Mr Luong Nguyen Minh Triet, the Deputy Secretary of the Da Nang Party Committee and Chairman of the  municipal People's Council on Thursday afternoon, highlighted the important role of the COVID-19 community team in timely detecting people entering and returning to the city from COVID-19 affected areas.

Deputy Secretary Luong Nguyen Minh Triet (left) and municipal People's Committee Chairman Le Trung Chinh co-chaired a meeting of the municipal Steering Committee for COVID-19 prevention and control on the afternoon of October 20. Photo: LE HUNG

Deputy Secretary Triet asked authorities at local level to uphold their responsibilities in fighting against COVID-19 after the city adopted flexible approaches for the effective response to the COVID-19 pandemic from September 30.

Mr Triet stressed the need to increase checks and enhance monitoring of production establishments, shopping centres and services to make sure they are using a QR code for visitor management or face tough penalties for non-compliance in an attempt to mitigate the risk of virus spread.

The Da Nang leader also directed authorities at local level to take all necessary measures to safely reopening schools in order to enable students to return to in-person learning as soon as possible.

The municipal Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control has issued guidelines on health and safety protocols for reopening of schools for in-person instruction and activities in a bid to help schools prepare for safe return of students to the classrooms.

The heed must be paid on strengthening COVID-19 checkpoints at points of entry to Da Nang to prepare for rain and stormy conditions, Mr Triet emphasized.

Da Nang People's Committee Chairman Le Trung Chinh ordered authorities at local level to continue to implement stringent measures to control the spread of the virus in line with the current direction from the municipal government.

Mr Chinh raised concerns about COVID-19 complacency and the neglect of authorities at local level in monitoring people entering and returning to Da Nang from COVID-19 affected areas as one community case on Wednesday was confirmed in a 48-year-old male real estate trader who returned home in Tan Chinh Ward, Thanh Khe District from coronavirus-stricken Ho Chi Minh City. He, therefore, warned authorities at local level and community to not drop their guard in the fight against Covid-19 as the virus has not gone away.

Chairman Chinh underlined the need to set up supervision teams in wards and communes to keep a close watch on people entering and returning to Da Nang from affected areas in order to make sure that they are following the city’s guidelines for home quarantine or face strictest penalties for breaching the city’s quarantine rules.

The municipal government leader said that a large amount of COVID-19 vaccine doses will be distributed to Da Nang from the Ministry of Health in the coming time that enables the city to continue to deliver the life-saving inoculations to people who have yet to take up the offer of a vaccine, as well as give out second vaccine doses to people who got first shots.

Reporting by LE HUNG – translating by H.L