Da Nang People's Committee Vice Chairwoman Ngo Thi Kim Yen urged local authorities at local level to take proactive measures in response to the developments of COVID-19 situation in the city in order to suppress the virus at a meeting of the municipal Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control held late on Wednesday, November 10.

A healthcare worker collecting a nasal swab sample for COVID-19 testing from a female resident who is self-isolating at home in Son Tra District. Photo: PHAN CHUNG

Vice Chairwoman Yen stated that Da Nang has reported daily dozens of active coronavirus over recent days, including many community cases with unclear or unknown source of infection. She remarked that the city has seen the development of new hot spots due to a rise in cases, especially Nai Hien Dong and An Hai Bac wards in Son Tra District to be emerged as hot spots for coronavirus cases.

Mrs Yen asked authorities at local level to take proactive action to conduct COVID-19 risk assessments in their local areas to enable drastic measures to be taken to effectively control the spread of the virus.

Currently, Da Nang daily welcomes a large number of people entering and returning to Da Nang from COVID-19 affected areas. Since October 20, 44 persons in total have tested positive at entry points in Da Nang, and these infected patients have been timely isolated and received prompt treatment in an attempt to reduce the chance of these people to bring coronavirus into the city.

Mrs Yen warned of coronavirus threat in Da Nang from arrivals and returnees from affected areas, thereby highlighted the need to keep a close watch on these people with a focus on conducting COVID-19 testing and applying quarantine rules for those who are at a much higher risk of getting and spreading the virus.

Twelve persons have been found positive for coronavirus in scope of the city’s recent “One door-one test” campaign. COVID-19 community testing programme will continue to be rolled out across the city and will reach those most at risk from infection during this screening programme. The intention is to help identify people who have COVID-19 but have no symptoms so that they will be isolated timely, to help prevent outbreaks and keep rates low in Da Nang.   

Also at the meeting, Vice Chairwoman Yen approved a proposal by municipal Department of Education and Training Director Le Thi Bich Thuan to postpone the reopening of schools scheduled to re-start from November 15 amid the complex developments of COVID-19 in the city.

The health agency was tasked to work with the municipal Department of Education and Training to create accurate risk assessment to give advice to the government to determine when to reopen schools depending on the pandemic situation in the city.

Reporting by PHAN CHUNG – Translating by H.L