Quang Ninh (VNA) – The northern province of Quang Ninh is working to maintain and promote its success in COVID-19 prevention and control to serve socio-economic recovery and development, aiming to make it a model in flexibly and safely adapting to the pandemic and economic development and securing a two-digit growth rate.

Along with closely managing people and vehicles entering the province from high-risk pandemic areas, Quang Ninh will continue strengthening COVID-19 testing to ensure safety for all agencies and businesses across the locality and avoid massive outbreaks.

In February, Quang Ninh is speeding up COVID-19 vaccinations with the aim of giving at least one shot to all people from 12 years old as well as two and three jabs to others. The province has paid special attention to injecting COVID-19 vaccines to labourers in the informal sector and high-risk groups.

Localities across the province have coordinated with the public security force and medical workers to ensure all local residents are fully vaccinated.

At the same time, Quang Ninh will strive to allow all students to return to school for face-to-face learning in a safe manner, while fostering close coordination among families, schools and the society in managing and supervising students’ health in a regular and systematic manner.

Specific guidelines have been provided to schools and students on preventing and responding to COVID-19 and handling infections, preventing the spread of the pandemic.

Quang Ninh province is determined to take the lead in getting students back to school safely, ensuring that they receive the highest benefits from direct learning.

Besides, the province will focus on recovering the tourism sector amid the flexible and safe adaption to and effective control of COVID-19, while applying measures to draw the highest number of visitors during the festive season in spring.

The provincial Party Committee has assigned leaders of the Party Committees and People’s Committees in localities with tourist destinations to bear the responsibility in organising tourism events safely.

Quang Ninh is among seven localities nationwide chosen to pilot reopening doors to foreign visitors in a bid to revive the tourism industry after a long hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tuan Chau Group was selected to welcome and serve international tourists to the province. The group has directed relevant units to make thorough preparations, ensure necessary facilities, sufficient medical equipment and supplies.

Travel agencies, businesses, hotels, accommodation establishments and restaurants have prepared the best and safest options for international tourists to feel secure when coming to Quang Ninh.

At present, Quang Ninh has 625 tourist businesses and establishments that meet safety criteria for pandemic prevention and control set by the province, of which there are 471 accommodation establishments, 79 shopping and dining establishments, 13 tourist sites, and 62 tour and transportation companies. With these destinations and service facilities, when visitors come to and use their services, safety can be ensured at the highest level.

In order to attract both domestic and foreign tourists to Quang Ninh, the provincial Department of Tourism has stepped up tourism promotion activities, created new tourism products and services and those with regional linkages, develop a safe tourism programme, and select typical and safe tourism products to introduce to travel and tourism businesses.

The department’s director Pham Ngoc Thuy said it was committed to accompanying businesses and tourists, issuing appropriate and humane solutions to handle situations arising in the process of welcoming tourists, and continue monitoring and making recommendations to authorities at all levels to make timely and appropriate adjustments to the new situation so as to ensure flexible and safe adaptation./.