HCM City, Hanoi accelerate testing, vaccinations against COVID-19

Woman vaccinated against COVID-19 (Photo: VNA)

(VNA) – Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are taking every effort
to speed up as the two largest cities
of Vietnam continue experiencing complex developments of the pandemic.

’s Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention
and Control held a press briefing on September 7 to update information about
vaccination situation in the city.

Vietnam’s current biggest COVID-19 hotspot has to date
injected over 6.72 million people. It is striving to give the first jab for all
people aged from 18 and the second shot for those who are due to receive
the next injection.

Amidst the complicated developments of the pandemic, the
Prime Minister has requested the Defence Minister, the Secretaries of Party
Committees and Chairpersons of People’s Committee of Hai Phong city and Bac
Giang, Vinh Phuc, Bac Ninh, Hai Duong, Hung Yen, Ha Nam, Nam Dinh, Thai Binh
and Hoa Binh provinces to proactively prepare human resources to be ready to
support Hanoi in rapid testing, classification of patients for suitable care
and treatment, tracing of possible contacts with patients, and organisation of
vaccination against when necessary.

Taking samples for COVID-19 testing (Photo: VNA)

As of September 6, Hanoi had administered 2.4 million vaccine
doses, covering about 35 percent of the city’s population aged 18 and above.
According to the Hanoi Centre for Disease Control, in the coming days, the city
will accelerate vaccination when sufficient vaccines are allocated.

In compliance with an official dispatch issued by Chairman of
the municipal People’s Committee Chu Ngoc Anh, the capital city will conduct mass
testing for all residents from September 6-12.

Accordingly, those living in locked-down, quarantine and
extremely high-risk areas will be tested every 2-3 days. Others in high-risk
areas will have samples collected every 5-7 days to “filter out”
COVID-19 cases from the community./.