Da Nang People's Committee Vice Chairwoman Ngo Thi Kim Yen ordered authorities at local level to take all appropriate measures to suppress the resurgence of local outbreaks, including swift and decisive measures to seal off high-risk areas linked to confirmed cases and ramp up testing efforts to contain the spread of the virus during her meeting with members of the municipal Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control held late afternoon on Friday, December 10.

Mrs Yen also highlighted the need to enhance compliance monitoring and enforcement of COVID-19 rules across the city amid rising infections.

Vice Chairwoman Ngo Thi Kim Yen chaired the meeting of the municipal Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control on Friday afternoon. Photo: PHAN CHUNG

Mrs Yen stated that COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Da Nang with new infections detected in local locked down areas in recent days, leading to high risk of cross-transmission of infection in these areas where the disease can spread more rapidly.

She underlined the need to take swift action to identify accurately high-risk areas related to confirmed cases and impose a blockade on these areas at the narrowest possible scale with tight restrictions in an attempt to conduct effective COVID-19 testing to find all hidden cases. The heed must be given to tightening controls at locked down areas, and enhancing enforcement of restrictions in these areas to take action against any violations.  

Following latest decision by the authorities in Son Tra District, An Hai Bac Ward has moved again from level 2 into level 3 of the city’s four-tier coronavirus alert system from the midday on December 10. The restrictions are being put in place in An Hai Bac Ward that spans the parts from the north of the Han River Bridge approach and the west of Ngo Quyen Street to the borders of Nai Hien Dong and Man Thai wards.

Previously, Nai Hien Dong and An Hai Bac wards in Son Tra District moved from level 2 into level 3 of the city’s four-tier coronavirus alert system at 6:00 am on November 14 as the two wards had emerged as new hot spots for coronavirus cases. This is the first time Da Nang has raised its alert level for ward level areas to tackle a rise in infections. However, the two wards have moved down to alert level 2 after the COVID-19 situation was improved in these areas.

The Da Nang government on Friday evening announced that Hoa Khanh Bac in Lien Chieu District has moved to Alert Level 4 from December 10, and the entire ward goes into self-isolation.

The authorities in the above-mentioned wards are asked to take swift and drastic action in response to the developments of the COVID-19 situation in a flexible and adaptable way in an effort to suppress the virus. An Hai Bac and Hoa Khanh Bac wards will remain at Alert Levels 3 and 4 respectively for at least 48 hours.

Doctor Ton That Thanh, the Director of the Da Nang Disease Control and Prevention, said that 84 additional COVID-19 patients were discharged from the Da Nang’s hospitals on Friday. There are currently 1,366 remaining active cases of COVID-19 that are being treated in the Lung Hospital and the field hospital in the western part of ​​the city.

Da Nang has till date recorded 2,385 cases of COVID-19 after it has faced COVID-19 resurgence since October 16, 128 of which were returnees from other parts of the country.

Reporting by PHAN CHUNG – THIEN DUYEN – Translating by H.L