Da Nang People's Committee Vice Chairwoman Ngo Thi Kim Yen on Monday confirmed that Da Nang has bought LightPower iVASARS-CoV-2 1stRT-rPCR kit for detection of COVID-19 by real-time RT-PCR from Viet A Technologies JSC in accordance with Viet Nam’s national laws and regulations.

Police have arrested and initiated legal proceedings against Phan Quoc Viet, the Director General of Viet A Company, for allegedly raising the price of COVID-19 test kits.

On December 10, 2021, the Investigative Police Agency conducted an emergency search of 16 locations in Ha Noi, HCM City, Hai Duong, Thua Thien-Hue, Binh Duong, Long An, Can Tho, Nghe An, and summoned 30 related individuals.

In April 2020, Viet A Company was licensed by the Ministry of Health to supply COVID-19 test kits to CDCs and medical facilities in 62 provinces and cities across the country.

The initial investigation showed that Viet overstated the price of equipment, input materials, and set the selling price of the COVID-19 test kit at VND470,000.

Vice Chairwoman Ngo Thi Kim Yen chaired a meeting of the Da Nang COVID-19 Monitoring Committee Monday afternoon. Photo: PHAN CHUNG

In her remarks at Monday’s meeting of the Da Nang COVID-19 Monitoring Committee, Vice Chairwoman Yen called on authorities at local level to tighten anti-virus measures in local locked down areas in a bid to stop the spread of the virus as cross-transmission of COVID-19 still occurs in these high-risk areas.

Mrs Yen stated that COVID-19 infections have continued to rise in local locked down areas, resulting in the lockdown extension which affected the daily lives of residents there. Therefore, she highlighted the need to enhance compliance monitoring of COVID-19 safe and health protocols in these areas, and take the most effective measures to slow down the development of new cases in an attempt to lift lockdown order on these settings as soon as possible.

Mrs Yen directed authorities at local level to enhance compliance monitoring and enforcement of COVID-19 rules in their locales to lower the risk of COVID-19 spreading as numerous events will take place across the city by the end of this year.

The event organizers are required to put in place proper precautions, and they will take full responsibility for preventing the spread of infection.

150 more people were released from the field hospital in the west of Da Nang and the Lung Hospital on Monday, December 20, after being treated for COVID-19.

Overall, 2,202 people are being treated for the coronavirus in Da Nang’s hospitals.

Da Nang has till date recorded 4,514 cases of COVID-19 after it has faced COVID-19 resurgence since October 16, 176 of which were returnees from other parts of the country.

Reporting by PHAN CHUNG – Translating by H.L