From August 15 to 31, the city will focus on reducing the mortality rate, ensuring that all severe cases are treated.

At an online meeting with the Government on August 15, Phong said that understanding the spirit of Resolution 86 of the Government, the city has developed a plan that aims to control the pandemic before September 15 with 2 phases:

Phase 1, from August 15 to 31, the city will focus on reducing the mortality rate, ensuring that all severe cases are treated; expanding the "green zone" (epidemic free), striving to control the epidemic in Can Gio, Nha Be, Cu Chi, Phu Nhuan, District 5, District 7, and District 11.

Phase 2, from September 1 to 15, the city will try to control the epidemic, specifically: reduce fatalities and the number of severe cases by 20%; the number of hospitalized patients per day should not exceed the number of discharged patients per day; the number of hospitalized patients should not exceed 2,000 per day; and 70% of the population (over 18 years old) wil' get the 1st vaccine dose and 15% of the population the 2nd shot.

With the two-phase plan, Phong said, the city will focus on the following key tasks:

To continue strict social distancing

Conduct tests in locked down areas (red, orange zones) to narrow these areas and turn them into points, collecting one sample from each household. In the green, near green, and yellow areas (free from Covid or low risk), random tests will be performed, using samples in groups of five family each (each sample for each family). For the areas outside locked down areas, monitor and detect people with suspected symptoms early with RT-PCR or rapid test.

Covid-19 treatment: effectively implement 2 pillars - home care and hospital treatment. The process of home care will operate the model of rapid response teams in wards, communes and towns to timely receive patients with symptoms or transport emergency cases to hospitals and build a network of volunteers to take care of and give advice to patients.

At hospitals: treatment will be divided into the three-level form, mobilizing all public and private hospitals to participate in treatment; upgrading quarantine facilities with treatment functions in districts and Thu Duc city; establishing the center for management of investment in healthcare facilities to ensure that all hospitals are fully equipped with oxygen and medicines; establishing a group of experts on Covid-19 treatment.

Organize many vaccination sites and diversify forms of vaccination such as mobile vaccination, home vaccination, vaccination through the night, allocate vaccines to organizations and agencies and allow them to self organize vaccination

Focus human resources for treatment, mobilize volunteers and retired health workers who are still healthy enough to fight against the epidemic.

The city will implement four safe production modes:

1 - "3 on-site" or "3 on-site in shifts": on-site production, eating, resting alternately in shifts.

2- Flexible "1 road - 2 locations": workers travel on only one road connecting their working place and concentrated accommodations).

3 - Combining both "3 on-site" and "1 road - 2 locations" models.

4 - "4 green" including: green human resources, green roads, green production areas and green accomodations.

Phong said that to implement Resolution 86 well, the city has asked the Ministry of Health to issue criteria for disease control in Ho Chi Minh City soon.

HCM City will provide free food and cash to workers, students and needy people in August and September 2021, according to the HCM City Party Standing Committee.

The committee on August 15 asked the authorities of districts and Thu Duc City to urgently make lists of workers, students and people living in difficult circumstances to provide them with food and cash aid.

Ho Van

HCM City to fight epidemic in two phases after August 15

The epidemic situation in Ho Chi Minh City is still complicated. The number of new infection cases is "flattening" but covid-19 related deaths are still high, said HCM City’s Vice Chair Duong Anh Duc at a press conference on August 13.