Da Nang People's Committee Vice Chairwoman Ngo Thi Kim Yen on Thursday called on authorities at local level to take more drastic actions to slow the spread of the virus and reduce the number of coronavirus cases.

Vice Chairwoman Ngo Thi Kim Yen delivers her instructions at Thursday’s meeting of the municipal Steering Committee of COVID-19 Prevention and Control. Photo: PHAN CHUNG

The Da Nang leader stated that COVID-19 cases continue to increase rapidly across the city with new cases found in such high-risk areas as wet markets, shopping areas, production facilities, and densely populated areas. Hence, Mrs Yen ordered more drastic measures to prevent a larger surge in cases in the coming days.

Vice Chairwoman Yen stressed the need for authorities at local level to identify, assess and appropriately control COVID-19-related risks in their locales in line with the current direction from the municipal administration. The heed must be paid to implementing appropriate control measures at different risk levels as well as quickly identifying high risk areas in order to enable the most effective measures to suppress the virus, Mrs Yen remarked.

Mrs Yen urged the health agency to ramp up its efforts to enhance coronavirus testing in an attempt to find all hidden cases as Tet Festival is nearing with a possible surge in cases due to increased events and shopping activities.

Special attention must be given to stepping up to treat COVID-19 patients at home in a bid to reduce the pressure on local health systems, Mrs Yen emphasised. Healthcare facilities were tasked to prepare themselves for potential surge in hospitalizations due to COVID-19, as well as take actions to be ready for providing treatment for both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients.    

Reporting by PHAN CHUNG – Translating by H.L