At an online meeting of the Ho Chi Minh City Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control on June 28, Politburo member cum Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen commented that although the city has tightened its efforts to cope with the current infection wave, the numbers of new cases and suspected infections are still increasing. Therefore, the city needs a comprehensive, scientific analysis and re-evaluation of the measures being taken.
Secretary Nen directed the city to review the organisation of testing and return test results to improve the efficiency and speed of tracing.
When receiving quick test kits provided by the Government, the city needs to immediately pilot in industrial parks, export processing zones, crowded places and all districts, while reviewing the concentrated isolation camps, Nen suggested.
The city's health sector was asked to review and re-evaluate the implementation of the fourth vaccination campaign, thereby drawing lessons learnt for the next vaccination rounds.
The city also needs to launch a peak campaign to trace, test and detect infections by testing the whole city, Nen added.
By the afternoon of June 28, Dong Thap Province recorded 21 more suspected cases of COVID-19 infections related to the outbreak at Sa Dec General Hospital, bringing the total number of infected and suspected cases related to this outbreak to 30. Dong Thap Province has requested to suspend the operation of local night markets and the issuance of citizen identification cards in the province, while strictly control people entering and leaving local hospitals.
A health worker collects samples for COVID-19 testing at Son La Bus Station, Son La Province. (Photo: NDO)
From 12 am on June 28, Thai Binh Province implemented social distancing order for the communes of Bac Son, Duyen Hai, Dan Chu, and Diep Nong in Hung Ha District, under Directive No. 15/CTTTg of the Prime Minister. These are communes adjacent to Quynh Phu District, which is the epidemic centre in the province when there are five positive cases related to Trung Duc bus company running the Hai Phong - Ho Chi Minh City route.
Some localities, after recording new COVID-19 cases yesterday, have taken measures to prevent and control the outbreak. Kien Giang province extended the time to stop some business services in Rach Gia city until July 3.
Quang Ngai Province implements strict social distancing order according to Directive 15 for the entirety of Quang Ngai City from 0:00 on June 29.
Dak Lak Province urgently tracing cases of close contact with COVID-19 patients, while Phu Yen Province established a front-line command unit for the epidemic prevention and control. Tuy Hoa City, the capital of Phu Yen Province, has temporarily suspended the operation of Tuy Hoa main market.
On the afternoon of June 28, the Department of Transport of Lai Chau Province issued a document allowing the resumption of operation for passenger transport on the routes from Lai Chau to the provinces of Vinh Phuc and Dien Bien and vice versa from 0:00 on June 29 until further notice. Lai Chau still suspends passenger transport to the provinces of Bac Giang, Bac Ninh, Son La, Lao Cai, Nghe An and Quang Ninh.
The Ministry of Health said that it has issued a document instructing localities to publicise testing venues for drivers and consider long-distance drivers as subjects for mandatory COVID-19 testing by RT-PCR or rapid antigen test kits.
