Amid five more locally-transmitted COVID-19 positive cases registered in Da Nang in recent days, the municipal Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control has already asked relevant local agencies to cancel unnecessary meetings to speed up tracking, contact tracing, isolating and testing with high determinations and great efforts in a bid to prevent the further spread of the deadly virus. In addition, a close eye should be kept on strictly embracing the compulsory COVID-19 prevention measures at medical facilities which may face a high risk of coronavirus infections, a move to ensure the ultimate safety of their staff, patients and visitors.

A medical worker collecting a combined throat and nose swab of a stall holder in Cam Le District on Thursday.Photo: XUAN DUNG

Gearing up case isolation and contact tracing

Delivering his instructions at the Thursday meeting, Da Nang People's Committee Chairman Le Trung Chinh urged district authorities to increase the speed of contact-tracing and testing for the deadly virus in a bid to proven more community infections.

He, in particular, suggested the all-level authorities to cancel unnecessary meetings and promote work at home through the internet in order to reduce the risk of exposure to the coronavirus in the coming time.

According to a quick report released by the municipal Department of Health, as of Thursday afternoon, this agency had identified 278 close contacts of COVID-19 confirmed cases and more than 1,100 indirect contacts of infected patients. All close contacts of COVID-19 cases have had their swab samples taken for testing and put under quarantine at a Lien Chieu District - based dormitory in the western part of the city. Meanwhile, indirect contacts of infected patients are self- isolating and monitoring their health at home.

Till date, functional local agencies have identified a total of 26 places where COVID-19 patients had visited before their positive test results.

More than 1,770 people across the city have had their throat and nose swab samples taken for COVID-19 testing, and 5 of them tested positive for deadly virus.

The spraying of chemical disinfectants has been also carried out in all places linked to coronavirus infected patients and their close contacts.

Amongst these ‘hotspots’, such venues as Hoan My Da Nang Hospital, the Phu An Hotel and New Phuong Dong Night Club, three residential groups in the wards of Thuan Phuoc and Thach Thang along Dong Da Street where the club is located have been sealed off over their links to COVID-19 cases. Meanwhile, the Phuoc My and Dong Da traditional markets have suffered temporary closure until further notice.

On Friday, about 500 employees who work at discos, karaoke, spas and massage parlors across Son Tra District and close to 750 stall holders at the Dong Da Market had their throat and nose swab samples taken for COVID-19 testing. After swab taking, the people must to stay at home pending their test results which are expected to be released tomorrow, May 8.

Facing a potential spike in close contacts of COVID-19 cases, the municipal Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control asked district-level authorities to establish new centralised quarantine facilities in a bid to reduce the potential overload at the Lien Chieu District - based dormitory in the western part of the city which now has a designed capacity of about 1,400 people and cannot accommodate higher numbers in case of more F1 people documented in the city in the coming time.

“Medical quarantine facilities must meet safety requirements in terms of coronavirus prevention and control, especially ventilation, to prevent cross-contamination inside these venues,” asked the municipal government chief.

The spraying of chemical disinfectants is carried out in surrounding areas of the New Phuong Dong Night Club linked to coronavirus infected patients and their close contacts.

Tightening precautions during medical examination, treatment amid COVID-19 fears

Amid the complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, as per request by the municipal administration, all public and private citywide medical facilities have re-activated measures against the coronavirus, especially raising their COVID-19 alert levels.

Encouragingly, all municipal and district-level medical facilities are strictly obeying 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 possible spread of COVID-19.

Plans for preventing the resurgence of the deadly virus is being implemented in a strict manner at the Da Nang General Hospital, the largest of its kind in the city. This hospital has received large numbers of in - and out-patients for checkups and treatment from Da Nang and other Vietnamese localities in recent days.

Every day, this large hospital receives more than 1,500 patients. All visitors to the hospital are required to queue for their body temperature measured and their health conditions declared.

In particular, the general emergency ward consists of two separate rooms, with one receiving patients with suspicious symptoms.

Anyone who appears to show COVID-19 suspicious symptoms will be examined in a separate area offering sufficient medical services ranging from clinical checkups to diagnostic ultrasound tests. For severely ill patients, the hospital uses the rapid antigen test method which show on-the-spot results in 30 minutes, said Nguyen Thanh Trung, Deputy Director of Da Nang Hospital.

Till date, approximately 700 in-patients under treatment at the hospital and a combined total of 2,400 staff members there have been tested for COVID-19 through the use of the Realtime RT-PCR technique.
In a similar move, random testing has been conducted on a number of patients being treated at the Da Nang Cancer Hospital.

“The priority is given to testing elderly patients, those with serious comorbidities, and patient’s caretakers”, said the hospital’s Director Tran Tu Quy. 

According to doctor Ngo Thi Kim Yen, Director of the municipal Department of Health, hospital safety is one of the major mandatory tasks all medical facilities across the city must fulfill amid the complex developments of COVID-19.

“The healcare sector has always focused on requiring both public and private medical facilities to seriously take proactive measures to ensure safety for their staff and patients in all examination and treatment processes”, affirmed doctor Yen.

Reporting by PHAN CHUNG- Translated by A.T