AS the Covid-19 virus spreading in Vietnam's largest city, Ho Chi Minh City, showed no signs of abating, authorities have decided to carry out mass testing.
City health authorities said some five million people will tested in HCMC in a mass testing exercise that will last until July 5.
HCMC's Center for Disease Control said it will be conducting about 500,000 tests daily, during the exercise that started last Saturday.
The Vn Express news portal reports that tests are being conducted on workers in residential areas, industrial parks, export processing zones and high-tech zones.
The exercise aims to screen, detect infections and avoid potential outbreak risks in the community as the city has reported many cases with unknown sources of transmissions.
In achieve its testing rate target, the city has mobilised medical staff at hospitals, final year medical students and youth union members to assist with data entry.
Authorities in all districts will also arrange testing locations and arrange time slots for tests in each residential group, area, hamlet, ward, commune and town.
HCMC has a population of 13 million people including migrants and is experiencing among the worse outbreaks in Vietnam.
Since April 27, the city has recorded more than 3,000 cases, the second-highest in the country's fourth wave, after Bac Giang province in the north.
Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long had said that HCMC took relatively early and proactive measures to address the outbreak, which includes strict social distancing measures.
The Health Ministry reported 368 new Covid-19 cases nationwide on Sunday, bringing the nation's tally to 15,643.
The city recorded a total of 245 cases, its second highest daily tally, after the record 724 on Friday.
Others include 36 cases in the southern Binh Duong province, and 20 in Bac Giang province.
There were two more Covid-19 deaths, raising the country's total number of deaths to 76.
Meanwhile, fears arose that HCMC's vaccination campaign may trigger yet another cluster of infections as people swamped vaccination centres to get their jabs.
Many have been gathering at the vaccination centres, leading to long lines in crowded conditions.
The city was ordered to speed up its vaccination rate due to the current outbreak and a mass vaccination drive started on June 21.
City authorities hope to administer 836,000 doses.