The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health has announced a list of eight hospitals that are poised to be authorized to conduct tests to confirm novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases, raising the number of local institutions with such a capacity to 21.

The list includes the Blood Transfusion Hematology Hospital, Nguyen Tri Phuong Hospital, Gia Dinh People's Hospital, 115 People's Hospital, Children's Hospital 2, Pham Ngoc Thach Hospital, Thu Duc District Hospital, and District 2 Hospital.

The health department has asked leaders of these institutions to make necessary preparations and submit their requests to the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City for capacity assessment.

Following the assessment, they will need to be officially approved and authorized by the Ministry of Health.

A total of 13 facilities are currently authorized to carry out COVID-19 confirmation tests in the southern metropolis, namely Pasteur Institute, University Medical Center, Thong Nhat Hospital, Cho Ray Hospital, 175 Military Hospital, 7A Military Hospital, Regional Animal Health Office No. 6, Regional Animal Health Office No. 7, Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Children's Hospital 1, City Children's Hospital, Center for Disease Control, and FV Hospital.

The Pasteur Institute is capable of conducting 2,000 tests per day, while the other 12 facilities are capable of carrying 2,000-2,500 tests per day each.

Vietnam has logged a total of 672 COVID-19 cases, with 378 having recovered and eight fatalities.

A total of 222 local infections have been linked to Da Nang since July 25, after Vietnam had gone 99 days with no documented community transmission.

These cases consist of 158 in Da Nang, 44 in Quang Nam, three in Quang Ngai Province, three in Dak Lak Province, two in Dong Nai Province, eight in Ho Chi Minh City, two in Hanoi, one in Ha Nam Province, and one in Thai Binh Province.

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