Da Nang Party Committee Secretary Nguyen Van Quang on Saturday afternoon at a meeting of the municipal COVID-19 Monitoring Committee said that Da Nang reported no new locally transmitted cases of COVID-19 on September 18 for the first time since August, and it has seen a rise in COVID-19 daily recoveries. He remarked that tough anti-virus measures across the city have been effective and produced positive signs in the fight against the deadly virus.

Da Nang Party Committee Secretary Nguyen Van Quang (left) and municipal People's Committee Chairman Le Trung Chinh co-chaired Saturday’s meeting to discuss new steps toward normalization. Photo: PHAN CHUNG

The Da Nang top leader stated that the municipal administration and local residents have worked extremely hard to achieve success in tackling COVID-19, thereby calling on officials and each individual across the city to remain vigilant, responsible, wise and aware, as well as continue to follow the recommended preventive measures in line with the current direction in a bid to win the war against COVID-19.

Mr Quang highlighted need to strengthen health and safe measures in residential settings, production facilities, shopping areas after further restrictions have been eased.

He directed the health agency to continue to roll out mass community testing across the city with a focus on people at greater risk of exposure to COVID-19.

Secretary Quang said that the city will deploy a green pass scheme for fully vaccinated status and recent recovery from coronavirus, therefore calling for effective information management in fully-vaccinated people and recoveries to support the city’s new scheme.

He stressed the need to continue putting an emphasis on the application and deployment of computing in the rollout of COVID-19 testing and vaccines along with other infection prevention and control activities.

Municipal People's Council Chairman Luong Nguyen Minh Triet addressing the meeting. Photo: PHAN CHUNG

Da Nang People's Council Chairman Luong Nguyen Minh Triet praised authorities at local level for their efforts in offering  coronavirus  support packages in a timely and effective manner in line with the guidelines from national and municipal government. He underlined the necessarily to take proactive and flexible measures to provide timely support for those in need but they do not enjoy the benefits of these financial support packages.

Municipal People's Committee Chairman Le Trung Chinh said given the fact that the virus has been brought under control, the Da Nang government has outlined three plans for the city's transition to a new normal. The first normalization scheme will see additional restrictions to be dropped, the second one will allow all activities and services to resume operations except for such services as karaoke bars, massage parlours which pose higher risk of spreading the virus, and the last one will deploy COVID-19 pass scheme, Mr Chinh remarked.

The third option will allow the use of COVID-19 vaccination cards to enter venues and events in Da Nang. Yellow cards will be issued to people who have received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine while green ones will be granted for those who have been fully vaccinated.

Chairman Chinh demanded the Police Department to create a plan for opening a green lane for vehicles transporting goods from Quang Nam Province to Da Nang. The Department of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs must work with relevant agencies to present Mid-Autumn Festival gifts to children across the city, especially those affected by COVID-19.

Reporting by PHAN CHUNG – translating by H.L