Candidates who will sit the national high school graduation examination in HCM City on July 3 are tested for COVID-19. VNA/VNS Photo Thu Hoài

HCM CITY— HCM City’s COVID-19 investigation, tracing and sampling have improved in effectiveness in the last few days even as new daily incidence has hit triple digits, the city Centre for Diseases Control and Prevention said.

Unlike earlier staff at health centres in districts and health stations in wards, communes and towns are now only tracing contacts and taking samples for testing, and perform no other tasks.

This has helped ensure all possible infections are investigated within one hour after health officials get test results and six to 10 hours in the case of F1 [people who came in contact with patients] as against 12 hours previously.

Speaking at a meeting with the People’s Committee on Sunday Nguyễn Hoài Nam, deputy head of the city Department of Health, said his agency has instructed hospitals and health centres in districts and Thủ Đức City to take samples from F1 cases to testing establishments within two hours.

Samples taken in the community should be taken within 24 hours, he said.

Testing establishments have been instructed to provide results for community samples and F2, or those who were in contact with F1, within 24 hours. Earlier it used to take up to 48 hours.

The city shuts down areas within a maximum of one hour if a person tests positive there, and begins investigation, tracing and sampling.

Deputy chairman of the People’s Committee, Ngô Minh Châu, said the city would set up a testing administration centre to improve its testing regime. 

Testing teams are being set up across the city, which needs to do two million rapid tests.

The city will add 10-30 personnel to every district and Thủ Đức City to investigate and trace contacts.  VNS