A mass test carries out at Thọ Quang fishing port in Đà Nẵng. The site hosts more than 3,000 people with 450 fishing boats each day. VNS Photo Anh Đào

CENTRAL REGION — People experiencing serious kidney disease and cancer patients in the central city of Đà Nẵng will receive the Moderna vaccine from July 28 to September 5.

The city’s health department said 33,600 COVID-19 Moderna vaccines have been set aside for risky patients and pandemic frontline forces. 

Doctors from the city’s oncology hospital said the first 23 in-patients out of 650 had received their first shot, while 5,000 out-patients will be receiving theirs over the next few days.

Dr Lê Thị Vân from the hospital said cancer in-patients have received comprehensive treatment and have received three free meals a day.

The city’s General Hospital has been calling for blood donations from volunteers as blood reserves have hit a critical low with less than a week's supply on hand.

Operations suspended

A total of 19 positive SARS-COV-2 cases were detected earlier this week at the Thọ Quang fishing port – one of the largest fishing logistics centres in central Việt Nam. In order to prevent further infections in the community, the city’s People’s Committee has decided to shut down the site for one week from Monday (July 26).

Fish markets in Sơn Trà District were forced to close on Monday.

The fishing port hosts 450 fishing boats and more than 3,000 people from the central provinces and the city visiting each day.

Đà Sơn slaughter-house in Liên Chiểu District also suspended operations on Monday as 24 infection cases were reported at the site.

Nearly 1 million tests have been carried out in the community testing programme since early May, the city’s Centre for Disease Control reported.

Quảng Nam province said at least 18 cases had been found at mass quarantine centres in Tiên Phước district, Hội An city and Điện Bàn town from July 25-27.

Thừa Thiên Huế and Quảng Ngãi warned that people returning from COVID-19 hotspots in HCM City and neighbouring provinces could spread the infection far and wide, even people who have tested negative.

The two provinces have been transporting native people living in HCM City and southern provinces to their hometowns since last week. It has however been suggested that people should reconsider plans to return home from HCM City.

Another caravan of at least 500 workers and vendors on motorbikes from HCM City returning to their hometowns was also detected. This is on top of an earlier caravan of 137 detected on the weekend. — VNS