Da Nang People's Committee Chairman Le Trung Chinh highlighted huge efforts the district authorities and relevant agencies have made to bring the virus under control during his meeting on Sunday afternoon with the municipal Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.

Chairman Chinh delivers his instructions at the Sunday meeting. Photo: LE HUNG

Mr Chinh also remarked that tightening controls at all points of entry, and enforcing COVID-19 rules on people and vehicles entering the city, especially arrivals from COVID-19 hit areas should always be a top priority in an attemp to keep coronavirus out of Da Nang.

Da Nang has marked 26 days of no community transmission, and no positive cases have been reported in designated quarantine facilities for 11 days. This shows that the city has effectively managed to suppress the virus.

However, Chairman Chinh warned officials and the public across the city not to become complacent in living with the threat of COVID-19 amid surge in COVID cases in many Vietnamese localities, especially the emergence of COVID-19 cases with unknown source in Ho Chi Minh City. 

“Currently, funtional forces staffing at COVID-19 checkpoints at entrance points to the city perform relatively well in their assigned tasks, but they cannot always control all people and vehicles entering Da Nang. Therefore, we need to take more drastic measures to further enhance surveillance of arrivals from other localities, especially affected areas. Active involvement of all relevant agencies and district authorities plays an important role in preventing the risk of the virus being transmitted from arrivals in the city", emphasised Chairman Chinh.

The city government leader said: “If any arrivals or returnees from affected areas who fail to declare their health status subsequently test postive for the virus in the city, leaders of departments, agencies and districts where these cases are detected must bear full responsibility for these.”

Mr Chinh called on every one across the city to play their part to stop new arrivals from bringing the deadly pathogen into the city.

He also urged functional forces at entrance points to the city to enforce COVID-19 regulations on drivers of vehicles from Ho Chi Minh City, Ha Noi and Bac Giang Province to Da Nang. These drivers must provide proof of a negative test result on arrival in the city, and they will be denied entry into Da Nang if they donot comply.

Ban on non-essential services will remain in place

Chairman Chinh applauded the health and education sectors for doing a good job taking swab samples of candidates who will sit for the 10^th grade entrance exams and involved personnel to test for the virus. 

“Their test results will allow us to further assess the COVID-19 situation in the city. Hereby, the government will consider further relaxing COVID-19 restrictions to get our lives back to normal after the city goes 28 days without local transmission”, Mr Chinh noted.

June 16 will mark the 29^th day without recording any domestic transmissions. The Da Nang government will look at the latest advice from health officials and others from the municipal Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control before signing off on a decision.

Chairman Chinh affirmed that ban on non-essential services such as night clubs, karaoke bars, and pubs will remain in place in the city.

He also demanded the Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs to develop policies and resources for those facing financial difficulties as a result of COVID-19 to help them get through tough times in line with the municipal government’s guidelines.

Mr Le Van Trung, Director of the municipal Department of Transport suggested that the city should allow fixed-route transportation systems using cars, contract cars, tourist coaches and taxi cabs operating on the Da Nang - Quang Nam Province route to resume.

Chairman Chinh said that the government will consider resuming these transportation systems after the city goes 28 days without local transmission.

Reporting by LE HUNG – Translating by H.L