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Amidst the tense atmosphere caused by the outbreak of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus, the Quang Nam provincial authorities have swiftly distributed free medical masks to all tourists visiting Hoi An. This is a positive and extremely necessary measure during this very sensitive period.
At the ticket counter next to the Hoi An Cultural, Sports and Broadcasting Center on the afternoon of the 5th day of the Lunar New Year, a South Korean tourist, after paying for 4 entrance tickets, received 4 medical masks from the ticket seller.
"We were very happy to receive medical masks to protect ourselves from the epidemic. Because we weren't familiar with the area, we tried to find a place to buy them the previous afternoon but still couldn't," said the South Korean female tourist.
Ms. Truong Thi Ngoc Cam, Director of the Center, said that to support visitors, starting from the morning of the 4th day of Tet (Lunar New Year), the authorities have arranged 11 points to distribute medical masks to staff on duty and tourists at 11 ticket counters and tourist attractions in the Old Quarter. When visitors come to buy tickets to visit, staff will distribute tickets and place a container of medical masks next to them; visitors who need them will receive them free of charge.
To proactively control the epidemic, the People's Committee of Hoi An City has established a mobile emergency medical team and requested medical units to assign personnel to monitor the epidemic situation 24/7, ready to provide support and emergency care when necessary.
"We also organized campaigns and disseminated information to tourism businesses, emphasizing the need to welcome Chinese tourists with the same courtesy and non-discrimination as all other visitors, in order to maintain the positive image of Hoi An," said Ms. Truong Thi Ngoc Cam.
On average, during the Lunar New Year holiday of 2020, Hoi An welcomed 5,000 to 7,000 visitors per day.
The Quang Nam Department of Health has also requested that relevant units coordinate and direct the management of tourists, especially those coming from epidemic areas. Accordingly, accommodation establishments should remind guests to go to designated hospitals if they have suspected symptoms for examination and treatment.
"Most importantly, the best solution is to control tourists coming to Quang Nam, those staying in Quang Nam, especially tourists from epidemic areas, particularly China," said Nguyen Van Hai, Director of the Quang Nam Provincial Department of Health.
