HO CHI MINH CITY (UCAN): Authorities in Vietnam closed nurseries, schools and colleges in 39 cities and provinces including Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City guarantee students’ safety ahead of the February 6 to 16 Tet (Lunar New Year) festival holiday, in view of a newly detected Covid-19 variant that has spread to over 10 cities and provinces.
On February 4, Vietnam recorded 38 new community transmissions, mostly linked to the outbreak detected in the northern province of Hai Duong on January 27 (Sunday Examiner, February 7).
Duong Anh Duc, vice-chairperson of the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, ordered the closure of all local schools on February 1 affecting more than 1.7 million students. The Tet holiday for students runs from February 4 to 21.
Duong also asked schools to provide online courses during the holiday.
Education officials in the central province of Quang Binh asked teachers not to give homework to students during the holiday but to “create conditions for students to get together with their families, celebrate the Lunar New Year festival, entertain themselves and take good rests.”
Education officials in the central province of Quang Binh asked teachers not to give homework to students during the holiday but to “create conditions for students to get together with their families, celebrate the Lunar New Year festival, entertain themselves and take good rests.”
On February 3, Nguyen Dinh Khang, head of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour, called on domestic migrant workers to limit their travels during the festival. In the past Vietnam saw great waves of internal migration with millions of workers returning home ahead of the Tet holiday.
Nguyen said tens of thousands of workers had decided to remain in southern provinces to contain the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus and expressed appreciation for their responsibility to the community.
Health authorities asked people to strictly precautions such as wearing face masks, cleaning facilities, social distancing, avoiding gatherings and giving health declarations.
Some 75 children and 10 teachers were quarantined at their nursery school in Hai Duong province on February 2 after a 4-year-old child tested positive for Covid-19.
The province is Vietnam’s epicentre with 277 confirmed community infections since the first new cases were detected on January 27.
Ten dioceses issued detailed constructions on coronavirus prevention and called on Catholics to abide by health authorities’ measures to protect their families and communities. They also called off all planned ceremonies and pastoral activities.
The outbreak caused by the more contagious British variant of Covid-19 has spread to 10 cities and provinces, including capital Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
Vietnam has reported 1,948 Covid-19 cases with 35 deaths.
