Accelerating testing for early detection of COVID-19 infections

Supervision and testing should be strengthened towards the early detection of people infected with COVID-19, thereby taking prompt preventive measures, Acting Minster of Health Nguyen Thanh Long has urged.

Health staff from relevant units and localities have been dispatched to Da Nang to support the central city coping with the spread of COVID-19. (Photo: NDO/Minh Thuy)
Health staff from relevant units and localities have been dispatched to Da Nang to support the central city coping with the spread of COVID-19. (Photo: NDO/Minh Thuy)

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Speaking at a meeting on Wednesday (Aug 5) with leaders of 63 provincial and municipal health departments across the nation, Long stressed that the current new wave of COVID-19 is spreading quickly, posing a great challenge to the community in urgently and drastically implementing all epidemic preventive measures.

He urged localities across the nation, including those that have not recorded any infected cases during the new outbreaks, to prepare all resources and facilities in case of the widespread epidemic.

Based on the guidelines of the Ministry of Health, localities must review facilities, even in the case of establishing field hospitals, he added.

Each health facility should be a strong fortress with every health worker as a soldier fighting the epidemic, Long urged.

* Vietnam on Thursday morning reported four people infected with the coronavirus and another death in relation to COVID-19.

Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son informed that the departed is a 67-year-old woman residing in Quang Nam Province, which borders Da Nang – the current hotbed for COVID-19 in Vietnam.

She tested positive for COVID-19 and was linked with the outbreak in the central city. The patient had been suffering from chronic kidney disease, lupus, diabetes, and fungal blood infection. She was brought to the Da Nang Hospital for emergency aid on July 18.

On August 6, she fell into a deep coma and gradually lost heartbeat. She eventually died at 1:30, marking the ninth COVID-19-related fatality in Vietnam so far.

The woman was diagnosed to die of pneumonia, respiratory failure in patients with chronic adrenal insufficiency, Type 2 diabetes, and COVID-19, according to the health official.

With the latest update, Vietnam’s tally now stands at 717, including 309 imported cases that were quarantined upon arrival, and 268 connected to the Da Nang outbreak from July 25. As many as 381 patients have recovered so far and nine have died.

* Earlier on Wednesday afternoon, Deputy Health Minister Son checked the field hospital at Tien Son Sports Palace in Hai Chau District, Da Nang.

An overview of the field hospital set up at Tien Son Sports Palace in Da Nang. (Photo: NDO/Anh Dao)

This is the first field hospital in Vietnam to be built according to the modular installation model with the design consultancy from the Department of Construction of Da Nang.

The field hospital has 284 beds installed on the first floor of the centre, with all relation systems are designed and installed according to the standards from the Ministry of Construction and Ministry of Health.

In case of a widespread outbreak, the hospital will increase its capacity to 700 and even 1,000 beds.

In the afternoon of the same day, the construction unit handed over the field hospital to the People's Committee of Da Nang City to put it into operation.

* Deputy Minister Son on Wednesday also warned that the number of patients will continue to increase and make its peak in the next 10 days. Therefore, the health sector recommends that in the next 10 days, people need to be very careful and strictly implement COVID-19 prevention recommendations.

* On August 5, Da Nang authorities decided to implement medical isolation for all medical staff, waiters, and family members of patients at Hai Chau General Hospital in Hai Chau District, Da Nang City. The time for quarantine application is 14 days.

This is the fifth medical facility to apply isolation and blockade against the complicated developments of COVID-19 in Da Nang. Other blockade facilities include Hospital C, Da Nang Hospital, Da Nang Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation Hospital and Cam Le District Health Centre.

Currently, the Ministry of Health is inspecting and re-evaluating the disinfection of three hospitals of Hospital C, Da Nang Hospital and Da Nang Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation Hospital. It is expected that by August 7, the first reopening will be completed at Da Nang Hospital C.

* On August 5, a further donation was made to support health workers as well as Da Nang and Quang Nam in the fight against COVID-19. The donation included VND500 million from the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour to support trade union members under the Ministry of Health, in addition to over VND10 billion in cash and other medical supplies for Quang Nam.

Schools across the nation are ready for the 2020 national high school graduation exams. (Photo: NDO/Tan Nguyen)

* On August 5, the Ministry of Education and Training sent a dispatch to the People's Committees of the provinces and cities nationwide, urging them to ensure the safety and prevention of the COVID-19 epidemic during the 2020 national high school graduation exams, which are set to take place from August 8-10.

Localities have made efforts to supports students sitting the exams. Kon Tum Provincial Youth Union have collected more than 9,000 face masks, 75 barrels of drinking water and scholarships to distribute to candidates in the upcoming exams. Lao Cai Province has supported 400 local students with VND300,000 each to facilitate them with travel and accommodation during the exams.