Staff of the Son Tra District Medical Centre, on Friday evening, took a combined throat and nose swab of over 2,500 people who are traders, fishermen and workers in Tho Quang Fishing Wharf and seafood wholesale market to test for COVID-19. The collection of swab samples from these people was carried out overnight by medical workers in a bid to ensure that their work is completed as soon as they can. 

Staff of the Son Tra District Medical Centre conducted overnight collection of swab samples for COVID-19 testing from all people in the Tho Quang Fishing wharf and seafood wholesale market. Photo: XUAN DUNG

Deputy Head of the Authority of the Tho Quang Fishing Wharf Nguyen Lai said this place is one of high-risk settings where COVID-19 might spread more easily due to the large number of fishing vessels, refrigerated trucks, fishermen and traders received every day.

Mr Lai also remarked that rapid coronavirus screening tests for all people in the Tho Quang Fishing Wharf and seafood wholesale market help spot those who are at greatest risk of spreading the disease, thereby helping the Authority of the Tho Quang Fishing Wharf manage risks from coronavirus, and provide a safer environment for their staff, fishermen and visitors.

All the tested people were required to adhere to the 5 recommendations of the Ministry of Health, including declare their health conditions, wearing face masks, disinfecting their hands, keeping a safe distance from others, and joining the queue whilst waiting for their turns to have their swabs taken.

The swab samples of all people in the Tho Quang Fishing Wharf and seafood wholesale market was sent to the Da Nang Centre for Disease Control and Preventation (CDC) in early Saturday to test for the virus. The Da Nang CDC will perform a 'pooled test' with samples of up to 10 people in order to save time and resources, as well as to get the pandemic under control. If pooled sample is positive all individual samples in that “pool” group are tested. If the pooled sample is negative assume all samples within the pool are negative.

Test results of these people are expected to be ready within today.

Medical workers arranged seating for the tested people to maintain a safe distance between them. Photo: XUAN SON

A doctor was assigning tasks to her group members. Photo: XUAN DUNG

A medical worker was collecting personal information from a trader before getting a test. Photo: XUAN DUNG

People were seating in queue for their turn for COVID-19 testing and keeping a physical distance between them. Photo: XUAN DUNG

Medical workers used personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect themselves from possible exposure to virus, and conducted overnight collection of swab samples for COVID-19 testing from people in the Tho Quang fishing wharf and seafood wholesale market. Photo: XUAN SON

A medical worker took a throat and nasal swab of a trader. Photo: XUAN DUNG

Medical staff stepped up the colection of the swab samples from all people in the Tho Quang fishing wharf and seafood wholesale market in order to be ready for sending to the Da Nang Centre for Disease Control and Preventation (CDC) in early Saturday to test for the virus. Photo: XUAN SON

Health staff worked tirelessly all night to ensure that their work is completed as soon as they can. Photo: XUAN DUNG

Medical workers pictured a list of the tested people to send to the Da Nang CDC prior to send their swab samples to this centre to test for the virus. Photo: XUAN DUNG

Medical workers took a nap while on their overnight shift work. Photo: XUAN DUNG

Reporting by XUAN DUNG – XUAN SON – Translating by H.L