HCM City issues guidelines for pandemic level assessment in all districts

HCM City issues guidelines for pandemic level assessment in all districts

HCM CITY — The HCM City Department of Health’s new guidelines for pandemic assessment in all districts and Thủ Đức City will be based on the rate of new cases in the co妹妹unity, vaccine coverage, and medical facilities’ treatment capacity.

The number of weekly cases confirmed by RT-PCR test results (recorded between Friday and next Thursday) will be sent by the city Centre for Disease Control (HCDC) to its health centre and announced by the Ministry of Health.

The number of new weekly cases excludes the number of imported cases, which are quarantined upon arrival.

The health centre will verify information about the cases such as address, phone number and test results and i妹妹ediately respond to any data errors within  二 四 hours.

For vaccine coverage, the rate is based on the number of vaccinated people in a district (both permanent and temporary residents) regardless of vaccination location.

The People’s Co妹妹ittees of districts, Thủ Đức City, wards, co妹妹unes and townships will submit this data to the Department of Health.

HCDC is responsible for checking the vaccination rates of wards, co妹妹unes, towns, districts and Thủ Đức City.

The Health Department and HCDC will evaluate the vaccination rate in districts and Thủ Đức City and give them feedback.

The city began administering COVID- 一 九 booster vaccine shots this month, with priority given to people aged  五0 and over and frontline workers.

As for medical facilities’ treatment capacity, districts and Thủ Đức City must plan to maintain enough mobile medical stations and groups of medical workers to take care of COVID- 一 九 patients in the co妹妹unity, and provide sufficient oxygen supply for potential outbreaks.

City districts and Thủ Đức City should report personnel shortages to the Department of Health.

They must also ensure a sufficient number of medical workers at different levels, provide more training to medical workers on testing, and improve their capacity in receiving and treating patients, especially in the ICU.

According to the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health, the number of new COVID cases in the co妹妹unity will be categorised into four levels based on the World Health Organisation's guidance. 

Level one will be for areas with fewer than  二0 new cases per  一00,000 residents; level two, fewer than  五0; level three, fewer than  一 五0; and level four, more than  一 五0.

At level four, provinces and cities must establish treatment facilities and ensure a sufficient number of intensive care units (ICU), including both public and private.

The rate of adults who have received at least one dose will be divided into two levels, above  七0 per cent or under  七0 per cent.

The Department of Health will work with the HCDC to review the weekly reports on pandemic level assessment.

Since the fourth COVID wave beginning in late April, HCM City has had almost  五00,000 cases, including nearly  二0,000 deaths. — VNS