HCMC to conduct mass testing till month-end

In a statement sent to district authorities, the city’s administration said the upcoming testing campaign would help assess the pandemic situation toward reopening.

For red and orange zones, or very high- and high-risk areas, each household would be tested thrice per week, with at least two members in one household having their samples taken.

Households in areas at lower risk (yellow, near-green and green zones) will be tested every five-seven days. Each household will send one member for testing, while those with more than five must have at least two members tested.

For people taking samples for the quick test by themselves, local authorities must ensure all kit tests are collected afterward to avoid the situation where people having tested negative did not return their kits for general assessment.

Since the new wave emerged in late April until mid-September, the city had collected more than 9.5 million samples for rapid screening and conducted almost two million PRC tests.

So far in the wave, the city, which is also the nation’s epicenter, has recorded more than 320,800 infections and over 12,700 fatalities.

Nguyen Hoai Nam, deputy head of the municipal Health Department, said Thursday that until now, residents in high-risk areas have been tested at least seven times while at least three tests have been done among those in lower risks areas.

According to the Health Department, the infection rate had decreased significantly.

Specifically, in the first phase from Aug. 23 to 27, the positive rate in "red and orange zones" was 3.6 percent. It dropped to 2.7 percent in the second phase conducted in early September, and to 1.1 percent after the third phase ended on Sept. 14

Nam said in the coming time, the city would continue to review and test all households at least two-three times to completely isolate Covid-19 patients in the community.