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Deputy PM Vu Duc Dam speaks at the meeting (Photo: VNA)

Speaking at a meeting of the committee on August 2, Dam called on each resident and all-level authorities to take responsibility for the pandemic combat, and stay vigilant.

He ordered tightening COVID-19 prevention and control measures in medical, army and police sectors, and reviewing medical check-ups and treatment in hospitals, with attention paid to departments with patients in critical conditions.

Apart from the main hospitals in Da Nang where the outbreak began, response efforts will be expanded in communities in the city as well as nearby province of Quang Nam, Dam requested.

He urged all people to use Bluezone, a Bluetooth-based app that helps determine if a person has come into contact with a COVID-19 patient, and the nCOVI app for health declaration and monitoring.

As for provinces with the high risk of transmission, Dam asked the Ministry of Education and Training to coordinate with the Ministry of Health in reviewing regulations, prioritising the organisation of the high school graduation exams.

The health ministry reported that as 9am on August 2, Vietnam had recorded 590 COVID-19 patients, including 323 imported cases, and five deaths. Of the total cases, 373 have recovered.

Since July 25, the country has reported 144 cases in seven cities and provinces, including 105 in Da Nang, 25 in Quang Nam, one in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak, eight in Ho Chi Minh City, two in central Quang Ngai province, two in Hanoi and one in Thai Binh.

Apart from imported cases, all of the new cases are linked to the outbreak in hospitals in Da Nang.

Speaking at the meeting, Acting Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long said it is expected to take longer time to cope with this outbreak as compared with the previous ones, as it is taking place more rapidly and complicatedly.

Statistics from the health ministry also unveiled that from July 1-29, about 1.4 million people returned from Da Nang or visited medical facilities nationwide. Meanwhile, 800,000 people have been to the three hospitals involved in the outbreak in Da Nang, including 46,000 coming for health check-up and treatment.

More cases are likely to be detected in Da Nang and other localities across the country in the time ahead, Long warned.

Participants at the meeting agreed to propose the classification of localities based on three levels of risks, in order to impose suitable measures, with Da Nang and Quang Nam in the group of high risks.

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