The situation of the Covid-19 pandemic in Cambodia is becoming more and more complex, with the number of coronavirus infection cases, so the southwest border provinces bordering Cambodia are struggling to prevent the pandemic.

Control station at the trail of Vinh Xuong border gate (An Giang). Photo: T.H

An Giang proposes building field hospital

An Giang has a border of nearly 100km with Cambodia, two international border gates, two national border gates and many trails and border crossings. Many people have taken advantage of the night to illegally enter the country, resulting in high risk of the pandemic spreading, Vice Chairman of An Giang Provincial People's Committee Le Van Phuoc said.

Therefore, An Giang has taken drastic measures to prevent and control the Covid-19 pandemic; requested strict control of borders, arranged control stations 24/24, especially at trails and border crossings and closely managed entry activities to prevent illegal cross-border entry.

Le Van Phuoc also said the province has developed anti-pandemic scenarios under the direction of the Ministry of Health; required strict implementation of the 5K regulations “Mask - Disinfection - Distance - No Public Gatherings - Medical Declaration” and launched the movement of the entire population against the pandemic.

An Giang has coordinated with the General Association of Overseas Vietnamese in Cambodia to encourage people to stay in Cambodia and comply with Cambodia’s regulations on prevention and control of Covid-19 pandemic, and at the same time give financial, food and medical support to help them.

On border routes, An Giang has now arranged nearly 200 control stations with about 1,500 officers and soldiers to patrol 24/24 and prepared 3,000 concentrated isolation places and 1,000 extra isolation places, as well as built four treatment facilities containing about 70 beds and prepared procedures to build a field hospital.

Facing the increasingly complexdisease situation in Cambodia and increasing number of infection cases, An Giang has asked the Government to direct other provinces to prepare concentrated isolation areas to help An Giang and proposed the central government support An Giang in building a field hospital and enhancing Covid-19 testing capacity; as well as provide medical bio-products for testing.

Amid the complexpandemic situation in the border area, An Giang proposed not to temporarily receive people from other countries for quarantine to focus on fighting the pandemic at the border.

Kien Giang afraid of illegal entry by sea

According to Kien Giang Provincial People's Committee Vice Chairman Nguyen LuuTrung, the disease situation in Cambodia is becoming a serious problem, so Kien Giang has to build a scenario to respond to the worst situation. The biggest difficulty for Kien Giang is still the sea route because it has a length of more than 200 km and 63,000 km2 of sea surface area.

At an online meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam on April 23, Vice Chairman Nguyen Luu Trung said following the direction of the Government, the Prime Minister and the National Steering Committee, Kien Giang has focused on drastic implementation of measures to prevent and control the pandemic. The province has arranged 128 control stations and groups and more than 1,000 officers and soldiers who regularly patrol border gates, trails and border crossings.

On the sea route, 26 permanent control stations and 18 mobile teams have been arranged. In addition, there are nine patrol boats and two patrol canoes of the Border Force, Squadron 28, the Fisheries Ranger, the Naval Zone 5 and Region 4 Coast Guard.

To prevent illegal entry, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Luu Trung suggested strictly punishing those who entered illegally and not collecting isolation fees and testing fees for those who legally enter and give priority to providing Covid-19 vaccines to KienGiang province.

Mr. Trung said when blockades and social distancing periods in areas with infection cases in Cambodia are over, Vietnamese workers in Cambodia and other countries are likely to come back to Vietnam through Cambodia-Ha Tien border gate. Thus, it is necessary to be proactive in the support, reception, prevention and control of the pandemic for Vietnamese citizens who comply with the law.

To conduct pandemic prevention in the occasion of April 30th and the upcoming election, Kien Giang Provincial People's Committee requested units strengthen professional work, close coordination of competent forces; mobilise the whole the provincial political system; and asked the People's Committees of communes, wards and Front Committees to pay more attention to managing their areas and quickly report cases of illegal entry and exit.

Identifying Covid-19 as a problem in Cambodia and other countries in the region, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam asked localities bordering Cambodia to strictly follow regulations on pandemic prevention and control, especially illegal entry via land and sea. While the pandemic in the neighbouring country is complex, Vietnam’s Government encourages people to stay there, limit travel and comply with host country’s' anti-pandemic regulations. However, if people want to return to Vietnam, they must report to the authorities to be supported in isolation and other necessary supports in the spirit of maximum support, not letting people worry and illegally entering the country - Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam said at the meeting with the southwest border provinces on April 23.