Da Nang Party Committee Secretary Nguyen Van Quang on Thursday afternoon said that the municipal administration is taking toughest measures to tackle rising cases fueled by the highly contagious delta variant in efforts to bring the outbreak under control as soon as possible.

A police officer stops a motorbike rider to check her valid reason for leaving home.

The city Party chief called for strong support and the full compliance with the city’s social distancing measures from residents and businesses across Da Nang to support the city’s efforts in the tough battle against COVID-19.

Secretary Quang directed officials to enhance surveillance of businesses to make sure that they are issuing properly travel permits for their employees in accordance with the government’s guidance or face mandatory revocation of their business licenses as a result of violating the city’s new regulations. The new rules will be applied to businesses from the midday today, August 6.

The municipal Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control discussed a plan for setting up more designated quarantine facilities for COVID-19 primary close contacts to keep up with rising cases.

“Son Tra District has experienced a downward trend in COVID-19 infections due to good practice of advice and guidance on infection prevention and control from the municipal government and health bodies among people in 5 local lockdown areas. Therefore, places where cases of COVID-19 have been cleared should be considered releasing from lockdown,” Mr Quang emphasized.

Secretary Quang urged authorities in Cam Le and Lien Chieu districts to ramp up their efforts to quickly conduct investigations into new cases, and identify, isolate and test all their contacts to break the chains of transmission and stop further spread of the virus.

Mr Quang also asked the health agency to provide support for Son Tra District to transfer persons with life threatening diseases and those with long-term health conditions who are in local lockdown areas to hospitals for treatment.            

Municipal People's Committee Le Trung Chinh instructed district authorities to set up more designated quarantine sites for possible rising COVID-19 primary close contacts in their local areas.

The Department of Natural Resources and Environment was asked to provide portable toilets for districts if these are needed to install in schools to be used as quarantine sites.   

Water and electricity service providers were asked to suspend the collection of payments for their services from local residents amid COVID-19 crisis.

Da Nang Committee of the Viet Nam Fatherland Front was asked to develop policies and resources to provide timely support for struggling families.

Chairman Chinh said that the Da Nang government has decided to temporarily close Thuan Phuoc and  Han River bridges to tackle COVID-19.

Fines of nearly VND 75 million were imposed on  25 people for not wearing a face mask outdoors, leaving home without a reasonable excuse, and violating the closure order, according to the Office of the municipal People's Committee’s figure released on Thursday.

Also on Thursday, taskforce at checkpoints across the city detected and seized 109 improper travel permits.

Reporting by LE HUNG – translating by H.L