capital can be considered to be at very high risk of further novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreaks from now until August 12, making it necessary to raise to a higher warning level, Hanoi Mayor Nguyen Duc Chung has stated.

Hanoi Mayor Nguyen Duc Chung warns of the higher warning level amid
the increasingly complicated developments of COVID-19 in Hanoi capital 

During a recent meeting of the Hanoi Steering Committee on COVID-19 Prevention and Control, Hanoi Health Department director Nguyen Khac Hien noted that the capital has managed to test more than 72,600 out of 95,442 people who have recently returned from Da Nang, with all of the tests coming back negative.

In his remarks, Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Nguyen Duc Chung detailed the COVID-19 situation both globally and domestically, with similar issues occurring due to a variant SARS-CoV-2 gene and the rate of asymptomatic people rising, both of which can contribute to the virus spreading faster. Most notably when individuals become infected, the general spread of the disease appears to be getting faster and increasingly complicated.

With the detection of new cases in Hanoi related to the initial outbreak in Da Nang, the municipal leader warned of the risks of the virus progressing through the community via places such as shops, bus stations, and industrial zones. This indicates that all those who recently travelled to Da Nang, particularly those who went to hospitals or places where cases had been, are at a higher risk of infection.

In an effort to cope with the developing situation, a higher warning level should be given to Hanoi as the capital has recorded another positive case of local transmission, with a 14-day travel time in the community, therefore posing a very high risk of the virus spreading.

All returnees from Da Nang since July 15 who have taken quick tests, should now be tested again via the PCR method which gives accurate results. All residents must strictly follow every regulation regarding COVID-19 prevention and control measures set out by the Ministry of Health, Mayor Chung stressed.

“The disease situation will get more complicated day by day with a more dangerous level as Hanoi is one of the populous areas with a higher proportion of elderly people than Da Nang and a higher traffic density. With the faster spread of the virus, all residents must stay vigilant and redouble efforts to contain the outbreak in the capital, " Chung added.