Over recent days, the Da Nang Centre for Disease Control (CDC) has closely worked with functional local bodies to carry out random sampling for ‘pool testing’ from a certain number of people in Da Nang for COVID-19 tests.

Da Nang medical staffers taking samples for COVID-19 testing from college and unversity students in Ngu Hanh Son District on Wednesday morning

The move aims to help Da Nang early detect COVID-19 cases and then promptly implement measures to eliminate any risks of future pathogen emergence.

In addition to cases subjective to compulsory medical isolation in accordance with the regulations adopted by Viet Nam's National Steering Committee for the COVID-19 Prevention and Control and Vietnamese Ministry of Health, the Da Nang health sector is conducting COVID-19 tests on 10 - 20% of those in certain target groups placed at risk of COVID-19 infection.

In detail, nasal and throat swab samples are taken from persons who have made their return to Da Nang from coronavirus-hit Vietnamese localities or their adjacent places, along with drivers and assistants of inter-provincial passenger coaches, taxis, contracted vehicles, and road freight vehicles operating on fixed routes between Da Nang and coronavirus-hit localities or their adjacent places.

Besides, COVID-19 tests are being conducted on Da Nang medical workers, men registering for the military service and other cases at a risk of infection under the direction of Da Nang government, the municipal Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.

On the morning of 9 March, many sampling points were set up across Cam Le District, one of which was located at the city’s inter-provincial coach station area.

The sampling at this venue targeted the collection of samples from drivers and assistants of inter-provincial passenger coaches, taxis, contracted vehicles, and road freight vehicles operating on fixed routes between Da Nang and coronavirus-hit localities or their adjacent places.

In addition, six ward-level medical centres across the district also conduct the random sampling for COVID-19 testing.

University students and workers in Ngu Hanh Son District waiting for random sampling for COVID-19 testing on Wednesday morning.

According to doctor Vo Van Ty, Head of the Ward of Disease Control at the Cam Le Medical Centre, the random sampling took place smoothly because the public greatly supported.

In a similar vein, samples were taken for the group testing method from 99 people residing in Ngu Hanh Son District on Wednesday morning.

CDC Da Nang is scheduled to conduct random tests for COVID-19 on more than 63 workers, over 660 drivers and more than 1,550 students.

Till date, more than 820 people across Da Nang have had their samples taken, and all of them tested negative for the virus, according to doctor Ton That Thanh, Director of CDC Da Nang.

The collected samples will be transported to local facilities completely eligible for COVID-19 testing.

For the time being, Da Nang is still on the right track in following the drastic motto of contact tracing - isolating- testing in a bid to keep coronavirus out of the city, Doctor Ngo Thi Kim Yen, Director of the municipal Department of Health said.

Da Nang functional bodies are constantly 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.

In particular, the public across the city are encouraged to make universal medical declarations.

By PHAN CHUNG- Translated by A.T