HCMCity (VNA) – Ho Chi Minh City mustprepare facilities and human resources for at least 50 new COVID-19 cases, Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan said at a recent meeting with the city’s Steering Board for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.

Undera scenario with 50 cases, nearly 14,000 people will have to be quarantined.

Thecity has added eightnew COVID-19 cases. Hundreds of thousands of people have returned from Da Nang and the number of cases isexpected to increase. Anyone returning from the area since July 1should self-quarantine and fill out health declarations, Nhan said.  

Accordingto the city’s Department of Health, morethan 36,000 people returning from Da Nang have made health declarations.However, airlines’ statistics show that 140,000 people wereon flights from Da Nang to HCM City in July.

Therisk of COVID-19 infections in the community remains high, he said, adding thatmigrants' entry to the city must be strictly controlled.

Services,production and trade establishments should ensure safety and limit gatheringsof more than 30 people as per the Ministry of Health’s requirements.

Relevantagencies should strengthen communications about preventive measuresagainst COVID-19 such as wearing of masks in public, he said, adding that atleast 20 percent of people were not wearing masks in public.

Thecity should also ensure a sufficient supply of masks, he added.

Chairmanof the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong instructed agencies to fine peoplewho do not wear masks in public starting on August 5. The maximumfine will be 300,000 VND (13 USD).

Phonginstructed the Department of Industry and Trade to publish addresses of siteswhere masks are sold.

Thecity is also encouraging online business, and requiring thatessential goods such as masks and hand sanitizers should be in sufficientsupply. Speculators in these goods will be fined.

Asof August 3, HCM City had recorded atotal of 69 COVID-19 cases. Thecity has 234 people with symptoms of respiratory tract infectionswhich are being watched for, tested and quarantined at hospitals. Ofthese, 152 tested negative for SARS-CoV-2. The rest are waitingfor test results.

Thecity has one patient who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 again after beingdischarged from a branch of National Hospital for TropicalDiseases on July 30. The patient was tested again after being quarantinedand is now being treated at Cu Chi COVID-19 Treatment Hospital.  

A Japanese maninfected with the virus came to the city on July 17-18 and went to many places, including Lotus Company on No Trang Long Street in Binh Thanh District, Fami Company on B4 Sala Street inDistrict 2, Nam An Market shop on Thao Dien Street in District 2, River GateResidence in District 4, and others.

The city’s authorities are tracking 28people who have had close contact with these patients./.