Danang imposes social distancing, isolates three hospitals

Danang will impose social distancing orders in the entire city and put three hospitals under lockdown from July 28 after three locally-transmitted infections were detected in this beach city within three days from last weekend.

Social distancing leaves the city quiet. Photo: Thanh Nien

Being home to the first local infection after months without community transmission, measures during the social distancing will include wearing of face masks in public places and public means of transport, suspending non-essential services, entertainment activities and public transport, and limiting private vehicles.

Air transportation is only out of Danang.

Meanwhile, three hospitals namely Danang Hospital, Danang C Hospital, and Danang Orthopedics and Rehabilitation Hospital, and residential areas nearby will be put under lockdown under the enactment of a government decree.

The decree requires people to stay home with limit going out, except for necessary cases. In-person contact must ensure a two-meter distance and no more than two persons outside offices, schools, hospitals, and in public.

According to Chairman of the Danang People’s Committee Huynh Duc Tho, the city has 12 suspected cases and around 10,000 people are waiting for Covid-19 tests.

He noted that infections among health workers are visible while no link has been found among the three locally-transmitted cases.

Acting Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long said due to unknown transmission sources, it requires both massive testing and contact tracing. Accordingly, people coming to Danang over the past week need to put under home isolation and be tested if they develop symptoms like cough and fever.

People arriving in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and other localities from Danang need to be tested for the virus and quarantined if needed. Those who show symptoms of flu, fever, and cough need to go to clinics for checkup, according to the government decree.