Da Nang, one of Viet Nam’s COVID-19-stricken localities, is now in the midst of a “decisive time” within which to prevent the further spread of the virus, and praiseworthily, the city is still on right track during the ongoing combat against the COVID-19 crisis. The statement was made by municipal Party Committee Secretary Nguyen Van Quang at a meeting on Sunday held by the city’s Steering Board for COVID-19 Prevention and Control. 

Da Nang Party Committee Secretary Nguyen Van Quang addresses a meeting on Sunday held by the city’s Steering Board for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.

On right track in COVID-19 containment 

According to a report by the municipal Department of Health, Da Nang has till date recorded 49 people to be tested postive for the virus since May 3 when the first community infection was reported.

For the time being, a combined total of 80 COVID-19 domestic and imported patients are being treated at the Da Nang Lung Hospital and the Hoa Vang District Medical Centre.

Last weekend, May 8 and 9, local medical staff collected throat and nose swab samples for COVID-19 testing from 13,200 people at a high risk of infections.

In his assessments on the developments of the ongoing fourth wave of COVID-19 in the city, Secretary Quang assured the general public that all COVID-19 cases recorded on May 9 were F1 (close contact) individuals previously put under mandatory medical quarantine.

With such a clearly-known source of infection, Da Nang has been embracing a right track to speed up the tracking of the infected persons and their close contacts in the community.

“The earlier the number of suspected COVID-19 cases is detected, the sooner we can control the situation”, said the city Party chief.

With regard to other urgent tasks, the city’s top leader asked the local healthcare sector to evaluate the cororavirus situations in an overall way, in which priority should be given to ensuring the adequate supply of medical equipment, bio-products and chemicals in service for trace-contact, testing and treatment missions in the time ahead.

Addressing the Sunday meeting, Da Nang People's Committee Standing Vice Chairman Ho Ky Minh asked all-level localities to continue proactively implementing necessary measures against COVID-19, including the establishment of regulations, locations and extent of medical isolation sites.

Another task is to promote the operation of residential quarters-level COVID-19 prevention task forces across the city. The forces’ members are tasked themselves with maintaining the regular monitoring of their target families here and closely supervising their compliance with the compulsory measures against the spread of the virus. Another important mission is to regularly monitor the health of local residents, especially in high-risk places linking to COVID-19 patients.

Also, heed should be paid to accelerating the speed and number of swab samples taken from a certain number of local residents, especially those at a high risk of catching the deadly virus.

A stall holder at the closed-down Hoa Khanh Nam Market in Lien Chieu District has her nose swab samples taken for SARS-CoV-2 testing on May 9

High pubic vigilance till in place against COVID-19

Meanwhile, doctor Ngo Thi Kim Yen, Director of the municipal Department of Health emphasised that, as compared to previous coronavirus waves hitting the city, the rate of  infection in Da Nang during the fourth wave of COVID-19 is very fast. Previously, only 20% of the infected people showed symptoms, but this moment, the corresponding rate is recorded at about 40%, whilst the number of critically -ill patients was also higher than before. These facts show that the new virus strain is very dangerous.

In particular, samples taken from the infected patients have been sent to the Ministry of Health for virus genome sequencing.

The number of new infections can be unpredictable, so it is very essential to draw up scenarios to respond to the virus resurgence at a much higher level.

According to Colonel Tran Dinh Chung, the Deputy Director the Da Nang Police Department under lined a must-do to continue to strictly controlling quarantine processes imposed on immigrants.

Since the national government ordered the compulsory concentrated COVID-19 quarantine period in Viet Nam to be extended to 21 days from 14 days as previously, those who are under quarantine have been observed complying with this new regulation.

Reporting by PHAN CHUNG – Reporting by A.T