On Thursday morning, staff of medical centres in Cam Le and Son Tra districts  took a combined throat and nose swab of about 800 stall holders in Cam Le traditional market and nearly 500 residents living in the 12T3 Apartment Block in Nai Hien Dong Ward to test for COVID – 19 because of these places linked to the 2,989^th  confirmed case in Viet Nam and a new suspected case in Da Nang.

A medical worker collecting a throat and nose swab from a stall holder in Cam Le Market. Photo: XUAN DUNG.

The move came as Viet Nam’s 2,989^th  positive case had come in close contact with some stall holders in Cam Le Market. The district authorities identified this place as potentially being at high risk of COVID-19, and imposed isolation order on this place. In adition, medical workers conducted disinfection in this market, and the homes where close contacts of this positive case are living, plus surrounding areas.

People were required to join the queue, make health declaration, and abide by the city’s COVID-19 rules while in line to get a coronavirus test.

Functional forces are on duty to remind people to comply with the city’s COVID-19 rules while waiting for getting a coronavirus test. Photo: XUAN DUNG.

A stall holder at Cam Le Market declaring his health conditions before getting a coronovirus test

In addition, they were asked to stay at home while waiting for their test results, and they are told to get their test results tomorrow, May 7.

A medical worker collecting a throat and nose swab from a resident living at the 12T3 Apartment Block

Nai Hien Dong Ward People’s Committee Chairman Cao Dinh Hai said there are 132 families with a combined total of nearly 500 people living in the 12T3 Apartment Block. He remarked that a new suspected case in Da Nang linked to New Phuong Dong Night Club is living on the 6^th floor of this building so as tests were performed separately for residents living in the same floor with this woman, and the remainder living in this building.

The spraying of chemical disinfectants were carried out at the 12T3 apartment building and surrounding areas linked to this suspected COVID-19 woman on Thursday morning. All these residents were asked to stay at home, and limit their contact with others . Their test results are expected to be available within tomorrow, May 7.

Chairman Hai also said that the local authorities have made a plan for possible lockdown imposed on the 12T3 Apartment Block in order to make sure that people under lockdown will access enough food.

Also on Thursday, the spraying of chemical disinfectants were carried out in surrounding areas of the New Phương Dong Night Club in Thuan Phuoc Ward, Hai Chau District.

The spraying of chemical disinfectants carried out at the 12T3 apartment building and surrounding areas linked to this suspected COVID-19 woman on Thursday morning.

Earlier on Wednesday afternoon, staff of Hai Chau District Medical Centre collected a combined throat and nose swab of 217 staff members at this night club for COVID-19 testing after the club’s female manager who tested positive for COVID-19 in southern Vietnamese province of Dong Nai, becoming Viet Nam's 2999^th COVID-19 case. All of them are waiting for their test results from the Da Nang Center for Disease Control (CDC).

The spraying of chemical disinfectants was already carried out in surrounding areas of New Phương Dong Night Club in Thuan Phuoc Ward, Hai Chau District.

On Wednesday evening, the Da Nang government imposed lockdown order on a section of Dong Da Street where the New Phương Dong Night Club is located on. 

The spraying of chemical disinfectants was already carried out in surrounding areas of New Phương Dong Night Club in Thuan Phuoc Ward, Hai Chau District.

The Da Nang Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control has also asked half of the staff working at the Da Nang Administrative Centre to work at home, stay at home, and limit their contact with others.

This came as a close contact of COVID-19 case linked to the New Phuong Dong Night Club is working at the same building with these staff members. Tests on him have been came back negative for the virus once. 

Reporting by XUAN DUNG – Translating by H.L