Free COVID tests for truckers to ease supply shortage
The Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Ministry of Transport have reached an agreement on the testing protocol for truckers, a move that will likely solve the shortage of essential goods in Ho Chi Minh City.
Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - The Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Ministry ofTransport have reached an agreement on the testing protocol for truckers, amove that will likely solve the shortage of essential goods in Ho Chi MinhCity.
Truckers must provide health officials with negative test results to COVID-19done using quick tests or RT-PCR tests, which take longer to produce a resultbut are usually more accurate. Test results will be valid and usable for 72hours.
The MoH has pledged to set up additional testing sites along major routes tospeed up the process and tests for truckers will be supplied free of charge.
These measures were agreed upon during a meeting of the National SteeringCommittee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control in Hanoi on July 17.
As for the other 19 provinces in the Mekong Delta, truckers may still travelwithout a negative test result. However, they have been asked to regularlydisinfect their vehicles and limit contact with others. Local governments havealso been told to set rest stops for truckers, away from localcommunities. The Ministry of Health has said it will set up 25 mobileCOVID-19 test units with capacity to perform over 2000 tests per day tomeet a rising demand for COVID tests. The units will be sent to high-risk localities.
The ministry said it has started talks with suppliers to secure more medicalresources including test kits, ventilators, PPE suits and dialysers.
The Ministry of Health has also set up a 1000-bed hospital under the ministry'sdirect management in HCM City but has left the door open to take further actionif necessary.
"The ministry will provide HCM City with the best doctors and resources.We are determined to win this fight," Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Longhas said.
Also at the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam asked health officials toprioritise testing in COVID-19 hotspots such as HCM City and start preparingfor a worst-case scenario./.
Additional 42 COVID-19 infections, including five imported ones, were confirmed in the last 12 hours to 6am on June 24, raising the national tally to 13,989, according to the Ministry of Health (MoH).
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The Ministry of Health on July 2 received 190,000 COVID-19 test kits worth some 500,000 USD donated by German states via the World University Service of Germany (WUS).
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Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) 
