Hai Duong conducts large-scale testing for COVID-19 from Feb 24

Health officials collect swab samples from a driver. (Photo: VNA)

Hai Duong (VNA) – The northern province of Hai
Duong, the country’s current largest hotspot of COVID-19, plans to conduct large-scale
testing for the novel coronavirus, using technology, from February
24.

The move aims to measure the spread of COVID-19 in the province
to help it respond better to the disease while identifying safe areas to boost economic
recovery.

People targeted by the testing are divided into three groups:
the high-risk group who are people from Chi Linh and cities, and
Kim Thanh and Cam Giang districts; the medium-risk including people from the
districts of Kinh Mon, Nam Sach and Binh Giang; and the low-risk comprising
those from Ninh Giang, Thanh Ha, Tu Ky, Gia Loc and Thanh Mien.

Hai Duong now has six labs for testing using
Realtime-PCR, located in the provincial Centre for Disease Control, General
Hospital, Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Children’s Hospital, Tuberculosis and
Lung Disease Hospital, and the Hospital of Hai Duong Medical Technical
University.

The province is now capable of collecting 50,000 to 60,000
samples and processing as much as 8,500 individual test
samples on a daily basis. The results normally come out after 24 hours.

Hai Duong recorded 625 cases of COVID-19 as of 16:00 on February 23, making it the hardest hit by
the pandemic in the country to date./.