Almost 1,000 staff members of Ho Chi Minh City Eye Hospital have been tested for the novel coronavirus after a COVID-19 patient visited the infirmary prior to his diagnosis.

The mass sampling started on late Wednesday night and early Thursday morning.

It was conducted by medical centers in Ho Chi Minh City.

Given the complicated developments of the pandemic, the city’s administration previously ordered the testing of all staff members of Ho Chi Minh City Eye Hospital in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City.

As of Thursday morning, 980 staff members of Ho Chi Minh City Eye Hospital had already been put through COVID-19 testing.

A COVID-19 patient had come to the infirmary before being confirmed positive for the coronavirus, said Nguyen Tri Dung, director of the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control.

Tang Chi Thuong, deputy director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that this person is a relative of a patient being treated at Ho Chi Minh City Eye Hospital and tested positive for the novel coronavirus afterward.

This is not a new case but is one of 34 local COVID-19 infections that the Ministry of Health has confirmed since January 28, when a new wave hit Vietnam.

“Security cameras show that during contact with other ordinary patients, family members, and medical staff at the eye hospital, this person was wearing a face mask," Thuong said.

"It is normal to check the hospital staff in order to ensure all are safe."

Employees at Tan Son Nhat International Airport have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, most being members of a team in charge of unloading, arranging, and supervising luggage and cargos.

The municipal Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control had previously ordered the COVID-19 testing for all staff members at Tan Son Nhat following the detection of a cluster at Van Don International Airport in northern Quang Ninh Province last month.

Ho Chi Minh City has logged 34 domestic cases since, the majority traced back to the airport.

So airport staff who work directly with passengers are now tested on a daily basis.

Vietnam has documented 2,109 COVID-19 cases as of Thursday morning, with 1,480 recoveries and 35 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health.

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