HCM City must consider alternative if case numbers continue rising

Ho Chi Minh City should devise a new plan in the event that COVID-19 cases and fatalities continue to rise over the next week.


Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh was speaking this during a recent virtual meeting to review the seven- day enforcement of social distancing measures throughout the city under the Government’s Directive 16.

Binh praised the all-out anti-pandemic efforts by the municipal administration and residents, while stressing that more stronger measures should be taken to halt the rapid spreading of the virus to the community.

According to Nguyen Van Nen, secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, seven days on from implementing social distancing measures under Directive 16, the entire political system has taken drastic COVID-19 containment efforts. This has involved rapidly increasing testing capacity, tracing cases and isolating them for treatment, and the vaccination programme starting to prove effective.

Despite suffering from unprecedented pressure that have gone far beyond the city's previous preparations, the southern metropolis has promptly dealt with the complicated pandemic situation by increasing human resources and medical equipment in order to better meet the growing need for treatment.

At present, Ho Chi Minh City has basically prevented previous sources of infection, reducing the spread of pathogens within the local community. In particular, some areas have also seen large infection chains brought under control, quickly tracing thousands of F0 cases as a means of isolating them from the community.

"In the coming time, the city needs to work out a plan to prepare for the situation that neighboring localities simultaneously practice social distancing according to Directive 16, thus resulting in more difficult transportation of goods. Consequently functional forces need to be active and flexible in dealing with all situations related to people's lives,” Nen said.

The number of asymptomatic F0 cases makes up approximately 80% of infections and must be transferred to other localities to reduce the burden at treatment sites based in the city, Deputy PM Truong Hoa Binh said. He added that from now until the end of the implementation period of Directive 16, municipal agencies must focus on carefully evaluating the pandemic situation to make appropriate decisions.

Nguyen Thanh Phong, chairman of the municipal People’s Committee, requested that testing should be carried out swiftly and accurately to detect F0 cases, along with quickly bringing them to treatment areas as fast as possible. Districts and Thu Duc city must also set up a testing team involved in data entry, testing, and returning test results to people.

In terms of concentrated isolation areas, it remains necessary to tighten security, strictly comply with social distancing measures, and ensure enough medical equipment to reduce F0 cases, whilst also avoid cross-infection cases which now stand at 38%, Phong added.

He also underscored the necessity of taking advantage of the "golden time" of tracing F0 cases within seven days, thereby shortening the time to take them to treatment sites. The health sector should therefore focus on treating severe F0 patients and those with underlying health conditions to minimise fatalities.

Since the fourth wave broke out in late April, which has proved to be the most challenging faced by the nation, the country has recorded over 38,000 cases in 58 of its 63 cities and provinces.

Ho Chi Minh City is leading the case count with more than 22,500 infections, with the Health Ministry predicting that the southern city will continue to see a higher tally over the coming days.

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