Da Nang People's Committee Vice Chairman Le Quang Nam on Wednesday afternoon called for continued efforts from the health agency and relevant units to increase checks on people entering and returning to Da Nang from COVID-19 affected areas amid growing outbreak in some Vietnamese localities.

Da Nang People’'s Committee Vice Chairman Le Quang Nam chaired a meeting on Wednesday afternoon to discuss next steps in the ongoing battle against the deadly virus. Photo: PHAN CHUNG

His latest instructions came amid concern over a recent emergence of dishonest behaviour from arrivals and returnees from affected areas in breach of COVID-19 medical declaration regulations by providing false or misleading information to local health officials. This caused difficulties for local authorities to manage risks posed by arrivals from affected areas to Da Nang.

Vice Chairman Nam called on businesses, organisations and each individual in Da Nang to stick to advice and guidance on infection prevention and control from the municipal government and health bodies. Leaders of businesses, organisations and districts must act a key player in making sure that every one in their units is following recommended measures to keep themseves and other safe during the pandemic, or face harsh punishment under Da Nang government’s guidelines for non-compliance, Mr Nam directed.

The city leader asked Thanh Khe District authorities and the heath agency to work together to step up COVID testing programme for people living in ring-fenced COVID hotspots, especially the triangle area of Le Duan - Hoang Hoa Tham - Ly Thai To streets in a bid to manage the risks of COVID-19. The heed must be paid on ensuring every one in ring-fenced COVID-19 hotspots and high-risk settings, especially the Tho Quang Fishing Wharf, must follow best practices, including the 5K recommendations of the Ministry of Health, to prevent the spread of the virus, or face strictest penalties for non-compliance, Vice Chairman Minh remarked.  

Mr Nam highlighted huge efforts the Da Nang General Hospital has made to quickly identify contacts of the infected patient detected on Tuesday morning, isolate and test them for the virus in order to stop the spread of the virus.

“COVID-19 is still a threat to the hospital in the face of complicated and unpredictable progression of the epidemic. The hospital’s leaders must closely work with the Da Nang Centre for Disease Control (CDC) to continue tracking down the primary and secondary close contracts , send them for quarantine and test them for the virus," Vice Chairman Nam emphasised.

Da Nang on Wednesday ( June 30) recorded 2 new cases: one confirmed in a caretaker at the Da Nang General Hospital and the other being the primary close contact and in managed isolation, bringing the cumulative total to 84 after the resurgence of COVID-19 in June, the Da Nang CDC’s figure shows.

Till date, Da Nang has already tracked down 631 primary close contacts of the infected patients, and put them under quarantine at designated facilities while local healthcare workers are putting in place close monitoring of more than 3,100 secondary close contacts at their places of residence.

The city has to date fenced off 12 COVID-19 hotspots.

The task force staffing checkpoints at points of entry has so far conducted COVID-19 related stop checks on 27,273 vehicles entering the city, during which, 42,291 arrivals had their body temperature measured and were required to complete a compulsory health declaration form.

Reporting by PHAN CHUNG – Translating by H.L