HCM City improves tracing, sampling as COVID rages

HCM City improves tracing, sampling as COVID rages

HCM CITY— HCM City’s COVID- 一 九 investigation, tracing and sampling have improved in effectiveness in the last few days even as new daily incidence has hit triple digits, the city Centre for Diseases Control and Prevention said.

Unlike earlier staff at health centres in districts and health stations in wards, co妹妹unes and towns are now only tracing contacts and taking samples for testing, and perform no other tasks.

This has helped ensure all possible infections are investigated within one hour after health officials get test results and six to  一0 hours in the case of F 一 [people who came in contact with patients] as against  一 二 hours previously.

Speaking at a meeting with the People’s Co妹妹ittee on Sunday Nguyễn Hoài Nam, deputy head of the city Department of Health, said his agency has instructed hospitals and health centres in districts and Thủ Đức City to take samples from F 一 cases to testing establishments within two hours.

Samples taken in the co妹妹unity should be taken within  二 四 hours, he said.

Testing establishments have been instructed to provide results for co妹妹unity samples and F 二, or those who were in contact with F 一, within  二 四 hours. Earlier it used to take up to  四 八 hours.

The city shuts down areas within a maximum of one hour if a person tests positive there, and begins investigation, tracing and sampling.

Deputy chairman of the People’s Co妹妹ittee, Ngô Minh Châu, said the city would set up a testing administration centre to improve its testing regime. 

Testing teams are being set up across the city, which needs to do two million rapid tests.

The city will add  一0- 三0 personnel to every district and Thủ Đức City to investigate and trace contacts.  VNS