Ho Chi Minh City: Only Testing for COVID-19 in High-risk Places, Not All People
Talking to Tuoi Tre Online on the morning of May 31, Mr. Nguyen Hoai Nam - Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health - informed that the health sector is now speeding up large-scale testing for people in high-risk areas and recording COVID-19 cases, mainly focusing on Go Vap Districts and Tan Phu Districts, then expanding to other areas.
People living around alley 637 Quang Trung, Ward 11, Go Vap District were sampled for a COVID-19 screening test
As regards the object of application, Mr. Nam said that under the direction of the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, the priority will be given to members of the polling station and members of Revival Ekklesia Mission Vietnam; all workers in export processing zones, industrial parks, and high-tech zones.
"Temporarily, we will focus on these areas, then expand to high-risk localities, not the whole city," Mr.Nam emphasized.
In Go Vap District, particularly, Ms. Nguyen Thi Huynh Mai - Chief of the Office of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health - presented that many wards of the district have been sampled for large-scale testing and the health sector is continuing to take samples and moving towards area testing across the district.
"Go Vap district has recorded many positive cases related to the Revival Ekklesia Mission. Therefore, the health sector prioritizes sampling on a large scale in this area," said Mai, and it is reported that the number of residents in the whole Go Vap District is approximately 670,000 people.
According to the Department of Health, on May 30, 82,199 samples (mainly from Go Vap District) were taken and the total number of samples taken since May 26 in many districts is 151,487 samples.
Previously, during an emergency meeting on COVID-19 prevention on May 30, Chairman of the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, Nguyen Thanh Phong, directed that the sampling focuses initially on constituencies, election teams, and other places related to members of the Revival Ekklesia Mission.
In addition, all more than 280,000 workers and 3,000 experts in industrial parks, export processing zones, and high-tech zones will also be sampled for testing.
Regarding human resources for health, the Chairman of the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City proposed to mobilize more students from the University of Medicine and Pharmacy and University of Medicine Pham Ngoc Thach to assist in taking samples for testing.
Assoc. Prof. Ph.D. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Hiep - Executive Vice-Rector of Pham Ngoc Thach Medical University (HCMC) - said that from the evening of May 29, 120 students volunteered (mainly year 4, year 5) from the school went to Go Vap district to take samples for COVID-19 testing overnight for people here. Besides, the school also prepares 180 students to go out at any time when the medical industry needs it.