Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son guides a woman to perform test on her own (Photo: SGGP)
Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son, Head of the Special Standing Department of the Ministry of Health in Ho Chi Minh City, sent an open letter to residents in the southern metropolis encouraging people to perform quick Covid-19 tests on their own and their families as a way to join hands in the city's battle against the epidemic.
In the open letter, the Deputy Minister of Health stated that city dwellers have spent more than 100 hard days when implementing stricter social distancing mandates in an effort to prevent the spread of the circulating Delta variant of Covid-19.
All city residents have made concerted efforts to fight the pandemic with the help of medical staff throughout the city and other forces from corners of the country. Currently, the prevention and control of the Covid-19 epidemic have achieved some primary achievements and some places have put the pandemic under control.
Since The Delta variant causes more infections and spreads faster than early forms of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, testing and timely treatment are the key factors in Vietnam’s preventative strategy for the fight against the coronavirus and other countries around the world.
According to Mr. Son, the city has been applying a strategy of widespread testing for all people in the city under the direction of the Prime Minister and the National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control. Frontline medical staff, volunteers, and other forces have accelerated testing.
However, due to the large population of the city and shortage of human resources, some districts have not carried out tests again to eliminate infection cases. Worse, some places have not ensured safety resulting in a risk of infection to both medical workers who take samples and residents.
To help people self-test, the Ministry of Health and the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health have developed instructions with pictures and video clips on media and social networks. In addition, local health facilities and health care workers collecting samples for tests voluntarily help people self-test at home.
According to Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son, controlling and soon repelling the epidemic is the desire and aspiration not only of the people of Ho Chi Minh City but all Vietnamese residents. People in the city all are willing to undergo tests regularly and their test results will be sent to local health authorities.
A resident perfoms her own Covid-19 test at home (Photo: SGGP)
