Doctors and nurses walk through entrance of the C Hospital in Đa Nẵng after lockdown was lifted. — VNA/VNS Photo: Le Lam

Da Nang —  August 8, a hospital involved in the latest COVID-19 outbreak in the city has reopened after two weeks under strict lockdown. 

Barriers were lifted at Danang Hospital C, where the first COVID-19 patient in Danang’s outbreak was confirmed, at the stroke of midnight Saturday morning, but only to emergency cases and seriously ill patients who had been treated there in the past, according to VNS.

Nguyen Trong Thien, Director of the hospital, said they were ready to take on treatment. However, strict safety measures would still be applied for all patients and staff to defeat the disease.

He shared that more than 1,000 people locked down at the hospital over the past two weeks had all tested negative twice for SARS-CoV-2.

Also 365 medical staff and 300 heath workers isolated outside the hospital have the same results. 

C Hospital run by the Ministry of Health was the medical centre where the first locally transmitted coronavirus case was detected on July 25.  Photo: VOV

Earlier, August 7, the hospital was cleaned thoroughly to prepare for the reopening, after 14 days of lockdown since July 24 as recording an infected case.

Two other hospitals in the city – the General Hospital and the hospital for Rehabilitations and Orthopedics – have also been locked down and streets around the buildings closed, according to VNS. 

Local authorities scrambled to impose a 14-day lockdown on the hospital on July 24 to test all medical workers and patients and disinfect the hospital. Photo: VOV

At 0.00hrs the security guard pulls the sliding door, marking the resumption of hospital services.  Photo: VOV

Only ambulances are allowed carrying emergency and critically cases to the hospital after the lockdown was eased at site.

Doctors and nurses waving in front of the hospital. Photo: Nhandan

The city would reopen the General Hospital soon after cleaning activities are completed. Hoan My Private Hospital and Hai Chau health centre would be sterilised before they too reopen, reported VNS.