Da Nang Party Committee Deputy Secretary Luong Nguyen Minh Triet on Monday afternoon called on officials to take action to help individuals and businesses in financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak to gain access to welfare benefits, grants and support services in accordance with the guidance from Viet Nam’s national government.

Da Nang Party Committee Deputy Secretary Luong Nguyen Minh Triet (left) demands action to provide timely support to those who are struggling financially during the pandemic on the Monday meeting. Photo: PHAN CHUNG

Mr Triet directed the health agency and relevant units to take stronger action to ensure a comprehensive and effective response to COVID-19 in a bid to contain the spread of the virus following a spike in cases. He also called for greater efforts to speed up contact tracing, isolating and testing efforts for the primary close contacts.

Deputy Secretary Triet demanded the health agency to work with the Department of Tourism, and the Central Viet Nam Airports Authority to welcome Da Nang citizens home from Ho Chi Minh City, and quarantine them upon arrival in the city in line with the city’s COVID-19 regulations.

Da Nang People's Committee Chairman Le Trung Chinh highlighted the significance of the citywide COVID-19 testing scheme in enabling the city to continue monitoring of the population’s virus exposure for better decision making.

Chairman Chinh asked all government departments and agencies to cancel or postpone large gatherings in order to reduce opportunities for person-to-person virus transmission, switch in-person meetings to virtual platforms, and develop their own COVID-19 response plan which should contain a variety of scenarios to allow for a reactive response to the unexpected.

Reporting by PHAN CHUNG – translating by H.L