Nguyen Van Vinh Chau, deputy director of the Health Department, speaks at a press conference on the city’s plans for COVID treatment on October 25. (Photo courtesy of the HCM City Press Centre) Speakingat a press conference on October 25, Dr Nguyen Van Vinh Chau, Deputy Director of the city’s Health Department, said the number of new cases,deaths and severe cases has decreased over the past few weeks, with 73.5cases per 100,000 people recorded per week.
“Thecity is at level 2 or medium risk among the four levels of pandemicrisk classified in the Government’s Resolution 128,” he said.
Althoughthe city is officially classified at level 2, its COVID-prevention andcontrol plans are at level 3 because of the high number of new cases, hesaid.
“Basedon the number of cases per 100,000 people per week, the city is at level3.”
Morethan 99 percent of adults aged 18 and over have received at least one vaccinedose and more than 76 percent are fully vaccinated. More than 91 percent ofpeople 65 and over in the city are fully immunised.
Chausaid that everyone must continue to comply with prevention measuressuch as wearing masks, washing hands and maintaining a safedistance.
Accordingto Chau, the city has developed four scenarios of COVID treatment based onrisk levels.
Inall scenarios, asymptomatic and mild COVID patients will be isolated andtreated at home, and will be taken care of by mobile medical stationsin wards, communes and townships.
Inthe first scenario (if the city contains the outbreak), the city will maintain onethree-level treatment field hospital No. 16. It will also maintain COVIDtreatment facilities at hospitals such as the city’s Tropical DiseasesHospital, Children’s Hospital and Tu Du Hospital.
Forthe second scenario, if the number of new cases corresponds to risk level2, in addition to field hospital No 16, the city will use field hospitalNo 13 for treatment.
Fieldhospitals in city districts and COVID treatment facilities at hospitals indistricts would also be used, as well as the Hospital for TropicalDiseases, two children pediatric hospitals, and Tu Du Hospital and Hung VuongHospital.
Forthe third scenario, if the number of new cases corresponds to risk level3, the city will need all 135 mobile medical stations, each of which wouldmanage 50-100 patients.
Thecity will also use all three three-floor field hospitals for treatment (insteadof only one or two), including field hospitals No 13, 14, and 16.
Thecity will use additional hospitals for COVID treatment across districts andthree COVID resuscitation hospitals at Cho Ray Hospital, Hospital 175 and HCMCity Tropical Diseases Hospital.
Forthe worst scenario, if the number of new cases surges without sufficientcontrol, the city will mobilise all hospitals and resuscitation centres inthe city. All districts would be required to have one field hospital witha capacity of 300-500 beds for COVID treatment.
Thecity must have at least 16,000 - 19,000 beds for treatment, 500 oxygen beds,and 2,000 ICU beds for severe and critical cases.
Inaddition to mobile medical stations, districts will establish communityCOVID treatment teams to meet the rising number of cases.
Thefour levels are low risk (new normal) or green, medium risk oryellow, high risk or orange, and very high risk or red.
ThuDuc City and the eight districts of Go Vap, Tan Binh, 1, 7, 8, 10, Can Gio, andCu Chi are at level 1.
Districts3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, Phu Nhuan, Binh Thanh, Tan Phu, Hoc Mon, Nha Be, and BinhChinh are at level 2. Binh Tan is at level 3.
Theassessment of risk levels will be regularly updated on https://covid19.hochiminhcity.gov.vn/bando and https://bando.tphcm.gov.vn everyweek.
PhanVan Mai, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said districts would beallowed to reopen the economy based on their risk levels.
Manyof the recent COVID-19 cases are people returning from other provinces andcities to work, according to city authorities./.
VNA
