HCMC needs to take stronger, more decisive measures to contain COVID-19

This was the direction of Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam at the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control’s online meeting with Ho Chi Minh City on Tuesday afternoon.

The Deputy Prime Minister also requested that Ho Chi Minh City maintain stable lives for people, especially the disadvantaged and jobless. Politburo member and Secretary of HCMC Party Committee Nguyễn Văn Nên said that the city has prepared funds for the extended quarantine period, and support of at least 2.1 USD per person per day for those in social distancing areas. It has also planned a support package of 39 million USD.

HCMC receives pandemic prevention equipment from Hanoi

On Tuesday morning, Hanoi gifted HCMC's Nguyễn Tri Phương Hospital with pandemic prevention equipment to support the city in screening and testing for Covid-19 on a large scale. The equipment includes an automatic PCR testing system and automatic DNA and RNA extraction machines.

These machines are capable of analyzing 96 samples at one time, while the PCR system can test 72 samples at once. The automatic systems require less manpower and time and produce results earlier compared to previous ones. They will be placed at the Nguyễn Tri Phương hospital, one of HCMC’s testing facilities, and will help it increase its testing capacity by 50% or around 3,000 additional samples each day.