Health Minister Nguyễn Thanh Long (second from left) and Hà Nội officials inspect Trịnh Hòa Đức gymnasiums - a vaccination site for people in the wards of Cát Linh, Văn Miếu and Quốc Tử Giám in Đống Đa District. VNA/VNS Photo Lâm Khánh

HÀ NỘI - The capital's mass COVID-19 vaccination is being conducted successfully, and the city can now administer more than 300,000 doses daily, the highest amount so far, said Minister of Health Nguyễn Thanh Long.

Visiting vaccination sites in Hà Nội on Friday morning, Long said that it was ambitious with the city targeting to vaccinate all of its population aged over 18 by September 16.

However, the minister said he expected the city could achieve the goal as for the last few days the city has quickly increased vaccination capacity, with some wards in the city expected to complete the vaccination by Sunday.

An elderly woman is tested for SARS-CoV-2 before getting vaccinated. VNA/VNS Photo Lâm Khánh

Inspecting the vaccination in Ba Đình District and Long Biên District, Long also paid more attention to screening work, COVID-19 testing and documenting data of vaccinated people.

Elderly people are consulted and vaccinated at a site in Trịnh Hòa Đức gymnasiums. VNA/VNS Photo Lâm Khánh

He also encouraged medical workers and volunteers, especially those from other localities who have arrived in Hà Nội to help  the city’s mass vaccination and testing.

“The vaccination must be sped up but still ensure safety first,” he said.

An elderly man in Văn Miếu Ward told the health official that he felt more secure after getting vaccinated against COVID-19.

At a vaccination site in Phúc Lợi Primary School in Long Biên District, four teams of medical workers from Bắc Giang Province worked in three shifts – morning, afternoon and evening. On September 9, they helped provide jabs for over 1,600 people.

Until September 13, the vaccination sites could host a total of about 7,000 people for testing and vaccination.

 Trần Thị Nhị Hà, director of Hà Nội’s Health department, said that vaccination teams were arranged flexibly among districts to meet vaccination demand.

Vaccination sites also received people in the evening, Hà said.

People wait for vaccinations at Việt Xô Friendship Labour Cultural Palace on Thursday evening. VNA/VNS Photo

As of September 9, Hà Nội has vaccinated around 2.9 million people with at least one COVID-19 vaccine shot, and over 317,000 people have been fully inoculated, according to the municipal health department.  Around 57 per cent of adults in the city have received at least one vaccine shot. VNS