on May 16, staff of the Lien Chieu District Medical Centre took a combined throat and nose swab of over 2,400 people in the namesake district, Da Nang, to test for COVID-19.

People make their health declarations before getting a coronavirus test. They are asked to ensure that their informantion which is providing for medical staff is true and accurate. Photo: TRONG HUNG

The tested people included stall holders in the following three wet markets: Kim Lien, Thuy Tu and Vat Tu, members of Election Team, members of the COVID-19 Community Task Force, owners of drink and food establishments, ride-hailing drivers, motorbike taxi drivers, those living in social housing located in the Hoa Khanh Industrial Park, stall holders in the Hoa Khanh traditional market linked to a woman with confirmed COVID-19 who is the owner of a small noodle shop located in the intersection between Da Minh Khiem and Dang Huy Ta.

Medical staff arrange seating for the tested people to maintain a safe distance between them, as well as conduct temperature checks on them before taking their swab samples for COVD-19 testing. Photo: TRONG HUNG

Lien Chieu District Medical Centre Director Le Van Sy confirmed that tests on 633 people in a residential setting in Hoa Minh Ward linked to the above-mentioned infected woman had come back negative for the virus.

As of  1pm on May 16, 428 close contacts of positive cases had been placed under quarantine in a student dormitory in the western part of Da Nang.

Also on the same day, swab samples for COVID-19 testing were collected from around 4,000 workers in accommodation and food services in Son Tra District by local medical staff.

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.

In their efforts to avoid large gatherings to prevent the spread of the virus, medical staff conducted the collection of swab samples of the tested people in Son Tra District in two locations, one in Ngo May Primary School in Phuoc My Ward, and the other in Pham Ngoc Thanh Junior High School in Nai Hien Dong Ward.

A medical worker takes a combined throat and nose swab of a worker in food services in Ngo May Primary School located in Phuoc My Ward in the morning of May 16. Photo: XUAN DUNG

A medical worker takes a combined throat and nose swab of a worker in accommodation services in Pham Ngoc Thanh Junior High School in Nai Hien Dong Ward in the morning of May 16. Photo: XUAN DUNG

Test results of workers in accommodation and food services in Son Tra District will be available within today, May 17.

Reporting by TRONG HUNG – XUAN DUNG – Translating by H.L