During the ‘decisive’ days fighting against the new COVID-19 wave in Da Nang, apart from the sacrifice of the heroes on the front lines such as doctors and police forces, the city has seen many outstanding examples of virus prevention and control bringing up the ‘rear’, with the active engagement by many associations and Youth Union organisations to make efforts to contain the pandemic as soon as possible. The whole community Da Nang-wide have done their part by supporting each other within their capacity to get through this tough time. Everyone is longing for the day that the city will defeat the pandemic.

Student Nguyen Van Thanh Khoa is collecting hazardous waste at a quarantine facility in Son Tra District. Photo: THANH VAN

Performing duties at checkpoints around the clock

With gentle but firm words: "This is a regulation of the Da Nang People's Committee, please try to follow. If I let all pass through (the checkpoint), how can we fight this severe pandemic?", said Pham Thi Hong, a Youth Union member in Son Tra District being on duty at a checkpoint during her explanations to a commuter who wanted to pass through the checkpoint for urgent personal affairs.  Unreasonably, the woman had to quietly return home. Then, Hong explained again to a gas carrier and demand the buyer to get a gas tank at the checkpoint.

Hong said, “Actually, I do not know that there would be so many unexpected and awkward situations when being on duty. Those are all urgent matters, so we have to be very gentle to deal with as well as to perform well COVID-19 prevention and control".

Late at night on August 2, Nguyen Van Thanh Khoa, a fourth- year student of the Da Nang University of Education, with more than 4 months of experience participating in COVID-19 prevention and control missions, has a heart-stopping phase when a commuter who didn’t have a travel permit decided to speed up through the Tran Hung Dao checkpoint. Immediately, the police force staffing at this site chased and arrested him.

According to Mr. Nguyen Tan Tai, Deputy Secretary of Hai Chau District Youth Union organisation, such stories abound at the checkpoints with thousands of reasons to pass the checkpoint every day. Nevertheless, Da Nang’s on-duty workforces are always resolute in handling to make efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19. However, they are not completely rigid and always ready to help in emergencies such as transporting patients to hospitals in the middle of the night or taking care of the patient for their family.

It is certain that Tran Hoang Danh, a third-year student of the Dong A University has had a memorable experience as acting as ‘a motorbike repairer’ in service for returnees from ho Chi Minh City, the largest coronavirus epicenter in Viet Nam, during their tough road journeys to their hometowns.
Danh and his peers made the repair during odd hours from 9:00pm till the early morning in the early days of August. It was very tiring, but they were all happy when contributing to ensuring  commuters’ safe and sound home comebacks.

During this COVID-19 wave, Da Nang Youth Union has mobilized thousands of Youth Union members to join duty at all kinds of tasks such as performing duties at checkpoints and vaccination points and distributing goods to the blockaded residential quarters. They always strive to complete their assigned tasks all-around and around-the-clock regardless of rain or shine, heavy and dangerous mission.

Da Nang’s Women stay supportive in the battle

Like previous COVID-19 waves, Da Nang's Women's Union (WU) at all levels quickly implemented many prevention and control activities such as continuing the ‘Portable speaker’s sound’, making electronic medical declarations, presenting gifts to the poor, frontline forces, rescuing agricultural products.
In particular, all levels of associations organize to cook nutritious and delicious meals for doctors and nurses in hospitals and on-duty frontline forces.

The Women's Union chapters of Hoa Vang District, since April, has mobilized sponsors to support the single elderly citizens and unemployed poor ones, especially making breakfast servings to on-duty frontline staff at checkpoints.

The COVID-19 pandemic in Da Nang and other Vietnamese localities is still complicated, so the prevention and control duties are still continued. Therefore, the city is now in desperate need of the active engagement made by young Youth Union members, women and associations and organizations across the city to continue promoting the spirit of solidarity and joining hands with one another during the containment of the pandemic.

Reporting by THANH VAN- Translating by T.VY