The Da Nang Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control hold an urgent meeting on Friday morning to discuss measures to battle a surge in cases.

A local lockdown from 0am on July 17 until further notice was declared in wards inThac Gian, and An Khe, both in Thanh Khe District, Hoa An in Cam Le District and Hoa Khanh Bac in Lien Chieu District by Da Nang Party Committee Secretary Nguyen Van Quang at the Friday meeting.

Da Nang Party Committee Secretary Nguyen Van Quang (left) delivers his address in an urgent meeting on Friday morning to discuss measures to battle a surge in cases. Photo: PHAN CHUNG

The order, issued by the municipal Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, said the decision to implement lockdown strictly was taken due to a rise in coronavirus cases in these areas on today, July 16.

People in local lockdown areas are asked to stay at home as much as possible, but make exceptions to go out for medical care, food and essential work. They are advised to keep a distance of 2 m at all times. Social gatherings of more than two people will be banned in lockdown areas, but it will not apply to schools, workplaces or COVID-secure venues. The suspension will be put in place in non- essential services during the lockdown period.

Municipal People's Committee Chairman Le Trung Chinh directed the health agency to roll out COVID-19 testing for the city’s entire population to allow postive cases caught quickly. Mr Chinh also called for drastic action to be taken to identify COVID-19 hotspots linked to new cases in order to impose stay-at-home restrictions on these areas.

“Amid the complex developments of COVID-19 in local industrial parks, district authorities, the Authority of the Da Nang Hi-tech Parks and Industrial Parks, and businesses must strictly implement measures to control COVID-19, as well as set out practices and and solutions to enable them to respond effectively to contain future new cases," Chairman Chinh requested.

According to the Da Nang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Da Nang in the evening of July 15 and the morning of July 16 recorded 40 new cases linked to the nine hospitalised patients with confirmed COVID-19. Included are eight new cases detected in the Viet Hoa Electronics Co., Ltd, bringing the total cumulative count in this company to 27, four related to the infected man in Hoa Xuan Ward, Cam Le District), four linked to the infected 74 year-old man on Tan Da Street, Thac Gian Ward, Thanh Khe District.

Notably, 18 new positive cases on Friday morning (July 16) were detected in the Hoa An Ward, Cam Le District after an infected woman was identified on Nguyen Phuoc Nguyen Street on July 13.

Reporting by PHAN CHUNG – translating by H.L