Hai Duong conducts large-scale testing for COVID-19 from Feb 24
The northern province of Hai Duong, the country’s current largest hotspot of COVID-19, plans to conduct large-scale testing for the novel coronavirus, using Realtime-PCR technology, from February 24.
Health officials collect swab samples from a driver. (Photo: VNA)
Hai Duong (VNA) – The northern province of HaiDuong, the country’s current largest hotspot of COVID-19, plans to conduct large-scaletesting for the novel coronavirus, using Realtime-PCR technology, from February24.
The move aims to measure the spread of COVID-19 in the provinceto help it respond better to the disease while identifying safe areas to boost economicrecovery.
People targeted by the testing are divided into three groups:the high-risk group who are people from Chi Linh and Hai Duong cities, andKim Thanh and Cam Giang districts; the medium-risk including people from thedistricts of Kinh Mon, Nam Sach and Binh Giang; and the low-risk comprisingthose from Ninh Giang, Thanh Ha, Tu Ky, Gia Loc and Thanh Mien.
Hai Duong now has six labs for COVID-19 testing usingRealtime-PCR, located in the provincial Centre for Disease Control, GeneralHospital, Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Children’s Hospital, Tuberculosis andLung Disease Hospital, and the Hospital of Hai Duong Medical TechnicalUniversity.
The province is now capable of collecting 50,000 to 60,000samples and processing as much as 8,500 individual testsamples on a daily basis. The results normally come out after 24 hours.
Hai Duong recorded 625 cases of COVID-19 as of 16:00 on February 23, making it the hardest hit bythe pandemic in the country to date./.
Now is the golden time for Hai Duong to stamp out the COVID-19 outbreak, said Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son during a visit to check COVID-19 response in the northern province on February 18.
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Health officials collect swab samples from a driver. (Photo: VNA)
