Given the positive fact that Da Nang has gone 20 straight days without recording a new local community transmission infection of Covid-19, the municipal government has announced a further easing of the city's social distancing restrictions from 0am on 18 September, a move to pave the way for the resumption of normal life and the socio-economic recovery. Nevertheless, coronavirus precautionary measures must be taken to prevent the coronavirus from making an unexpected comeback to the city in the time ahead.

Municipal People's Committee Vice Chairman Le Trung Chinh giving his instructions at the meeting

Further relaxations of the social distancing restrictions in Da Nang announced with effect from 0am on 18 September

Under the new eased restrictions, production and business activities across the city will be restored to normal. However, 4 non-essential types of business, namely bars, discotheques, and karaoke and massage parlors, will remain closed until further notice.

Addressing a meeting on Wednesday to adjust restrictions in the city in a bid to adapt to the changing situation around Covid-19, municipal People's Committee Vice Chairman Le Trung Chinh underlined a need to ensure the full practice the necessary coronavirus prevention measures. 

In particular, locals are highly advised to wear face masks, clean hands often with soaps and alcohol-based disinfectants, maintain a distance of at least 1 metre from anyone they do not live with when outside their home, minimise unnecessary gatherings in public places and make regular health declarations.

In fact, there’s no end in sight to the pandemic until an effective medicine or vaccine is obtained. Therefore, it is highly recommended to practice healthy lifestyle habits in a move to ‘co-habit’ safely with the virus and prevent potential exposure to deadly virus.

Meanwhile, Covid-19 pandemic prevention task forces in local residential areas must maintained their regular monitoring of their target families here and closely supervised the public practice of the city's new eased rules to prevent the unexpected spread of the virus.

Doctor Ton That Thanh, the Director of the Da Nang Center for Disease Control pointed out to the fact about 70% of Covid-19 patients recorded in the city are either asymptomatic or have very mild symptoms. Therefore, monitoring and testing are still vital in preventing the spread of the deadly virus.

Under the national government-mandated rules, all Vietnamese nationals and foreigners entering Viet Nam are still compulsorily quarantined for 14 days to limit the spread of Covid-19. Appropriate plans for put any overseas arrivals under quarantine after entering Da Nang must be put in place.

Socio-economic activities on way of restoration

Amid the fact that Da Nang is turning back to the new normal of being at a low risk of coronavirus transmission, universities, junior colleges, junior and senior high schools, continuing education and vocational training establishments resumed their operations on 14 September. Meanwhile, kindergartens, primary schools, foreign language and tutoring centres, plus related facilities will re-open from 21 September.

Since Da Nang braced for a second wave of Covid-19 in late July, 389 confirmed Covid-19 cases have been reported across the city, and the total recoveries have reached 352.

Currently, only 6 remaining patients are being treated at the Da Nang Lung Hospital and the Hoa Vang Field Hospital.

It is expected that these patients would be given the all-clear from the virus next week, and then, these two medical establishments will be cleaned and disinfected to as soon as possible so that they can come back on stream in admitting non- Covid-19 patients from the city and elsewhere in the country.

Till date, only 157 out of the city’s total 1,080 serviced accommodation establishments have reopened, whilst 7 domestic air routes connecting Da Nang with other destinations nationwide have resumed their operation.

On 7 September, the city-based popular museums of Da Nang, Cham Sculptures and Fine Arts simultaneously reopened to the public after the previous closure sparked by the the virus resurgence.

However, visitor numbers recorded over recent days have been still low amid public coronavirus fears. For instance, only 20-30 people now pay visits to the Museum of Da Nang each day.

Currently, the Museum of Fine Arts-launched virtual painting exhibition entitled ‘Da Nang through the eyes of an artists’ is running at 20 September.

By PHAN CHUNG – Translated by A.T