People returning HCM City from Đà Nẵng City fill in medical declaration forms at the Thủ Đức District Health Centre. VNA/VNS Photo Đinh Hằng

HCM CITY — The HCM City Department of Transport has set up response teams to supervise the implementation of COVID-19 prevention measures by road and water transport operators.   

The teams comprising officials from the transport, health and public security departments, which began functioning on Friday, are assigned to monitor pandemic control measures adopted by transport companies at inter-provincial bus stations, ferry stations, inland ports, and public vehicles.

They will draw up and send the list of people returning from Đà Nẵng City and Quảng Nam and Quảng Ngãi provinces since July 1 onwards and send them to the HCM City Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (HCDC) for COVID-19 consultancy and testing.

The department has instructed all bus drivers, attendants and commuters to wear masks on public transport vehicles and at coach stations, wharves and train stations.

Disinfectants must be provided to all passengers on vehicles.  

Speaking at a meeting of the city Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control on Friday, Lê Thanh Liêm, deputy chairman of the city People’s Committee, urged district and department officials to co-ordinate closely with the HCDC to take samples for coronavirus testing from everyone who has come into contact with COVID-19 patients or returned from Đà Nẵng.

A large number of people have been returning to HCM City from Đà Nẵng, making the city a high-risk locality for community transmission, Liêm said.

Nguyễn Tấn Bỉnh, director of the city Department of Health, warned people to avoid gatherings of 20 people or more and maintain a distance of at least one meter from others.

People should stay at home and avoid going out unnecessarily, he said.

HCM City has tested people returning from Đà Nẵng at the rate of 8,000-9,000 a day by 13 health facilities.

As of Sunday morning six people had tested positive.

More than 26,600 people returning from Đà Nẵng since July 1 have filled in medical declaration forms and 16,473 have had tests.

The HCDC has called on everyone returning from Đà Nẵng since July 1 to immediately fill in medical declaration forms at https://tokhaiyte.vn and test for the coronavirus. —VNS