Recent days have shown some positive signs in controlling the ongoing fourth wave of COVID-19 in Da Nang, but functional local bodies and the general public must stay highly vigilant against the virus and maintain strict compliance with compulsory infection prevention rules.

Da Nang Party Committee Secretary Nguyen Van Quang (left) addressed a meeting on Friday held by the municipal Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control. Photo: PHAN CHUNG

The instructions were delivered by municipal Party Committee Secretary Nguyen Van Quang, the city’ top leader, at a meeting held by the Da Nang Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control on Friday afternoon.

Da Nang registered three locally transmitted cases on May 14, thus bringing the city’s total cases to 115 since May 3 when the first community infection was reported, said the latest report released by the municipal Department of Health.

Secretary Quang asked the Da Nang Centre of Disease Control (CDC Da Nang) in coordination with The National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE) under the Ministry of Health to conduct the analysis of the genetic resources of new locally-transmitted cases in order to set a scientific basis for assessments on the source of infection.

In addition, it is necessary to develop as soon as possible a plan for large-scale COVID-19 testing on citywide families in the coming time in a bid to get an overview of the level and risk of this virus resurgence in the city, asked municipal Party chief.

Addressing the meeting, municipal People's Committee Chairman Le Trung Chinh affirmed 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.

Of special note, the municipal administration chief underlined an urgent need to continue to effectively, vigorously and drastically implement the municipal directions and guidelines for COVID-19 prevention and control.

“Although the number of infections has been on downgrade trend, the tasks of contact- tracing, isolating, and testing must be kept in place. It is recommended that competent agencies keep a closer eye on the verification and analysis of epidemiological information in order to ensure that no close contacts are missed by contact tracers and not told to self-isolate”, asked Chairman Chinh.

On Friday, medical workers collected swab samples for COVID-19 testing from about 22,000 people across the city.

With regard to an outbreak in the An Don Industrial Park-located Truong Minh Joint Stock Company, so far, a total of 347 close contacts of infection cases detected here have been traced and put under quarantine.

A combined total of close to 2,000 close contacts of COVID-19 cases have so far been placed under quarantine at the city’s designated medical facilities.

Till date, the local healthcare sector has identified14 local residential settings as the so-called “medical self-quarantine areas” and  81 hotspots, set up 49 places with entry restrictions.

In parallel with the publicity of mandatory COVID-19 prevention rules, law enforcement forces have resolutely imposed administrative penalties on violations.

Reporting by PHAN CHUNG – Translating by A.T