The capital city of Ha Noi will conduct the real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test for 50,000 people returning from the central city of Da Nang since August 7.

From August 7, the capital city of Ha Noi spares 10-12 days to conduct the real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test for 50,000 people returning from the central city of Da Nang.

Chairman of the Ha Noi People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung announced the information at the Government's teleconference with localities on COVID-19 response this morning. 

Speaking at the meeting, Chung said that besides three previously-announced COVID-19 patients, a woman in Phuc Tho District, who visited Da Nang City from July 24-27 with other seven family members, was tested positive for the virus for the first time on August 4.

The Municipal Center for Disease Control and other four central hospitals are capable of taking 10,000 samples and conduct tests on 5,000 samples collected every day, Chung asserted. 

Along with PCR test for those with travel records to Da Nang, Ha Noi will also trace people who had contact with the recently-announced COVID-19 patients and send them to quarantine (for F1) or require them to self-quarantine at places of residence (for F2). 

Chung suggested the Prime Minister increase the warning level for Ha Noi. 

From August 7, the city will punish those who do not wear masks at public places, he said.

Earlier, the city screened over 88,000 people returning from Da Nang from July 8, performing rapid tests on over 70,000. Howver, the rapid test kits ran out on August 3, leaving around 18,000 unable to be tested.

The Covid-19 rapid test kits analyze blood droplets to determine if a person is infected with the novel coronavirus. They typically produce results within 10 minutes.

If a rapid test is positive, the person has to take a standard Covid-19 test in which a throat swab sample undergoes RT-PCR test. If the RT-PCR test is negative, the suspected case is deemed not to have contracted the novel coronavirus.