The healthcare centre of Dien Bien Phu city, Dien Bien province, has been designated as a temporary hospital for COVID-19 treatment (Photo: VNA) As of the end of February 5, Ha Long city in northernQuang Ninh province, one of the two localities where the new outbreak began,had collected more than 8,000 samples from four high-risk wards, Ha Khau, GiengDay, Bai Chay, and Hung Thang, which are all related to five COVID-19 casesin Ha Khau.
Apart from testing local residents, Ha Long alsoprioritises giving tests for all medical staff, inpatients and outpatients in allhospitals, high-risk workers in healthcare establishments, people coming fromoutbreak-hit areas and those with close contact with them, personnel working inthe frontlines, sellers in markets, drivers from outbreak-hit areas, and theones guarding markets and shopping centres.
The city plans to complete widespread testing beforeFebruary 8 so as to identify safe areas for Lunar New Year celebrations.
Quang Ninh province has recorded 46 local infectionsof COVID-19 in the latest outbreak since January 27.
In the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai, 4,134samples had been taken for testing as of 5pm on February 5. They include 18positive for the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and 3,270 others negative while theremaining 846 are still waiting for testing results.
Nguyen Thi Thanh Lich, Vice Chairwoman of theprovincial People’s Committee and deputy head of the Gia Lai steering committeefor COVID-19 prevention and control, said efforts have been boosted on February6 to collect samples from all residents in Ayun Pa township and Ia Pa district, twohotbeds in Gia Lai, in order to contain the outbreak as soon as possible.
In the northwestern province of Dien Bien, which has registeredthree locally-infected cases, the healthcare centre of Dien Bien Phu city hasbeen chosen to become a temporary hospital for COVID-19 treatment.
Dao Xuan Co, Deputy Director of the Hanoi-based BachMai Hospital, told local authorities at a meeting on February 6 that hishospital has sent personnel and equipment to support the newly designatedestablishment.
A delegation from the Hanoi-based National Instituteof Hygiene and Epidemiology also came to Dien Bien on February 6 to help the provinceimprove testing capacity.
As of February 6 morning, Vietnam hadreported 1,976 cases of COVID-19. They include 1,087 cases of communitytransmission, with 394 posted since January 27, when the new outbreak started.
As many as 1,465 patients have recovered while thenumber of related deaths stays unchanged, at 35, according to the NationalSteering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control./.
VNA
