A community team stops a traveler at the COVID-19 control checkpoint of Ta So hamlet No.2 in Moc Chau district, Son La province.

A checkpoint set up by the local COVID-19 team halfway up the only road leading to Ta So hamlet No.2 controls all travel in and out of the hamlet.

Hundreds of people go through the checkpoint each day, all of whom are required to give their phone number and other personal information, said team member Mua A Denh.

“Our checkpoint is manned by 3 teams who take turns each day reminding people to wear masks and disinfect their hands. Visitors coming without an appropriate reason will be denied entry,” said Denh.

Because people in mountain hamlets have less access to information, the community COVID-19 team must explain epidemic rules in the simplest and most understandable way through the loudspeaker system.

Team members have gone to each house to remind villagers to strictly follow prevention measures, explain to them how to monitor their health at home, and help them complete a health declaration whenever they return from an epidemic affected area.

Every entrant must stricly follow epidemic prevention rules.

Mua A Lu, another team member of Ta So hamlet No.2, said, “We try to persuade villagers whose relatives are working far from home, especially if they work in an epidemic hotspot, to encourage them to stay where they are, rather than come home at this time. Returnees from a pandemic area must complete a medical declaration and go to a quarantine facility, as required by current regulations.”

Moc Chau has 700 community COVID-19 teams with 2,000 volunteer members, who keep track of epidemic developmentsand report them to local administrations and functional agencies.

“We have organized local volunteers into community COVID-19 teams, who set up checkpoints to control vehicles arriving from other places. This model is strongly supported by the locals,” said Vi Van Bien, Chairman of Chieng Hac commune.