As the largest city in the south of the country, Ho Chi Minh City has been requested to establish an epidemic command centre specifically aimed at bringing the metropolis’ latest novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak under control.

Collecting nasal swabs for COVID-19 testing at a residential quarter in HCM City.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc made the request after the Ministry of Health confirmed 29 locally-transmitted COVID-19 cases in Ho Chi Minh City throughout Feb. 7 and 8.

He has therefore assigned the Ministry of Health to work closely alongside the municipal administration to promptly establish the command centre.

The PM also permitted HCM City and Hanoi capital as well to impose social distancing measures at a number of selected places that can be judged to be high-risk locations in terms of spreading the virus.

HCM City is on full alert after dozens of cases closely linked to the southern city’s latest hotspot at Tan Son Nhat International Airport were detected. In addition, a further two suspect cases at the airport were also announced on February 9.

Local authorities moved to ramp up epidemic preventive measures to the highest level at the airport and in other sites throughout the city. All passengers and their relatives were required to strictly abide by health recommendations taken against COVID-19 by the Ministry of Health. 

Following the most-recent cases, the southern metropolis scrambled to quickly track down and quarantine all individuals who came into contact with COVID-19 patients and their relatives. The HCM City Centre for Disease Control (HCDC) was required to re-test all staff at the airport on a daily basis. 

The city has locked down more than 10 residential quarters and blocks of flats across seven districts in an effort to slow the spread of the virus. It decided to suspend all non-essential services, starting from February 9, along with not holding the opening ceremony of the Nguyen Hue Flower Street Festival in the buildup to the Lunar New Year, known locally as Tet.

Experts have warned that with the source of infection yet to be identified, Ho Chi Minh City is at high risk of seeing the virus spread among the community. The number of infections is likely to increase considerably over the coming days.

Ho Chi Minh City has recorded 31 COVID-19 cases since the virus recurred in Vietnam late last month.

Since the latest outbreak, the virus has since spread to 12 cities and provinces nationwide, with 470 cases confirmed so far. At present, the northern province of Hai Duong is still the country’s largest hotpot with 321 cases.