Hanoi (VNA) – The Ministry of Health hasmobilised forces for COVID-19 testing at four venues in the central city of DaNang, home to a new outbreak involving more than one hundreds of cases,according to Deputy Minister Nguyen Truong Son.

The four testing sites are the city disease controlcentre, Da Nang Lung Hospital, Da Nang General Hospital and Hospital 199 of theMinistry of Public Security, Son said at a meeting with leaders of themunicipal People’s Committee on August 1.

In addition, machinery and test kits have beentransported from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang, Son said, describingquarantine, contact tracing and extended testing as Vietnam’s “weapons” in thepandemic fight.

The ministry also plans to set up a national emergencystorage facility to store necessary medical supplies, possibly at the Da NangUniversity of Medical Technology and Pharmacy, Son continued.

Another urgent task is to “clean” up local hospitalfrom COVID-19, and separate those “clean” ones with those which treat COVID-19patients.
Regarding the building of a field hospital in Da Nang,he said the ministry will establish a consultation group in charge of assessingthe hospital’s design quality.

The hospital would be used to treat COVID-19 patientsor quarantine F1 cases (which have direct contact with patients) based on thelatest situation, he added.

The health ministry on August 1 sent an urgent noticeto People’s Committees of cities and provinces, asking them to invest inequipment and workforce for local COVID-19 testing laboratories.

Eligible private medical establishments should beencouraged to participate in providing testing, the ministry said.

Meanwhile, in Hanoi, 481 out of 72,257 peoplereturning from Da Nang have taken PCR testing for the coronavirus, of whom 424have turned out negative while the remainder are waiting for the result, hearda meeting of the city steering committee for COVID-19 prevention and control onAugust 1.

Local authorities have also identified 127 F1 cases whowere quarantined and tested for the virus, with all of their test results werenegative.
Meanwhile, 49,829 people have taken quick tests, with11 positive cases but PCR testing later showed 10 cases were negative and oneremaining case is still pending result.

The municipal health department reported there havebeen no quick test kits left in the city as all have been delivered to medicalfacilities in districts. Therefore, those returning from Da Nang shouldquarantine themselves at home and come to medical facilities for check-ups andtreatment if they display symptoms of cough and fever.

Given this, Chairman of the municipal People’sCommittee Nguyen Duc Chung asked the health department to ask the Ministry ofHealth for another 20,000 test kits, striving to complete the quick testing onAugust 2./.