The HCMC Hospital for Tropical Diseases has been locked down after detecting Covid-19 cases who are employees of the hospital - PHOTO: TNO
HCMC – The HCMC Hospital for Tropical Diseases tested 924 employees from June 11 to 13 and detected 55 Covid-19 infections, up two over the figure reported yesterday, June 13, said director of the HCMC Department of Health Nguyen Tan Binh.
At a meeting of the municipal steering committee for Covid-19 infection prevention and control held today, June 14, Binh said the 55 cases were employees of 13 units of the hospital, such as IT, administrative, general planning, personnel organization and pharmacy, the local media reported.
Especially, all of them have got two shots of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine.
Among the cases, one is residing in a Covid-19 hotspot of the city—Ehome 3 apartment building in Binh Tan District, Binh said.
Binh added that the coronavirus volume in the 55 cases was extremely low, which was a positive signal, proving the effectiveness of the Covid-19 vaccine.
Therefore, the risk that they will get worse is lower than that of unvaccinated people and their transmission possibility is also lower than those linked to the Revival Ekklesia Mission in Go Vap District.
In addition, two employees of Gia Dinh Hospital’s Microbiology Department were also found to be infected with Covid-19, with one being the wife of an IT staff of the HCMC Hospital for Tropical Diseases.
Binh said the department had asked the Cu Chi District Hospital to get prepared to receive Covid-19 patients with a capacity of 500 beds and a recuperation area for critical patients. Medical workers from leading hospitals in the city will be mobilized to support the treatment of Covid-19 patients at this hospital.
The department will also establish emergency and recuperation units at the Cu Chi Field Hospital and the Can Gio Covid-19 Treatment Hospital and mobilize resources from general and specialized hospitals in the city.
Hospitals in the city should enhance their support for the Covid-19 treatment. General hospitals having the department of infection control were asked to receive patients from the HCMC Hospital for Tropical Diseases so that the hospital can focus on treating Covid-19 patients.
