Life in Hanoi village hits pause during quarantine

By Ngoc Thanh April 10, 2020 | 01:06 am PT

Ha Loi Village in Hanoi’s Me Linh District is deserted and quiet since a lockdown was imposed on Tuesday after three villagers contracted Covid-19.

The village is related to Patient 243 and two other cases that were positive with nCoV in the first test. People are not allowed to go in or out of the village so residents there have to rely on their relatives to send them necessities from outside. Ha Loi has about 2,930 households with 10,870 people. Nine security check points have been established around the village. Many of them set up fences to prevent entry or exit from people.Ha Loi has about 2,930 households with 10,870 people. Nine security check points have been established around the village. Many of them set up fences to prevent entry or exit from people.

People are not allowed to go in or out of the village, and so residents have to rely on relatives to send them essential goods from outside. Ha Loi has a population of 10,870, all of whom are set to be tested for Covid-19. Nine checkpoints have been set up around the village to prevent entry or exit.

The main road that leads to the village was empty with very few people passing by. Ha Loi is the second area of Hanoi after Truc Bach Street in Ba Dinh District to get isolated.

The main road that leads to the village was virtually empty on Thursday morning. Ha Loi is the second area in Hanoi after Truc Bach Street in Ba Dinh District to be isolated due to Covid-cases. Truc Bach lockdown was lifted after two weeks last month.

On Thursday, six medical workers of Me Linh District came to the households to collect data on the number of people that had contact with the patient. Before doing their job, the staff sterilized each other.

On Thursday six medical workers from Me Linh District visited households to collect data about people who had come into contact with the patients, and they sterilized each other before starting.

On the right is the house of Patient 243. The 47-year-old man took his wife to the Bach Mai Hospitals department of immunology and allergy for a check-up on March 12. The couple left the hospital and went for a bite at a shop opposite the hospital on Giai Phong Street the same day. Nine days later, he had body pain and slight fever so he went to a drugstore near home to buy flu medicine.On March 30, he visited a communal medical facility to submit his health declaration and was told to self-quarantine at home. He’d had close contact with his family members and business partners. His samples were taken on April 4 by the Hanoi Center for Disease Control. Two days later, his test results were confirmed Covid-19 positive. The patient and all of his family members were taken into quarantine.

The house of "Patient 243." The 47-year-old man took his wife to Bach Mai Hospital's immunology and allergy department for a check on March 12. The couple left the hospital and ate at a shop opposite the hospital on Giai Phong Street.
Nine days later he began to develop body pain and fever and bought flu medicine from a drugstore near home.
On March 30 he visited a commune medical facility to submit his health declaration, and was told to self-quarantine at home. By then he had had close contact with family members and business partners. His samples were taken on April 4 by the Hanoi Center for Disease Control. Two days later his test results confirmed he had Covid-19. The patient and his family members were quarantined.
Two of his neigbors were later found to be infected.

The anxious face of Nguyen Thi Loi, who lives opposite to Patient 243 when medical staff came to check temperature and collect health declaration. Her family members were put into isolation because they had direct contact with Patient 243.

The anxious face of Nguyen Thi Loi, who lives opposite to "Patient 243," when medical staff came to check temperatures and collect health declarations from her family members. They were placed in isolation since they had had direct contact with "Patient 243."

Those who had contact with the patients will get a temperature check twice a day.

Those who had contact with the patients have their temperature checked twice a day.

On Wednesday, many people in the village have gone to the commune medical center to submit their health declaration.

On Wednesday many people in the village went to the commune medical center to furnish their health declaration.

The whole village was also disinfected, causing the households to clean their house. When the quarantine order hit the village, all members in my family didn’t get out of the house. I had to abandon my flower field during harvest season which will cost me about VND15 million. But it’s nothing comparing to the safety of my family, Nguyen Thi Hong said.

The entire village was disinfected. Nguyen Thi Hong said: "Since the quarantine order came to the village, all members of my family have not gotten out of the house. I had to abandon my flower farm during harvest season, which will cost me VND15 million ($643.81). But it’s nothing compared to the safety of my family."

One kilometer away from the hotspot is Na Thi Sy’s family, whose life didn’t get affected much by the isolation. The only problem that she has is how to get food for the next days as the market is closed and she hasn’t prepared for this scenario.

A kilometer away from the hotspot live Na Thi Sy and her family, but their lives have not been affected much by the isolation. The only problem she has now is how getting food for the next days since the market is closed and she had not prepared for this scenario.

Some families still work normally because their job is growling flowers and ornamental trees.

Some farmers continue to work in their backyard garden.

Trucks that carry necessities stopped at gate 5 on 23B highway, where they are loaded off and transferred into the village.

Trucks carrying essential items stop on a road near the village to offload them.

Ha Loi Village has over 100 hectares of flower-growing area. The quarantine can affect the harvest of the flowers. However, families in isolation cannot go to the fields and work. After the pandemic ends, the total damage will be calculated by the authorities.

Ha Loi Village has over 100 hectares of flower farms, most are due for harvest. But the farmers cannot leave home to tend for them now. The total losses will be calculated by the authorities after the pandemic ends.