Hanoi to collect 3.3 mln samples for mass Covid-19 testing

The municipal People's Committee announced Tuesday that by August 17, the capital would collect 1.3 million samples for RT-PCR Covid-19 testing from every resident in high-risk areas like markets and factories.

The capital city would also perform quick Covid-19 testing on around two million samples within the same time frame, also from high-risk areas.

Among those to be tested would be people with high chance of exposure like medical workers, drivers, shippers and security guards.

In neighborhoods deemed low-risk areas, each family would send one member with the highest chance of exposure for Covid-19 testing. They should be people who have to move around and interact with many people.

Those with potential Covid-19 symptoms like cough and fever as reported through online medical declarations would be tested as well.

Hanoi, home to 8.4 million people, has enhanced its Covid-19 testing capabilities to over 200,000 samples a day. It has also enlisted medical, police and military forces to help with the testing.

The municipal Department of Health said that the Covid-19 testing campaign would be Hanoi's largest ever.

For the past few days, the city has recorded around 60-80 new cases a day, even over 100 cases a day on certain days. Many clusters have been detected, and several cases have not been contact traced successfully.

Authorities have placed the capital city under an extended social distancing period until August 23 to curb the spread of the virus. It has recorded 2,182 local Covid-19 cases ever since the fourth novel coronavirus wave hit Vietnam late April.