Doctor Ton That Thanh, Director of the Da Nang Centre for Disease Control and Preventation (CDC) affirmed on Wednesday afternoon that a Ha Noi couple did not get infected with the coronavirus while visiting Da Nang.

Director Thanh said the Da Nang CDC had sent 11 positive SARS-CoV-2 samples collected from COVID-19 hotspots in the city to Viet Nam’s National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology for genome sequencing. Genomic analysis revealed by the national scientists shows that all COVID-19 transmission chains in Da Nang are traced back to the UK.

Meanwhile, the national scientists also collected and  sequenced positive COVID-19 samples of the Ha Noi couple who has become 3,634^th and 3,633^th confirmed cases in Viet Nam. However, sequencing could not discover variant of SARS-CoV-2 in the samples of the wife because her samples failed to meet the defined minimum requirements while genomic surveillance found the Indian virus strain in the husband's samples.

“In addition, the Da Nang CDC also worked with the Quang Nam CDC to collect swab samples from 801 contacts of the Ha Noi infected couple during their stay in the neighbouring province to test for the virus. Tests on all their contacts have come back negative for COVID-19. Based on these scientific bases, it can be confirmed that the Ha Noi couple did not contract COVID-19 while visiting Da Nang," said Director Thanh.

Da Nang People's Committee Chairman Le Trung Chinh said that this confirmation is very important to Da Nang, thereby helping to remove all doubts about transmission source related to the Ha Noi infected couple, and clear responsibility of Da Nang linked to them.

“More importantly, this confirmation also helps nationwide agencies and localities linked to the Ha Noi infected couple afford a more accurate assessment of the nature of the COVID-19 outbreak, thereby making the best possible decisions to control effectively the pandemic," said Chairman Chinh.

Reporting by PHAN CHUNG – Translating by H.L