Deputy Health Minister Nguyễn Trường Sơn is leading a special standing group on COVID-19 in Đà Nẵng City – a disease hotspot in Việt Nam. — Photo suckhoedoisong.vn

HÀ NỘI — The current COVID-19 outbreak in Việt Nam looks set to peak in 10 days, Deputy Health Minister Nguyễn Trường Sơn said, reported Sức khoẻ & Đời sống (Health & Life) newspaper on Thursday.

The deputy minister, also head of the special standing group on COVID-19 in Đà Nẵng City, said drastic measures had been carried out to trace COVID-19 suspects and isolate disease-prone areas.

He said that based on the data on the virus infections, health experts highly recommended that for the next 10 days, people should be very cautious and strictly implement preventive measures, particularly those in Đà Nẵng.

As social distancing measures were being implemented in the city, it was expected after the social distancing period, the number of new COVID-19 cases would reduce and the disease would be better controlled.

Earlier, a COVID-19 outbreak appeared at Bạch Mai Hospital, with workers of Trường Sinh Company – a food service provider at the hospital, and some nurses infected the virus.

This time, the outbreak resurged at three hospitals in Đà Nẵng with patients, patients’ caregivers and health workers infected, Sơn said.

He said that besides patients whose links to the hospitals were identified, some patients had unidentified infection sources or were not related to the three hospitals, which caused difficulties in tracing suspected cases and isolating affected areas.

The health ministry quickly responded to the outbreak of COVID-19 in Đà Nẵng including by assigning task forces for testing, treating, tracing and communicating in the central city.

Psychologists were also sent to the disease-stricken areas to minimise public panic and reassure people.

“We have done a good job in disease prevention and control and we have to do better and better,” Sơn said, calling for more efforts in speeding up testing, tracing ability and medical treatment, especially for those with serious illness.

Sơn also called on the public to strictly follow the Government’s directions and trust in the country’s health sector. — VNS