On August 19, the ministry sent a written request to the directors of the health departments of provinces, cities and hospitals nationwide, urging for strengthening prevention and control of SARSCoV-2 infection in medical examination and treatment facilities.

Accordingly, the ministry required all units to review and ensure compliance with the regulations on disease prevention and control, while strictly complying with social distancing regulations in hospitals.

They were asked to perform screening, isolating and early diagnostic test for suspected cases for patients and their family members who taking care of the patients, as well as proactively assessing the risk of infection among health workers and service providers who have had direct contact with infected or suspected SARS-CoV-2 infections.

The move came after an 87-year-old man from the northern province of Phu Tho has tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 while being treated for another disease at a hospital in Hanoi.

Medical facilities across the country has been urged to strengthen the COVID-19 prevention and control. (Photo: NDO/Duy Linh).

This was the only new case confirmed by the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control on August 20 morning, raising the national tally to 994.

The patient lives in Thanh Ba district, Phu Tho province, and went to E Hospital in Hanoi for a health check-up on August 12.

He was diagnosed with pneumonia after a CT scan and had his blood sample taken on August 18, before being confirmed positive for SARS-CoV-2 this morning.

He had not left his house in Pho Tho for a month prior to travelling to Hanoi, while his family’s relatives did not visit any COVID-19 hotspots and he has no underlying medical conditions.

The man is being treated at the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases in Hanoi’s Dong Anh district, while the E Hospital has stopped receiving new patients from 8 pm on August 19 and traced all staff who came into close contact with the man.

Right on the evening of August 19, a working group from the Ministry of Health worked with the E Hospital on the epidemic prevention and control. The mission suggested that the hospital strictly adhere to the principles of medical management and thoroughly isolate other patients and people exposed to the Phu Tho case, while fully implementing measures to prevent and control cross-infection.

Earlier the same day, Acting Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long chaired an online briefing session with leaders of the local health departments.

At the meeting, Long required health facilities to develop plans to prepare for the worst scenario of blockade at the facilities in case they would have many SARS-CoV-2 positive patients and health workers contracted the virus.

The acting minister suggested localities to actively procure medical equipment and bio-products, aimed at improving testing capacity for quickly trace, monitor, isolate, zoning and stamping out any outbreaks.