During an online meeting on Wednesday afternoon to discuss measures to mitigate further spread of COVID-19, Da Nang People's Committee Chairman Le Trung Chinh said that the Da Nang government will adopt additional coronavirus restrictions to safeguard local population amid surge in cases.

Municipal Party Committee Standing Deputy Secretary Luong Nguyen Minh Triet (left) delivered his address at the online meeting on Wednesday afternoon to discuss measures to mitigate further spread of COVID-19. Photo: LE HUNG

A key pillar of the new restrictions will be the implementation of regulatory measures aimed at combating the alarming rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. Chief among these new efforts is a Stay-at-Home Advisory, which calls on all Da Nang citizens to follow clear measures to protect their community and help the city flatten the curve. Residents are strongly advised to adhere to the Advisory by following these guidelines, which will go into effect on Thursday, July 22, 2021, at midday until further notice.

• Only leave home to go to work for essential needs such as seeking medical care, going to the grocery store or pharmacy. If you do leave home, practice social distancing by keeping at least 2m from other people and wearing a face covering at all times.

• Do not have gatherings in your home for parties or birthday celebrations.

• Comply with the city’s COVID-19 regulations and the 5K recommendations of the Ministry of Health, including wearing face coverings, banning outdoor gatherings of more than two people, mandating the closure of non-essential businesses, suspending outdoor activities, including walking and cycling, and suspending operations of delivery services, ride-hailing services and passenger transport vehicles with under 9 seaters.

In addition to the Stay-at-Home Advisory, the city will impose new restrictions to limit meetings and social events to not more than 20 people. This capacity limit will apply to funerals which will be required to last not later than 48 hours. However, the capacity limit does not supersede industries that have specific capacity guidelines in place.

Companies operating in local industrial parks and production facilities will be required to adopt the stay-at work model to keep their employees safe. Government departments and agencies will be required to allow 50% of their employees to work at home. Essential businesses will be allowed to remain open with proper precautions in place. Included are banks and financial institutions, medical facilities, postal and telecommunications service, import and export activities, notary services, and burial services.

Mr Luong Nguyen Minh Triet, the Deputy Secretary of the municipal Party Committee and Chairman of the municipal People's Council called on media agencies and district authorities to increase the publicity of new restrictions for the city’s population in order help local residents to get more insight and a clear understanding of the government-launched new policy strategy to respond to rising COVID-19 cases.

Mr Triet also stressed the need to let all residents across the city to know about the city’s new policy which aims to keep them safe and healthy while ensuring adequate supplies of essential goods to serve their daily needs.

Deputy Secretary Triet called on every one across the city to stick to the Stay-at-Home Advisory to protect themselves and others, as well as continue to unite as they always have for the city in order to halt the rise in cases.

Mr Ton That Thanh, the Director of the Da Nang Center for Disease Control and Prevention said that the city on Wednesday (July 21) recorded 28 new cases of COVID-19, with 9 of those infectious while in the community. Between July 10 and July 21, the number of COVID-19 cases in Da Nang has increased to 279 linked to 36 hotspots.

In recent days, Thanh Khe, Lien Chieu, Son Tra, Ngu Hanh Son, Cam Le and Hoa Vang districts have reported new cases of the coronavirus from an unknown source.

“The highly transmissible Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus causing the disease COVID-19, is now present in Da Nang. Therefore, tracers are racing to track down every new person infected with COVID-19 and the friends, relatives and contacts who may be at risk but cannot keep up with rising cases. Therefore, it is very necessary for the city to adopt stricter restrictions to limit the movement of the people in a bid to stop the further spread of the virus and cut off any route of transmission," said Dr. Thanh said.

Reporting by PHAN CHUNG – translating by H.L