At the meeting
Dr. Hung made the announcement at the conference of the city Steering Board for Prevention and Control of Covid-19 yesterday. One of the measures the health sector in HCMC is carrying out tests to discover people infected by coronavirus in the community. Therefore, the health sector must finish taking samples no later than today to adopt next measures to control the pandemic.
Dr. Hung revealed that the health sector detected more than 6,000 positive cases out of more than 170,000 samples taken on August 23. This is an acceptable rate because it is still lower than the 5 percent rate recommended by the World Health Organization.
Dr. Hung warned the number of people with Covid-19 will surge leading to expansion of hospitals; additionally, the city will apply home-based care for infected people in districts.
Speaking at the conference, Deputy Head of the Steering Board Pham Duc Hai said Ho Chi Minh City is strengthening preventive measures in the fight against coronavirus. City authorities decided to apply social distancing, carry out rapid testing on a large scale, provide timely treatment to reduce mortality, maintain social security and vaccination.
According to Mr. Pham Duc Hai, the city has lately focused on managing beggars and vagrants while practicing social distancing. At the same time, the city is focusing on providing medical care and nurturing homeless vagrants.
The city has requested the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs to coordinate with the police force, military, health, people's committees in districts to gather vagabonds and people living in public places for testing.
If the rapid test results are negative, these homeless beggars will be admitted to the social centers but if their test results are positive, they will be admitted to the concentrated isolation area of the district or the city.
All residents in HCMC’s red zones undergo Covid-19 testing by today afternoon For homeless drug addicts who test positive have no symptoms or have mild symptoms, they will be taken to an isolation center, and those who are serious will be taken to Cu Chi field hospital, Mr. Hai said.
Regarding vaccination in the city, Mr. Hai said that by the end of August 23, approximately 5,501,732 city dwellers have been inoculated against Covid-19. About 5,291,196 people received one shot of vaccine, reaching 78.9 vaccination rate for people over 18 years old while 210,536 people received two shots of vaccine, reaching 3.1 percent for people over 18 years old.
The health sector has provided good care and support to Covid-19 infected patients at home. Moreover, the sector has so far established 274 mobile medical stations and will do their best to establish additional 400 stations as planned.
The city received a variety of items such as necessities worth more than VND594,774,000 (US$26,020) from businesses and benefactors on August 24. Social centers have coordinated with relevant agencies to give 2 million bags of gifts each worth VND300,000 for disadvantaged people in the city affected by the Covid-19 epidemic.
Additional 347,000 gifts have been brought to help to disadvantaged households in districts by August 23.
In response to city authorities’ appeal, more than 20,000 landlords in Ho Chi Minh City have exempted or reduced rental for poor workers with a total value of VND158 billion, Mr. Hai informed.
According to Senior Colonel Le Manh Ha, Deputy Head of the Advisory Police Department, the City People's Committee assigned police force to print and manage the issuance of travel permits for groups of forces allowed to travel in the city. Police officers were assigned to print and issue travel permits to companies and organizations according to the document of the City People's Committee on regulations on 17 groups of people prioritized for going out.
Ho Chi Minh City police will not directly issue travel permits but are only assigned to print and manage the issuance of papers, said Senior Colonel Le Manh Ha.
