Blood samples of suspected infected people are tested at Hà Nội Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Hà Nội’s Department of Health has requested all medical facilities to ensure supplies of hazmat suits in response to soaring COVID-19 infections.

Việt Nam on Sunday confirmed its 30th COVID-19 patient, who was on the same flight as Hà Nội’s first COVID-19 patient, a 27-year-old Vietnamese woman returning from London on March 2.

Facing an unpredictable spread of COVID-19, hospitals are asked to stock up on medicines and medical supplies to ensure treatment and minimise losses due to the epidemic.

Earlier, the department also asked city and district-level hospitals to classify patients and set up separate examination rooms for those with symptoms of acute respiratory infections, such as coughing or fever, especially who have been in infected areas in the last 14 days.

A quarantine area must be divided into three units for suspected infections, infected patients and those who are to be discharged.

Bắc Thăng Long Hospital and Đức Giang Hospital admit suspected cases reported at Nội Bài International Airport.

Central-level hospitals and the National Hospital for Tropical Disease Campus No.2 in Kim Chung receive patients from central Hà Tĩnh Province to the north. In case of overcrowding, the patients will be transferred to Bạch Mai Hospital and the National Hospital of Paediatrics.

Hà Nội authorities on Saturday filed a request to the health ministry to declare outbreak in the city after four positive cases were recorded.

Nguyễn Khắc Hiền, head of the city’s department of health, said a condition for declaring pandemic for group A infectious diseases were having at least one patient diagnosed positive. Group A infectious diseases are significantly dangerous diseases spreading rapidly, having high mortality rates or unknown causative agents. COVID-19 is included in the group. — VNS