The Da Nang health sector is developing plans to eliminate the risk of COVID-19 resurgence in the city, with a focus on conducting random tests and calling on the public across Da Nang to make universal medical declarations.

Da Nang is implementing safety measures in a strict manner to eliminate the risk of COVID-19 resurgence. Hai Chau District-based Phuoc Ninh Ward functional forces were pictured measuring immigrant workers’ body temperature on Wednesday morning.

Da Nang functional bodies are promoting the public practice of the Health Ministry-mandated 5K (in Vietnamese) motto: namely ‘Khau trang’ (Face mask) – ‘Khu khuan’ (Disinfection) – ‘Khoang cach’ ‘Distance’ - ‘Khong tu tap’ (No gatherings) – ‘Khai bao y te’ (Health Declaration) in a bid to prevent the spread of the virus.

According to recent observations by DA NANG Newspaper reporters, such public places as 29 March Park, Vincom Mall, cinemas and bookstores were not packed with visitors as they intentionally entered these places in small groups, and wore face masks properly.

In a similar positive vein, many market stallholders and market-goers, plus workforce staffing the traditional markets must ensure good practices of preventive measures by wearing face coverings, using sanitizer gel, maintaining safe distance from others, and undergoing compulsory body temperature measurements.

Promoting universal medical declaration and random COVID-19 testing 

According to a recent official dispatch signed by Da Nang People’s Committee Chairman Le Trung Chinh, Da Nang government will impose the highest level of penalty, in line with the current Vietnamese laws, on those who are found skipping compulsory medical declaration procedures, making fraudulent declarations, and ignoring medical quarantine and testing rules as required.

The law enforcement forces in Da Nang will determine the criminal responsibility of violators if they test positive for SARS-CoV-2.

All government departments, associations, unions, production and business establishments across the city must ask all of their staffers to complete medical declarations, especially those who have visited or stayed in pandemic-hit locales and already returned to Da Nang for work after the Tet breaks.

Meanwhile, universities, junior colleges, and vocational training establishments in Da Nang should keep a close eye on the practice of compulsory measures against COVID-19 in a strict manner once students come back to school after Tet breaks.

Da Nang has been on the right track in following the drastic motto of contact tracing - isolating- testing in a bid to keep itself out of the coronavirus, affirmed doctor Ton That Thanh, Director of the Da Nang Centre for Disease Control (CDC),

CDC Da Nang has submitted to the municipal administration for approval its plan to conduct random COVID-19 tests on those who are at a risk of coronavirus infection.

In addition to cases subjective to compulsory medical isolation in accordance with the regulations adopted by Viet Nam'sNational Steering Committee for the COVID-19 Prevention and Control and the Ministry of Health, the Da Nang health sector will conduct COVID-19 tests on 10 - 20% of those who made their return to the city from coronavirus-hit Vietnamese localities or places adjacent to pandemic hotspots from 1 February.

Especially, this plan will target such groups as immigrant workers, university and college students and teaching staffers, drivers and assistants of inter-provincial passenger coaches, taxis, road freight vehicles on fixed routes to and from Da Nang.

If approved, random testing for SARS-CoV-2 will start from the beginning of March, doctor Thanh said.

By PHAN CHUNG, XUAN DUNG- Translated by A.T