Da Nang People's Committee Vice Chairwoman Ngo Thi Kim Yen on Saturday called on authorities at local level to take even more drastic measures to contain the resurgence of local outbreaks. 

Vice Chairwoman Ngo Thi Kim Yen chaired Saturday’s meeting of the municipal Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control. Photo: LE HUNG

Mrs Yen remarked that while new COVID-19 cases fall in Da Nang, severe cases that lead to hospitalization remain high. Vast majority of hospitalized critically ill patients are unvaccinated people and seniors, she added.

Mrs Yen highlighted the need to identify people who have yet to be jabbed, especially seniors and those who have certain underlying health conditions in order to administer COVID-19 vaccines for them before January 5, 2022.

She said that local leadership must take responsibility if unvaccinated individuals in their locales test positive for the virus after January 5, 2022, except for those who have evidence of a medical contraindication.

The Da Nang leader directed the health agency to provide guidance for home quarantine for the primary close contacts and quarantine requirements for overseas arrivals in line with the latest recommendations of the Ministry of Health.

The health agency was tasked to give advice to the municipal administration to offer third COVID-19 jabs to eligible people, with high priority given to seniors and those who have certain underlying health conditions.

Special attention must be paid to administering COVID-19 vaccines for seventh graders who are under 12 years old if the Ministry of Health allows to vaccinate children aged 5-12 in a bid to help them get back to in-person learning as soon as possible, Mrs Yen emphasized.

Vice Chairwoman Yen stressed the need to tighten anti-virus measures in businesses along with government agencies and departments, as well as encourage voluntary compliance with the 5K recommendations of the Ministry of Health among local residents in line with the current direction from the municipal government.

Mr Mai Tan Linh, the Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Education and Training said 29 of the city’s 61 junior high schools and 14 of the 34 senior high schools are currently forced to switch from face-to-face to online instructions due to positive COVID-19 cases.

All students in grades 8 and 9 across the city have already returned to in-person classes while 91.5% of the city’s grade 7 students over 12 years old have had a single dose of COVID-19 vaccine and  only 8.5% under 12 are yet to receive their booster jab.

146 more people were released from the field hospital in the west of Da Nang and the Lung Hospital on Saturday, December 18, after being treated for COVID-19.

Da Nang has till date recorded 4,229 cases of COVID-19 after it has faced COVID-19 resurgence since October 16.

Currently, 2,035 infected patients are being treated at the field hospital, 97 others are receiving treatment at the Lung Hospital, and 5 in the Hoa Vang District Medical Centre.

Overall, 2,137 people, including 12 requiring critical care, are being treated for the coronavirus in Da Nang’s hospitals, of whom, 171 tested negative for the virus once while tests on 47 others came back negative twice.

In addition, 22 patients with COVID-19 are currently recovering under home quarantine.

Reporting by PHAN CHUNG – translating by H.L