The northern province of Hai Duong - Viet Nam's current largest COVID-19 hotspot - had basically managed to put under control five big outbreaks by February 18, said the provincial steering committee for COVID-19 prevention and control.

Secretary of the Chi Linh City Party Committee Hoang Quoc Thuong (left) checks a quarantine centre managed by the military forces. (Photo suckhoedoisong.vn)

The five outbreaks are in Chi Linh and Hai Duong cities, Cam Giang and Nam Sach districts and Kinh Mon township.

The province has implemented strict lockdown measures since February 16 with 949 control stations set up across the province to monitor entry and exit.

The province has as of February 18 recorded 558 COVID-19 patients in 75 out of 235 communes and wards in all of its 12 district-level localities since January 27.

It has more than 13,900 F1 (close contact) cases, of whom more than 5,300 have completed their quarantine period, and more than 67,700 F2 cases, of whom more than 46,800 have completed their quarantine period at home.

Following the direction of the Ministry of Health (MoH) and Hai Duong province, the Chi Linh Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control has moved all 1,625 workers of Poyun Company to nine new quarantine centres.

The move was made after experts from the MoH reported environmental and air pollution at the old quarantine centres.

Chi Linh city previously discovered a big outbreak at the company and immediately locked down the area. All of the company’s workers were asked to go to quarantine centres and 300 workers tested positive for COVID-19.

Source: VNA