COVID-19 monitoring tightened at health facilities

After going through 99 days without a community infection, since July 25, hospitals in Vietnam, especially in the central city of Da Nang, have detected a number of new COVID-19 cases, including among medical staff. The sources of the transmissions are yet to be identified.

The steering committee requested that people’s committees, directors of health departments, and heads of hospitals in cities and provinces nationwide quickly bring their disease prevention and control measures up to speed.

Such measures include tightening the implementation of COVID-19-related regulations at health facilities, making lists of and monitoring medical staff and patients linked to confirmed cases, and increasing screening work to promptly detect infections.

The Department for Management of Medical Examinations and Treatment as well as the inspection unit at the Health Ministry, and city and provincial health departments have been tasked with ensuring the dispatch is followed. These agencies have also been asked to propose the Health Ministry and the local people’s committees consider temporary closure of high-risk hospitals.