Youth volunteers combat COVID-19 in concentrated quarantine sites in Da Nang

Concentrated quarantine sites were promptly established, receiving more and more people that have close contact with COVID-19 patients. When volunteer youth union members were called upon to rally all efforts in the city’s fight against the epidemic, Oanh responded to the call without any hesitation.

It took Oanh three days to convince her parent to take the voluntary job. On August 5, she became an official member of the voluntary team at the quarantine site which was set up at the Da Nang’s College of Food Industry.

Oanh joined a team of 10 members who have been providing support for nearly 130 quarantined people every day. The team members divide their work into morning, afternoon and evening working sessions so that each of them can enjoy a short break.

On her first days at work, some quarantined people whom she delivered meals to then tested positive to coronavirus, making Oanh quite anxious. However, she learnt to wear her protective suit properly, spray herself with disinfectant and take necessary precautions to protect her health from the virus.

Oanh accomplished her voluntary job and is currently undergoing 14 days of self-isolation at home.

“I have had a lot of memorable moments during my days working at the quarantined sites. Everyone at the site are always exchanging words of encouragement and working together to overcome this difficult period of time,” Oanh said.

Meanwhile, Phan Thi Le, 19-year-old student of Duy Tan University, has worked as volunteer at the quarantine site at Da Nang Riverside Hotel in Son Tra District since August 4.

“I’m young and I want to contribute to the city,” Le said, sharing that she was a little bit anxious for living far from home at first, but her anxiety was quickly swept away after working with her five other teammates.

At Da Nang Riverside Hotel, which registered to become an isolation site for more than 200 doctors and medical doctors, Le and five other volunteers start their day at 6 AM to deliver breakfast to quarantined people.

Le shared that she was living through days full of experiences in which she has learnt a lot from others in a community whose members have offered empathy and support to each other. “This voluntary job has made me love my life even more,” Le stated.

Oanh and Le are among 54 people who are voluntarily working at 10 concentrated isolation sites in Son Tra District. The youngest was 16, and the oldest are those who lost their jobs due to COVID-19.

Before taking the job, all of the volunteers received training on measures to prevent and control COVID-19, as well as instructions on how to wear the protective suit correctly, their job description, and basic regulations to protect themselves there.

Every day, they are assigned to deliver meals to quarantined people, collect garbage, arrange empty rooms to receive newcomers to the site, and assist medical workers in measuring body temperature for all quarantined people twice a day.

Oanh and Le are representatives of the thousands of youth union members in Da Nang City who are willing to lend a helping hand to the battle against COVID-19. Their vitality and enthusiastic participation in the fight have contributed to helping the city overcome challenges of the epidemic and bringing life back to normal.