Thorough checks are needed to make sure that the city-wide asymptomatic population screening is conducted in the most effective way. The intention is to ensure all asymptomatic individuals across Da Nang must be tested to find a single positive case.

These are directions made by Da Nang Party Committee Secretary Nguyen Van Quang at an online meeting with the municipal Steering Committee for COVID-19 prevention and control on Tuesday afternoon.

Da Nang Party Committee Secretary Nguyen Van Quang (left) and municipal People's Committee Chairman Le Trung Chinh (right) chair an online meeting with the municipal Steering Committee for COVID-19 prevention and control on Tuesday afternoon.Photo: LE HUNG

Moving in the right direction

Secretary Quang said that the city saw a rise in COVID-19 cases after 1 day of of tougher COVID-19 curbs, and this is all in accordance with the Da Nang government’s forecasts.

He stressed the need for the health agency to analyze and report assessment results after conducting the first phase of the screening program in order to enable appropriate measures to be taken to contain the spread of the virus.

Mr Quang urged district authorities and relevant agencies to enhance surveillance of drivers of vehicles bringing goods and food products into Da Nang following a rise in new infections which are linked to a previous case confirmed in a porter at the closed Hoa Cuong Wholesale Market.

“More attention should be paid to ensuring that suitable personal protective equipment is provided to all frontline workers who may be exposed to a health or safety risk while carrying out their duties as some of them have caught COVID-19 at work. The top priority must be given to rolling out mass vaccination program for all stallholders in wet markets and all people who are helping in the fight against the deadly disease”, emphasized Secretary Quang.

 The city top leader remarked that mass screening for asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection must be conducted carefully and thoroughly in a bid to allow positive cases caught.

Municipal Party Committee Deputy Secretary Luong Nguyen Minh Triet demanded district authorities and relevant units to take all necessary steps to provide timely support for poor households and social policy beneficiaries.

The Authority of Da Nang Hi-Tech Parks and Industrial Parks was asked to propose businesses under their management to give financial assistance to their employees amid COVID-19 crisis. In addition, the municipal Department of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs must give advice to the city administration to provide practical support for those who lost their jobs or face financial hardship due to COVID-19 in efforts to help them through this difficult time.

A medical worker in Son Tra District collects a nose swab for COVID-19 from a household representative in An Hai Dong Ward. Photo: LE HUNG

Proactive action taken to beef up tracing all contacts linked to COVID-19 clusters

Municipal People's Committee Chairman Le Trung Chinh said that Hoa Cuong wholesale market and Tho Quang fishing wharf have been identified as very high risk clusters in Da Nang.

Da Nang on August 17 reported 48 new community cases which are linked to Hoa Cuong wholesale market and Tho Quang fishing wharf. People who have been to the two clusters are urged to contact with their nearest medical facilities for what to do.

Chairman Chinh directed the health agency and district authorities to go door-to-door in the city to track down all contacts linked to the two clusters, and conduct COVID-19 testing for all them, as well as impose proper requirements on them in a bid to break the chains of transmission.

“If anyone provides false and misleading information for health officials but being tested positive for COVID-19 subsequently, they will face hash penalties or can be convicted of a crime, " remarked Chairman Chinh.

The city government leader advised that people who have such symptoms as fever, cough and shortness of breath should immediately report to heads of their local residential settings for timely medical intervention, and should not directly go to medical facilities to get tested for COVID-19.

Fines of more than VND 111.7 million on August 17 were imposed on 15 people for breaking the city’s COVID-19 rules. In total, VND 2.65 billion worth of fines have been levied on 886 violators of the city’s COVID-19 restrictions since June 18, according to latest figures released by the municipal Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.

Doctor Ton That Thanh, the Director of the Da Nang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said that the health sector on August 17 took swab samples of more than 89,000 household representatives across the city to test for COVID-19, of whom, 120 were found to be positive for the virus.

Reporting by LE HUNG – Translating by H.L