More than 20,000 residents in Van Mieu and Van Chuong ward of Hanoi's Dong Da have been locked down since August 21 as a series of COVID-19 cases were detected there.
Many of its residents say although the lockdown might make life uncomfortable, it is an effective measure to halt the spread of the virus. They welcome the order of the authorities, hoping it will help things return to normal soon.
“The lockdown order is reasonable and I believe this will be an effective strategy to halt the spread of the virus in the locality”, a resident of Van Chuong ward said. Instead of going out, the resident said she would try not to leave her house and avoid direct contacts with others.
At every alleys of the two wards of Van Chuong and Van Mieu, local resitdents erected barriers to prevent strangers from entering. Local residents are not allowed to go out during lockdown.
To ensure the necessities of the people in the area, Dong Da district's authority established working groups in charge of providing food and other necessities for the residents.
Most residents living in the two wards adhere to social distancing regulations. Local authorities were urged to strictly monitor locked down areas, erect warning signs and absolutely forbid people from going to others' homes.
At the same time, Hanoi's health sector are conducting large-scale COVID-19 testing to trace infected people in Van Chuong and Van Mieu wards. The city is also ramping up testing, especially in high risk areas, including old apartment buildings and small, densely populated alleys.
Hanoi has recorded 3,005 local COVID-19 cases since the fourth coronavirus wave hit Vietnam in late April. The capital city has undergone a series of social distancing periods, with the latest one being extended until September 6. Khong Minh Tuan, deputy director of the Hanoi Center for Disease Control (CDC), said local authorities are devising and implementing plans in order to halt the spread of the pandemic in high-risk areas.
