During an online meeting of the Da Nang’s Steering Committee for COVID-19 prevention and control on Tuesday afternoon, municipal Party Committee Secretary Nguyen Van Quang called on authorities at local level to enhance surveillance on narrow alleys at high risk for the spread of COVID-19 to make sure that they are isolating themselves and away from others as such venues are emerging COVID-19 hotspots in Hai Chau and Cam Le districts. The focus must be conducting COVID-19 testing for all residents in high-risk areas, Mr Quang emphasized.

Da Nang Party Committee Secretary Nguyen Van Quang (left) and municipal People’s Committee Chairman Le Trung Chinh co-chaired Tuesday’s online meeting. Photo: LE HUNG

Secretary Quang said that, in fact, some narrow alleys saw a sharp increase in COVID-19 infections after a positive case had confirmed in a resident in these venues. He, therefore, stressed the need to set up checkpoints at narrow alleys across the city to tighten controls at these venues and supervise the enforcement of stay-at-home order there to stop the spread of the disease and prevent potential risks from becoming clusters of COVID-19 infection.

The Da Nang Party Chief directed authorities in Hai Chau and Cam Le districts which are identified very high risk areas to attack new COVID-19 clusters in their local areas with testing, contact tracing and isolating efforts in an attempt to contain them.

Municipal People's Committee Chairman Le Trung Chinh said that Da Nang’s battle against the deadly disease has yielded positive outcomes after 9 days of tougher COVID-19 curbs. The imposition of strict stay-at-home orders over the past 9 days is very valuable to the city to allow it to conduct mass community testing to find many cases in order to provide timely treatment for them, Mr Chinh remarked.

Chairman Chinh announced a 10-day extension of Da Nang's stricter travel restrictions with some certain activities allowed to resume operations but proper precautions in place amid the complex development of the pandemic. Strict stay-at-home orders were due to end on Thursday, August 26, but now remain in place until 8am on September 5.

The city government leader asked the municipal Department of Industry and Trade, relevant agencies to closely work with authorities at local level to ensure the supply of food items for all people in Da Nang while they are under strict stay-at-home orders.

Chairman Chinh called for faster rollout of the third round of mass testing across Da Nang in order to make accurate risk assessment in efforts to give advice to the municipal government to take next appropriate measures to fight COVID-19.

He also called on residents in Da Nang to play their part in the city’s tough battle against the deadly disease, and take action to protect COVID-19 free areas, known as green zones, and promote the expansion of such areas in the city.

Reporting by LE HUNG – translating by H.L