A medical worker takes a sample from a resident for COVID-19 testing in Long Biên District of Hà Nội. —VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Health has asked localities to pay attention to COVID-19 testing and prevention and control measures when implementing social distancing.

That is part of the dispatch issued by the ministry which also required localities to focus on extremely high risk areas and high risk areas with regular examinations and supervision to quickly detect and handle issues.

The ministry asked steering committees in localities to follow the guidelines issued in Dispatch No 1409/CĐ-BYT to decide loosing restrictions gradually, step by step, following a specific plan.

In areas with risks (yellow zones), and new normal areas (green zones) testing will be carried out for groups of people at risk in order to adjust prevention and control measures properly, including shippers, medical workers, the elderly or those having symptoms such as cough, fever and breath difficulty. 

On September 15, the ministry issued the Dispatch No 1409/CĐ-BYT, stressing that it is needed to try to minimise the scope and scale of social distancing as narrow as possible when applying social distancing. Social distancing should be applied within a village, hamlet, residential groups or streets in stead of the whole province, city, district or commune. 

The goal of social distancing is to control the pandemic as soon as possible (within 14 days) and resolutely implement prevention and control measures, including seriously executing social distancing measures, ensuring food for people, carrying out comprehensively medical solutions such as testing, vaccination and treatment to ensure people to get early access to health services; and ensure security and social order while mobilising people to join the pandemic prevention and control tasks.

The 1409 dispatch also stressed that rapid testing is key and an important measure to help control the pandemic. All people in extremely high risk areas (red zones) and high risk areas (orange zones) will be tested three times a week to detect and treat F0 patients quickly. People in remaining areas will be tested once every 5-7 days.

The ministry asked to mobilise workforces to help take samples for COVID-19 testing in extremely high risk and high risk areas.

Prevention reinforced at medical facilities

The Hà Nội Department of Health has requested both private and public medical establishments and health centres in districts and communes take measures to intensify and put COVID-19 prevention and control at the highest alert.

They are also asked to regularly check the implementation of the model of hospitals and clinics to make sure they are safe from COVID-19 in line with guidelines of the Ministry of Health and report results to the department once a month.

The department required to continue providing early COVID-19 testing for patients, those who take care of patients at medical establishments and medical workers who have suspected symptoms such as coughing, fever and difficulty breathing.

It is necessary to screen patients with underlying diseases for COVID-19 testing for early detection, isolation and treatment.

Medical establishments are ordered to regularly supervise the implementation of COVID-19 prevention and control measures at all their facilities.

They are also required to not decline to receive any patient who comes from pandemic-hit areas or patients suspected of getting COVID-19. — VNS