Doctors and nurses from Đà Nẵng Rehabilitation and Orthopedics Hospital celebrate after the lockdown decision was removed on Tuesday morning. — VNS Photo Lê Lâm

ĐÀ NẴNG — Barriers in the locked-down Rehabilitation and Orthopedics Hospital and three sections of streets surrounding the hospital were removed early on Tuesday morning.

Doctors, nurses and more than 3,000 residents of the streets celebrated the re-opening of the hospital and the living quarters in the downtown area.

It’s the second hospital in the lockdown zone that has been re-opened after C Hospital last weekend.

Nearly 400 doctors, nurses and patients at the hospital have tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 three times.

However, doctors, nurses and residents in the lockdown zone will self-isolate at home for two more weeks to ensure they are completely free from coronavirus infection, according to the city’s Centre for Disease Centre (CDC).

The lockdown will remain at Đà Nẵng General Hospital after two weeks of isolation and the closure will be kept till the last COVID-19 patients leave the hospital.

The city has assigned two pagodas – Khuê Mỹ and Linh Ứng – in Sơn Trà District, and a hostel of the Đà Nẵng Sports College in Liên Chiểu district as new quarantine centres for hosting close contacts of COVID-19 patients.

It said the 200-bed Hòa Vang field hospital – treating 155 COVID-19 patients – would be full in the coming days, and a new field hospital at Tiên Sơn Sports Centre, with 300 beds initially, will be soon put into operation.

Local residents at the locked-down living quarters in Đà Nẵng City's downtown are happy after the closure ended after two weeks of isolation. — VNS Photo Lê Lâm

According to the CDC, 21,030 people had been identified as close COVID-19 patients contact cases since the first COVID-19 patient of the new outbreak was found in the city on July 24. A total 51,000 samples have been taken, of which 46,385 (90 per cent) tested negative for SARS-CoV-2.

The city has set up 1,600 response teams to fight the pandemic.

Four COVID-19 patients were released from the city’s Lung Disease Hospital after treatment on Monday, while 18 other COVID patients had tested negative for SARS-CoV-2.

A team of 37 doctors and nurses from Thừa Thiên-Huế was sent to help Đà Nẵng.

Thừa Thiên-Huế Province has launched online registration (tuongtac.thuathienhue.gov.vn) for tourists and residents from other provinces to get permission to enter Huế City.

The province said tourists must fill in a health declaration, vehicle declaration and purpose of travel for approval by local authorities. However, it said all people returning from COVID-19 hotspots in Đà Nẵng, Quảng Nam and Quảng Ngãi must be isolated for 14 days before entering the city.

A doctor prepares medicine for COVID-19 patients at a hospital in Đà Nẵng. — Photo courtesy of Đà Nẵng Portal

In Quảng Nam Province, local public security officials, in co-operation with authorities in Lạng Sơn Province, deported 21 Chinese nationals who had illegally entered the province.

The province said the 21 Chinese nationals had been quarantined for two weeks and all had tested negative with SARS-CoV-2 before leaving the province. — VNS