As a province bordering China (more than 118 km of land border and 190 km of maritime border) with multiple border gates and entrances, Quang Ninh is highly vulnerable to the Covid-19 if local control of the pandemic and the prevention of outside sources of infection are not taken seriously. Being well aware of the danger and urgency of the Covid-19 pandemic, right from the outbreak of the pandemic in China, the Provincial Border Guard Party Committee and Command took the initiative in grasping the peripheral situation and advised the Provincial Party Committee, Provincial People's Committee, and Border Guard High Command to direct the pandemic prevention and control. As it was determined as a key and urgent task, several guidelines and solutions were developed to lead and direct the subordinate agencies and units, especially the border posts and stations, to intensify measures for prevention and control of the pandemic infiltration into the units and closely coordinate with functional forces to actively participate in pandemic prevention and control in the area.

Commanders of Quang Ninh Border Guard Command visits and encourages officers and soldiers at the Covid-19 checkpoint

Immediately after the superiors’ directives and orders on the prevention and control of the Covid-19, the Provincial Border Guard Party Committee and Command led and directed the Party committees and commanders at all levels to strengthen the communication for cadres and soldiers about the danger and urgency of the work with focus on the instructions, conclusions, and directives of the Secretariat, Government, Prime Minister, Central Military Party Commission, and Ministry of Defense, particularly the instructions of the Border Guard High Command, Provincial Party Committee, and Provincial People's Committee on pandemic prevention and control. At the same time, guidelines and measures were quickly developed for leadership, direction, and formulation of implementation plans and options to be close to reality and assign the organization of implementation in a scientific, coherent, and effective manner. In the face of complicated developments of the pandemic, the Provincial Border Guard Command required each cadre and soldier to not only grasp the task and be fully aware of the dangerous and complex nature of the pandemic, but also take the initiative in overcoming difficulties due to the large number of border trails, rivers, streams, and border-crossing people and vehicles to take measures to prevent and combat illegal entry and exit. Despite of thin forces “stretching” to perform several tasks concurrently: border management and protection, crime prevention, training and combat readiness, and pandemic prevention and control under the lack of equipment and facilities in service of this work, especially electricity, running water, face masks, antiseptic water, specialized clothing…, the majority of cadres and soldiers had a high sense of responsibility and strong determination to accept and complete the task in all situations.

Along with doing the good work of preparing and assigning tasks to each 24/24 standing force, being functioned as a “working army”, the Provincial Border Guard Command also sent task forces to propagandize, mobilize, and instruct the pandemic prevention and control. The work of propagation and ideological orientation was well performed to make cadres and soldiers understand the dangers, harms, and impacts of the Covid-19 on people health in general and the border work in particular. Cadres and soldiers of task forces always raised their awareness and sense of responsibility before the people, strictly complied with regulations and recommendations of health agencies and enhanced the effectiveness of pandemic prevention and control measures to contribute to successfully preventing the pandemic and bringing a peaceful life to the people. These practical and effective deeds and various forms of propagation have contributed to raising the awareness and sense of responsibility of cadres, soldiers, and people, especially the ethnic minorities in border, deep-lying, and remote areas on pandemic prevention and control.

With the spirit of “Fighting the pandemic like fighting the enemy”, the Provincial Border Guard Command actively developed plans, implemented drastically and synchronously the pandemic prevention and control plans, and organized the Front Office at Mong Cai City to direct and manage the pandemic prevention and control on the entire border line. At the same time, 41 missions of the Provincial Border Guard Command, 28 missions of functional departments, 84 field interim and fixed stations, 8 mobile squads were established with 440 cadres and soldiers…to regularly patrol, control, observe, ambush, block, and “enclose” the border to timely prevent activities that were likely to spread the pandemic from outside into the areas, fight against crime and illegal entry and exit, and inspect and urge the prevention and control work of the units. For maritime activities, the Provincial Border Guard Command directed the border guard posts at the border gates and sea ports to implement entry and exit procedures for ships, crew members, and passengers to ensure the proper procedures against the pandemic in accordance with the regulations of the Ministry of Health and the direction of the Provincial People's Committees in Official Dispatch No.498/UBND-DL1 issued on February 3^rd, 2020 and Official Dispatch No.596/UBND-DL1 issued on February 5^th, 2020 on “Implementing the pandemic prevention and control activities in relation to foreign ships operating at ports in Quang Ninh Province” and Official Dispatch No.959/UBND-DL2 issued on February 19^th, 2020 on “Unifying the procedures for welcoming tourist cruise ships in Quang Ninh in association with the prevention and fight against the acute respiratory infection disease”.

To effectively prevent and fight the pandemic, the Provincial Border Guard closely coordinated with functional forces to strictly implement the procedures of management and control of immigration and entry at the border gates. With the motto of “three-in-advance”, the Provincial Border Guard closely coordinated with the medical quarantine force to put people in isolation facilities in accordance with regulations, especially the international medical quarantine forces and functional forces at Mong Cai International Border Gate and promptly detected and handled dozens of Covid-19-suspected Vietnamese citizens coming from China. On the border line, the border posts and stations closely coordinated with the local Party committees, authorities, and functional agencies to firmly grasp the situation and organize isolation of citizens, especially those entering through the border gates or committing illegal entry and citizens returned by China at the border gates. Thereby, 14 cases, including 13 subjects and 4 vehicles illegally transporting medical face masks from Vietnam to China (233,820 pieces, valued at over VND 138 million) were detected, arrested, and handled.  74 cases, including 259 subjects of illegal entry and exit were detected and handled, and several Vietnamese citizens returned by China were received across the border.

In addition to actively coordinating with forces and people in the prevention and control of the pandemic in the area, the Provincial Border Guard also implemented measures to prevent and control the pandemic within subordinate agencies and units and sprayed disinfectant for all barracks, border gates, posts, stations and accommodation of separate task forces. At the same time, it also did well the pandemic prevention for cadres and soldiers, especially those directly controlling the entry and exit and having close contact with foreigners, guided cadres and soldiers to protect themselves from infection, directed the military medical force to perform daily body temperature check for 100% of cadres and soldiers.

The efforts of the Provincial Border Guard cadres and soldiers in the Covid-19 prevention and control were awarded by the Border Guard High Command, Provincial Party Committee, and Provincial People's Committee with Certificates of Merit to 29 collectives and 94 individuals with outstanding achievements. This is recognition of the silent feats and great contribution of cadres and soldiers of Quang Ninh Province Border Guard on the front line of “fighting against the Covid-19 enemy”. Although there are still many difficulties and hardships, the war against the Covid-19 will cetainly succeed.

Senior Colonel NGUYEN THANH HAI, Commissar of Provincial Border Guard