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HCMC will carry out Covid-19 vaccination through the Lunar New Year. (Photo: SGGP) |
The Department of Health of HCMC, on January 11, sent an urgent document to the People's Committees of districts and Thu Duc City; the HCMC Center for Disease Control (HCDC); public and non-public medical facilities on the implementation of Covid-19 prevention and control during the Lunar New Year and the festival season in 2023 in the city.
Strengthening pandemic prevention at border gates and seaports
According to the Department of Health of HCMC, the sub-variant XBB.1.5 has not appeared in Vietnam like in other countries in the globe. However, cross-border exchanges, travel, and trade will increase during the upcoming Tet holiday, so the risk that sub-variants of the coronavirus penetrate the country is relatively high. Faced with that situation, the Department of Health requested HCDC and public and non-public health facilities to strengthen pandemic prevention work at border gates and seaports.
Specifically, at Tan Son Nhat airport, the health sector will monitor all people entering the country with a remote body temperature meter and actual observation 24/7. People with suspected symptoms will be taken to a temporary isolation area for screening, epidemiological factors, and sampling for Covid-19 rapid tests.
In case the rapid test result is negative, the passenger will continue to go through immigration procedures and be instructed to self-monitor at the accommodation. In case of a positive rapid test result, HCDC will coordinate with departments to expedite immigration procedures for the patient, then transfer the patient to the Hospital for Tropical Diseases for RT-PCR testing and gene sequencing; disinfect aircraft, isolation areas, internal aisles to prevent disease spread.
At the seaports, the health sector will be on duty 24/7 to collect information about ships entering the seaports. When there is information that a crew member has suspected symptoms of Covid-19, HCDC will board the ship to check and perform a quick test.
In case the rapid test is negative, the crew members continue to work normally and are instructed to self-monitor. In case the rapid test is positive, and the patient has mild or no symptoms, they will be isolated at the ship. HCDC will guide pandemic prevention measures and notify departments to prevent infection. The remaining crew members work normally. HCDC will take samples and transfer them to the Hospital for Tropical Diseases for RT-PCR testing and gene sequencing
In case the patient has severe symptoms, HCDC will coordinate with departments to carry out procedures for crew members to disembark, then transfer the patient to the Hospital for Tropical Diseases for care, treatment, RT-PCR testing, and gene sequencing and disinfect ships and related areas to prevent disease spread.
Boosting vaccination, ready to activate field hospital
In addition, the health sector will promote Covid-19 vaccination, organizing the peak month of vaccination from January 5 to the end of February 2, including the Lunar New Year holidays, to create all favorable conditions for all people to be vaccinated on schedule. Specifically, the city general hospitals, obstetrics and gynecology hospitals, district hospitals, health centers, and all medical stations in the area are assigned to organize vaccination sites in the peak month.
As for the seven days of the Lunar New Year holiday from January 20 to January 26, each locality maintains at least two fixed vaccination sites at district hospitals and health centers. The Department of Health requested the People's Committees of districts and Thu Duc City to direct the People's Committees of wards, communes, and towns to review and make a list of people aged 18 years or older who have not been vaccinated or given enough doses; propagandize and encourage people to agree on vaccination. Especially, they should note the list of people in high-risk groups (people aged 50 years or older, people with underlying medical conditions); publicize the list of injection sites, and schedule for people to actively register for injections.
The Department of Health will maintain the No.13 Field Hospital, ready to activate within 24 hours when the pandemic situation worsens. All general and specialized hospitals in the city, except cosmetic hospitals, must be ready to receive, collect, and treat Covid-19 patients at Covid-19 departments/units. At the same time, they must review, correct, and strengthen the collection, management, and treatment of Covid-19 cases to reduce the risk of severe disease, minimize mortality, and protect at-risk groups in healthcare facilities.
The HCMC health sector is ready to deploy 10,000 beds, including 1,000 ICU beds for Covid-19 patients. The Hospital for Tropical Diseases is assigned to be the highest-level hospital to treat severe and critical Covid-19 patients. The city's highest-level general and specialized hospitals receive, provide emergency care, and treat patients with comorbidities or severe underlying medical conditions infected with Covid-19 transferred by lower-level hospitals.
All hospitals in the city must be ready in terms of human resources, facilities, equipment, medicines, and vehicles and on duty 24/7 to meet medical examination and treatment requirements and emergencies during the Lunar New Year and festival season in 2023.
The Department of Health also requested the HCDC and the District Health Center, Thu Duc City ensure the 24-hour shifts to report new cases of Covid-19 and other infectious diseases, such as dengue fever and influenza A (H5N1, H7N9) and report daily pandemic prevention activities. They must strengthen the operation of the surveillance system to detect early Covid-19 outbreaks and clusters of Covid-19 cases and respiratory infections with evolutions and abnormal increases over time and by region.
For organizers of events and festivals that gather a large number of people, it is necessary to strictly implement measures to prevent the Covid-19 pandemic. HCDC is assigned to develop pandemic prevention and control scenarios and carry out drills to be ready to respond to situations when the pandemic develops complicatedly.
