Apart from increasing the testing, every effort will be exerted to trace, zone off and stamp out the pandemic while attention will be paid to strictly controlling quarantine sites to minimise cross-infection risks.

Large-scale sample collection and narrow-scale lockdown will be conducted in areas where COVID-19 infections were confirmed. Test results in these areas are expected to be confirmed within 12 hours.

The local authorities have also prepared a response scenario for treatment of 10,000 infections.

Regarding the vaccination campaign against COVID-19, the municipal authorities are urgently working with partners and negotiating with vaccine manufacturers to accelerate the purchase and import of vaccines, so that the city can receive the first vaccine batch at the end of the third quarter.

The city has set to give vaccinations to two-thirds of its population in late 2021./.

VNA