 Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long urges HCM city to act faster at a meeting on February 8, 2021, to deal with a new COVID-19 outbreak in Vietnam's economic hub. (Photo: baochinhphu.vn) |
All the new patients are employees at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, who belong to the same team as Patient 1979 who was confirmed positive for the coronavirus over the weekend. The city is now tracking people who had close contact with them.
At an emergency online conference on Monday, Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long asked the city to act more quickly in zoning off affected areas with links to the new cases, and conducting mass testing in those areas.
“HCM city should work harder and more resolutely. We have to act faster than the epidemic to be able to contain it,” he said.
Mr. Long urged HCM city Pasteur Institute to increase testing to 5,000 samples per day, adding the Ministry of Health will support the city in combatting the outbreak at Tan Son Nhat airport.
HCM city Chairman Nguyen Thanh Phong ordered authorities to find the source of the outbreak so as to have effective prevention measures. When asked about festive activities during the traditional Tet holiday at Nguyen Hue Flower Street, Tao Dan Spring Festival, Phu My Hung Flower Street, and many other flower markets in the city, Mr. Phong said disinfection gates must be arranged at the sites and visitors are not allowed to enter without wearing face masks.