Since the beginning of the new COVID-19 wave in Da Nang, during the scorching summer, a large number of teachers in Da Nang stepped from the podium to the front to assist COVID-19 containment efforts  by supporting the contact tracing, performing duties at checkpoints, take samples for COVID-19 testing, and delivering essential items to residents under strict local lockdown with the voluntary spirit and high sense of responsibility and enthusiasm.

Teacher Dong Chi Huong (left) is seen checking travel permits shown by passers by at the Nam O bridge’s checkpoint. Photo: NGOC PHU

Serving as COVID-19 ‘hunters’

Mai Ngoc Trung, a teacher at Luong The Vinh Junior High School in Lien Chieu District has joined with the local medical force in the COVID-19 combat since mid-May, 2021. Till date, he has become a professional COVID-19 ‘hunter’. Whenever there is a confirmed positive case in the locality, he joins hands with ward-based medical forces to trace down as many direct and indirect contacts as possible, in a prompt fashion.

Nham Thi Phuong Mai, a teacher at 1-6 Kindergarten, Lien Chieu District, has also become a COVID-19 ‘hunter’ for nearly two months. Whenever having a new infection in the local area, her group will creep through each road, knock on each door in the neighborhood related to that case to record the contact history.

“Working for many hours in a stuff protective outfit while COVID-19 patients are psychologically unstable , so it’s fairly hard. Regardless of the challenges, we have to patiently prompt them to remember their daily epidemiology. Moreover, there were many families refusing to cooperate so we had to ask the officials of the residential group, even the police for timely intervention and support. In the face of the urgent situation of COVID-19, we are forced to overcome difficulties in order to fight.”

Puting aside family chores to actively fight the pandemic.

According to Nguyen Thanh Lich, Deputy Head of the Lien Chieu District Office of Education and Training, the unit has 138 mobilised staffers and teachers for the fight against the virus. They are on course to fulfil their duties at centralised medical quarantine areas and at checkpoints and do contact tracing and sampling missions.

“Despite being amateur forces and facing tough duties, with the great encouragement of the local authorities, enthusiasm teachers involved in the frontline have always displayed a high sense of responsibility”, said  Lich.

Dong Chi Huong, a teacher at Nguyen Thai Binh Junior High School in Hoa Hiep Bac Ward, Lien Chieu District, was assigned by the ward’s administration to be in charge at the Nam O Bridge’s checkpoint. This is a national highway checkpoint with a high flow of traffic so the work is quite hard. Many people wonder why they “poke their noses into other people's business” because it is not the teachers’ duty. However, he explained to them that the fight against the pandemic is “a noble task” every single person citywide, and nationwide at large, must fulfil.

In the sealed-off Nguyen Phuoc Nguyen neighborhood located in An Khe Ward, Thanh Khe District, teacher Dinh Thi Huyen Trang from the Hong Dao Kindergarten daily drives her small bicycle carrying a portable speaker to creep through each road to publicise COVID-19 prevention and control regulations. In addition, she also participates in the delivery of food and necessities for residents under lockdown.

With the spirit of "When the invaders come, the women fight too!”, it is necessary for women to put aside family chores and make a little effort to join the tough fight against the current coronavirus resurgence “, said Ms Trang.

Over the past 3 months, Mr. Le Cong Hien, a teacher of Ngo Gia Tu Primary School, Son Tra District, has participated in the management of COVID-19 close contacts put under quarantine right at his school. He is now on duty for handling related matters, especially ensuring the smooth supplies of electricity and water for the quarantined on a daily basic.

According to the Son Tra District Education and Training Office, there are 12 educational campuses temporarily serving as centralised quarantine facilities for  COVID-19 close contacts. A total of 300 local educational staffers and teachers have till date participated in COVID-19 prevention and control missons .

Reporting by NGOC PHU, NGOC HA- Translating by T. VY