Da Nang People's Committee Vice Chairman Le Quang Nam on Wednesday afternoon urged officials to take urgent action to break chains of transmission within the community by speeding up tracing, isolating and testing of all contacts of the 59-year- old security guard in the Duy Tan Plastic Company who tested positive for the virus on June 18.

Da Nang People's Committee Vice Chairman Le Quang Nam chairs a meeting on Wednesday afternoon to discuss next steps in the fight against COVID-19 amid surge in cases. Photo: PHAN CHUNG

Da Nang on Wednesday (June 23) recorded 18 new confirmed cases, all contracted locally, linked to the infected security guard.

In particular, two out of the total new cases tested positive for the virus in the afternoon of June 22: one, from Cam Le District, linked to a COVID-19 cluster at the alley 407 in Le Duan Street, while the other who is a primary close contact of a COVID-19 patient, both tested negative for the virus on June 20.

Authorities in Cam Le District have fenced off a residential setting with 60 households where family of the infected patient is living, and carried out disinfectant sprays in this area for the prevention of COVID-19. In addition, medical workers have already taken swab samples of 448 members of families in this ringfenced COVID hotspot to test for the virus, and tests on all them have come back negative for the virus once.  

As for the remaining 16 cases, four who are the primary close contacts have already placed under quarantine in designated facilities while the twelve others are persons living in the ringfenced COVID hotspot at the triangle area of Le Duan - Hoang Hoa Tham - Ly Thai To streets in Thanh Khe District. Previously, tests on these cases had come back negative for SARS-CoV-2 before turning positive. 

Vice Chairman Nam demanded authorities in Thanh Khe District to enhance oversight of the ringfenced triangle area of Le Duan - Ly Thai To - Hoang Hoa Tham streets in order to make sure that each individual is sticking to advice and guidance on infection prevention and control from municipal government and health bodies during lockdown period. The heed must be paid on increasing monitoring of residents in this fenced area by installing additional surveillance cameras in a bid to prevent the spread of the virus , the city leader remarked.

Mr Nam highlighted the significance of promptly identifying all contacts of new confirmed cases, isolating and testing them in bringing the COVID-19 situation under control.

In addition, the health agency was asked to roll out the COVID-19 testing at periodic intervals for the city's population in order to assess risk for the spread of the virus in the community.

The health officials proposed to spray disinfectants within fenced alleys and their surroundings because of the risk of cross infection in these areas. 

Reporting by PHAN CHUNG – Translating by H.L