HCMC – HCMC is striving to access the most possible Covid-19 vaccine sources at the earliest to provide the vaccines to all residents, said secretary of the HCMC Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen.
At a meeting on June 7 of the municipal steering committee for Covid-19 infection prevention and control, Nen said 140,000 people working in the frontlines had been injected with the Covid-19 vaccine, meeting the target, news site VnExpress reported.
The city has prepared sufficient funds to buy Covid-19 vaccines for all residents.
Vietnam’s Covid-19 vaccine which is produced in the city has undergone the third phase of its trial.
If successful, locally-made Covid-19 vaccines will be available next quarter, Nen said.
Earlier, the HCMC Department of Health had received 71,800 doses of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine for the third time. The vaccination will be completed before August 15.
Of these, nearly 54,600 doses will be provided to those who have got the first shot. The remaining will be prioritized for six groups: those working at medical and quarantine facilities, medical students working as volunteers, members of steering committees for Covid-19 infection prevention and control at all levels, those providing essential services at the airport and seaports and those aged below 65 and receiving treatment for underlying illnesses.
Assessing the city’s anti-pandemic measures, Nen said the decision to practice social distancing was prompt, contributing to preventing the further spread of the coronavirus. The number of new Covid-19 cases has gradually fallen.
Without social distancing, the city might have lost control. Although the employment of the measure has been haphazard in some areas, it has been effective in general. Local residents, religious organizations and enterprises have supported the city’s decision.
At present, the number of people undergoing quarantine is high. Some centralized quarantine centers have a 70%-80% occupancy. Therefore, the city needs to prepare an additional 30%-40% beds in quarantine facilities.
