Doctors at the Huế Central Hospital check health for COVID-19 patients. Three out of 12 seriously ill COVID-19 patients have tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 for a fourth time at the hospital. — Photo courtesy of Huế Central Hospital

CENTRAL REGION — Three out of 12 seriously ill COVID-19 patients being treated at the Huế Central Hospital have tested negative with SARS-CoV-2 for the fourth time since they were transferred there from Đà Nẵng City.

Doctors from the hospital said the test results of three patients (No 476, 507 and 523) were all negative as of Sunday, but they needed more tests and care to completely recover from COVID-19.

Meanwhile, patient No 452 tested negative for the second time and three others (No 481, 483, 484) have been negative for SARS-CoV-2 once, the hospital revealed.

The Quảng Nam Province Centre for Disease Control (CDC) has been tracing people who had close contact with a member of the centre, who is a new COVID-19 patient (No 964), as the patient attended to a wedding in Đà Nẵng on July 11 before visiting supermarkets in Tam Kỳ City.

Director of the provincial health department Nguyễn Văn Hai said the patient, who tested negative on August 13, has been isolated at a health centre. She did not have a fever, but only a slight cough.

He said 300 people including 154 CDC members had tested negative for SARS-CoV-2.

Pagoda lockdown over and other developments

Lockdown ended at the Bảo Thắng Pagoda in Hội An as 29 Buddhist nuns tested negative with SARS-CoV-2 as of Sunday. Social distancing orders remain in place in the tourism hub, while two living quarters in An Hội and Minh An districts have been locked down until the end of August.

Quảng Nam has tested total 67,530 samples, of which 62,019 were negative, accounting for 88.9 per cent. More than 4,200 people have been released from quarantine centres, while 95 COVID-19 patients have been given treatment in provincial hospitals and in Đà Nẵng.

The central city of Đà Nẵng closed Tân An market in Thanh Khê District on Sunday as a COVID-19 patient (No 887), a street vendor, had visited the site three times before she tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 on August 12. Phù Đổng Street in Cẩm Lệ District and three living quarters in Thanh Khê District were locked down on Sunday after 11 COVID-19 patients were reported in the area.

Medical workers check a housewife at the entrance of a traditional market in Đà Nẵng City. More living quarters and markets were closed at the city as COVID-19 patients had visited the site. — Photo courtesy of Đà Nẵng Portal

According to the city’s CDC, a policewoman, who had guarded the city’s administrative centre and check-points, tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. She is being treated at the Hòa Vang field hospital.

The city’s People’s Committee has asked the Government and Ministry of Transport to help transport home 20,000 stranded workers and students in hostels and apartments.

It said 16,000 workers and 4,000 students from neighbouring provinces have registered for assistance to go home.

The city asked the transport ministry to use trains to carry the stranded workers and students home in the coming days.

Đà Nẵng will provide a 5kg rice portion for each poor people for two weeks and VNĐ40,000 worth of necessities daily in the locked-down areas.

Meanwhile, underprivileged people will receive 15kg of rice for a month from the city’s aid fund.

Lockdown was also lifted in Buôn Ma Thuột City in the Central Highlands Đắk Lắk Province from Sunday, but social distancing orders remain. All gatherings of less than 30 people and trade service are allowed, but sanitary and safe distance among people at public sites is strictly required. — VNS