A further 211 positive cases were confirmed in the city on Saturday, December 25, of which 44 were acquired in the community and the remainder were logged under managed isolation.

Out of the 44 community-acquired patients documented on Saturday, there were seven infections detected via COVID-19 tests conducted by medical stations, whilst the rest were locals who were positive for the coronavirus through tests conducted at some public and private medical facilities citywide during their intentional visits there for regular medical checkups or COVID-19 tests due to the displaying of suspicious symptoms.

In addition to the detection of the aforementioned cases of community transmission on  Saturday, the city documented 167 infections in managed isolation: 44 at a centralised quarantine facility, 88 during at-home quarantine and 35 in locked-down residential site.

Of special note, of the day's tally, 132 cases were at a high risk of further community transmission.

Also on Saturday, a combined total of 14,809 local residents across the city had their nasal swab samples taken for COVID-19 testing, 13,581 of whom tested for the virus via the RT-PCR technique whilst the rest were subject to the rapid antigen testing.

Till date, of the vaccinated people throughout Da Nang, 967,588 have received the first jabs of COVID-19 vaccines whilst 947,773have got two doses, and 527 have received the third shots against the highly contagious disease.

There are currently 426 completely- blockaded residential areas, putting 1,490 households with a combined total of 7,164 people under lockdown.

A combined total of 299 people are being put under compulsory quarantine in 13 centralised facilities.

The day also recorded 278 COVID-19 recoveries.

For the time being, 1,961 patients are being treated at medical facilities.

Da Nang’s total tally has climbed to 5,400 since October 16 when the city saw the resurgence of COVID-19 community transmission, 189 of which were returnees from other cities and provinces nationwide.

Addressing a meeting held on Saturday afternoon by the municipal Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, Da Nang People's Committee Vice Chairwoman Ngo Thi Kim Yen underlined a need to put under control ‘hot spots’ that have seen many coronavirus cases, notably Thanh Khe and Hai Chau districts and some production and business establishments.

She added that the current at-home treatment of COVID-19 patients will be deployed on a large scale as soon as possible.

In the near future, the city will receive Vietnamese citizens from abroad. The Da Nang Centre for Disease Control must prepare a plan to test them for COVID-19 upon their entry, especially a need to conduct gene sequencing to detect the Omicron variant if any, in a timely manner.

Reporting by PHAN CHUNG- Translating by A. THU