Vietnamese national government agencies and governments of cities and provinces across Viet Nam must keep vigilance against Covid-19, and take drastic measures to prevent the disease spread on a large scale, at all costs. In particular, Da Nang must put in place stricter measures in a bid to handle all unexpected situations triggered by the complicated novel coronavirus.

The Da Nang leaders asking for more support form the Ministry of Health in terms of human resources and equipment so that the city could contain the Covid-19 as soon as possible.

These statements were made by Prime Minister (PM) Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the national government-hosted meeting on Monday morning on the pandemic prevention and control.

“By all means, don’t let Covid-19 spread on a large scale. We have to be resolute, otherwise we will fail in this anti-pandemic campaign,”, PM Phuc said at the meeting.

Mr Phuc remarked “We have not talked about a ‘lockdown’ for Da Nang at this time, but social distancing measures must be applied.”

At the meeting, the Health Ministry leaders highlighted a must-do to impose mandatory lockdowns on the Da Nang General Hospital, the C Hospital and the Da Nang Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Hospital, where the patients visited just before they were diagnosed with Covid-19.

Acting Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long said the three hospitals are situated close to each other, and the infections occurring in these hospitals are similar to those at Bach Mai Hospital in Ha Noi, which was a cluster of Covid-19 cases in Viet Nam.

Da Nang will go back into lockdown from midnight Monday

With 3 people contracting Covid-19 in Da Nang and some suspected cases, Da Nang government will impose new social distancing rules for at least 14 days, starting from midnight Monday until further notice.

People will be required to maintain a two metre distance from others where possible and gatherings of more than 2 people are prohibited in public, except in offices, schools and hospitals.

Local residents will be encouraged to stay at home as much as possible. Festivals, religious ceremonies, sports and other events that gather a large number of people are banned. “Non-essential” businesses including entertainment facilities, beauty salons, massage and karaoke parlors, and bars are already closed.

In particular, the two-people gathering limit is also applied for certain residential areas along Quang Trung, Hai Phong and Dong Da Streets.

Da Nang People’s Committee Chairman Huynh Duc Tho affirmed the fact that the ongoing Covid-19 epidemic in Da Nang is complicated

“The risk of new infections is very high”, warned Chairman Tho.

Disinfecting inside the Da Nang General Hospital

Three new community transmission cases of coronavirus were confirmed in Da Nang last weekend, the first cases in the community in Viet Nam in more than three months. The source of the infection is unclear, and Da Nang's health officials are undertaking contact tracing to prevent the infection spreading further.

The Ministry of Health has sent three special task forces to help Da Nang fight the virus insurgence.

The Da Nang leaders also asked for more timely and active support from the Ministry of Health in terms of human resources and sufficient equipment so that the city could contain the Covid-19 spread as soon as possible.

No more new Covid-19 cases were reported in Viet Nam on Monday morning, Viet Nam's National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control has announced.

The total number of infections still stood at 420, of whom 276 are imported and were quarantined upon arrival.

A report of the steering committee’s Treatment Sub-committee showed that 365 patients, or 86.9%, have recovered fully.

Among the active patients, 5 tested negative for the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 once and three negative at least twice.

There are currently 11,954 people are close contacts of Covid-19 patients or entering Viet Nam from pandemic-hit regions being quarantined: 232 at hospitals, 10,922 at designated quarantine facilities, and 800 at home.

By PHAN CHUNG –Translated by A.T