The Ministry of Health has swiftly set up a task force to cope with the complicated developments of the latest coronavirus outbreak in Da Nang city, central Vietnam, after dozens of cases were confirmed and the number is expected to keep rising.

A task force is set up to deal  with COVID-19 hotspots in Da Nang 

The task force, to be headed by Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son, consists of four support teams in charge of surveilling the epidemic, treating COVID-19 patients, conducting tests, and spreading relevant information on the epidemic among citizens.

The 65 member-task force is made up of health experts, doctors, and medical staff from various units under the Ministry of Health and leading hospitals, including the Hanoi-based Bach Mai Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City’s Cho Ray Hospital, and Hue Hospital.

All of these health facilities have had previous experience in stamping out COVID-19 outbreaks in Hanoi, Binh Thuan and Ho Chi Minh City, as well as in successfully treating severe COVID-19 cases.

Moreover, the Ministry of Health has mobilised approximately 1,000 volunteers to Da Nang in an effort to strengthen prevention and control measures in the central city. It has provided training on COVID-19 testing and contact tracing for volunteer students and lecturers from local universities.

The ministry has also mobilised five lecturers and 150 students from Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy to Da Nang in order to support supervision work taking place at quarantine camps, in addition to taking tests and carrying out other relevant activities.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health has requested that Da Nang speed up the tracking of suspected COVID-19 cases and take urgent prevention and control measures throughout the locality. It asked the city to be well prepared for large-scale testing and ensure sufficient medical supplies for this campaign.

Da Nang confirmed 45 more locally transmitted coronavirus cases on July 31 morning alone, bringing the total number of new cases in the city to 79 over just five days.