Ministry asks for acceleration of quick COVID-19 testing for drivers

Ministry asks for acceleration of quick COVID-19 testing for drivers. - Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) - The Ministry of Transport has directed its Department of Health to speed up rapid testing for drivers in localities across the country using 100,000 COVID-19 quick test kits allocated by the Government, according to Deputy Minister of Transport Le Dinh Tho.

The Department of Health of the ministry will support localities in the work, he said, noting that this is hoped to directly support  transport enterprises.

According to Tho, the quick testing is effectively implement in southern localities, especially in Ho Chi Minh City and those imposing social distancing measures under the Prime Minister's Directive 16.

Statistics show that over 2,700 COVID-19 quick test kits were used for drivers nationwide after more than a week of implementation.

So far, as many as 24,000 COVID-19 quick test kits have been handed over to localities, including 3,000 of those delivered to HCM City – the current biggest COVID-19 hotspot.

As of August 4, a total of 1,700 quick test kits were used for drivers in HCM City, with four people tested positive for coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.

Deputy Minister Tho said to contain the spread of the pandemic, the ministry has directed its units and the Departments of Transport of localities to request vehicle owners and drivers to strictly and fully comply with regulations on COVID-19 prevention and control under the guidance of the Ministry of Health./.

VNA