Local residents in HCM City’s Bình Tân District take a COVID-19 test. VNA/VNS.Photo

HCM CITY— HCM City plans to provide COVID-19 testing over the next 30 days in three phases.

The first phase will be carried out on August 15-22 to evaluate risk in areas with a high transmission rate.

The second phase will be conducted on August 23-31 to isolate strong transmission sources.

In the third phase on September 1-15, the city will conduct testing to control transmission in the community.

Tests will be given in lower-risk areas where 50 per cent of people aged 18 and above are vaccinated, where there are no COVID cases (detected by two community-based tests), and where COVID-19 patients have a low viral load.

Representatives of households will be tested twice seven days apart. Health officials will pool 10 samples using real-time RT-PCR tests.

In higher risk zones, local authorities will randomly choose families to take samples and pool five samples for SARS-CoV-2 detection by the RT-PCR method. After that, testing will be gradually expanded.

In locked-down areas, pooled testing using antigen rapid tests will be carried out. If the result is positive, each individual in a household will be tested, and will be isolated and treated. After five or seven days, they will be tested again.

If households in these areas have negative results, the lockdown in their area will be lifted. The area, however, will still be under surveillance. Tests will be carried out if the area has new cases.  

People with suspected symptoms of COVID-19 in  areas that are not locked down will be tested with a single sample by the real-time RT-PCR method. VNS