A health worker checks the body temperature of foreign passengers at Tan Son Nhat Airport in Ho Chi Minh City. (Photo: VNA) HCM City (VNA) – Ho Chi Minh City's health sector is ready to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic during the upcoming Tet (Lunar New Year) holidays and festival season 2023.
The city will closely monitor arrivals at Tan Son Nhat International Airport and sea ports, using remote body temperature scanners. People with suspected symptoms will be taken to isolate areas for screening, epidemiological analysis and collecting samples for COVID-19 rapid tests.
In case the rapid test result is negative, the passenger will continue to complete immigration procedures and be instructed to self-monitor at their accommodation establishments.
In case of a positive test result, HCM City's Centre for Disease Control will coordinate with relevant agencies to expedite immigration procedures for the patient and then transfer the passenger to the Hospital for Tropical Diseases for RT-PCR testing and gene sequencing as well as taking necessary measures to prevent the spread of the disease.
The municipal Department of Health will maintain the temporary COVID-19 treatment hospital No.13 and be ready to activate within 24 hours when the pandemic situation worsens. All general and specialised hospitals in the city must be ready to receive and treat COVID-19 patients.
The city is ready to deploy 10,000 beds, including 1,000 intensive care unit (ICU) beds for COVID-19 patients.
All hospitals in the city must be ready in terms of human resources, facilities, equipment, medicines, and vehicles and on duty round the clock to meet medical examination and treatment requirements and emergencies during the Lunar New Year and festival season 2023.
The health sector will promote COVID-19 vaccinations and organise the peak month of vaccination from January 5 to the end of February, including the Tet holidays, to create favourable conditions for all people to be vaccinated on schedule./.
