The Da Nang Department of Health has already issued regulations regarding the management and protection of people who are now at a risk of contracting COVID-19.

As per request of the Department of Health, the grassroots-level authorities and relevant local agencies must make a list of local dwellers in high-risk groups across the city.

Accordingly, initial investigations must be conducted to determine factors such as their under-treatment underlying medical conditions, health status (the ability to walk, self-care), cohabitation status (living alone or cohabiting with others), supportive needs (the care and treatment of underlying diseases, drugs, other needs) and the history of vaccination against COVID-19 and recovery from this highly contagious disease.

In addition, relevant forces must comprehensively implement the management and protection of those in high-risk groups, as well as give them consultancies on COVID-19 prevention and vaccination against the disease and screening tests for the virus.

In addition, it is a need to have a mechanism to protect people in the risk group when they live with other family members infected with COVID-19, support them with physical and psychosocial care and guide them how to use electronic health record platforms and other tech apps such as PC-Covid.

PC-Covid includes making health declarations, searching for COVID-19 vaccination information and testing results, supporting movement tracking, indicating a map of risks and providing news on overall COVID-19 prevention and control strategies.

Based on the pandemic levels and the local actual situations, it is necessary to effectively operate mobile medical stations, community-based COVID-19 task groups, patient care teams and the network of medical companions.

District-level medical centres shall give suggestions to the district-level People's Committees to develop plans for protecting people with at-risk underlying health conditions, those aged 50 and above, pregnant women, and those over 18 years old who have not fully inoculated against COVID-19.

Reporting by PHAN CHUNG – Translating by A.THU