The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health on Tuesday night requested relevant agencies to speed up the establishment of a makeshift hospital for COVID-19 treatment at a sports complex following a recent spike in the number of cases.

The plan was put on the table as the Christian congregation Revival Ekklesia Mission in Go Vap District became a COVID-19 cluster, with 219 community cases in the city traced back to the hotbed since May 27.

In order to deal with this emergence, the municipal health department mapped out three scenarios corresponding to the number of local infections at less than 100 cases, from 100 to less than 1,000 cases, and from 1,000 to 5,000 cases.

In the worst-case scenario where the caseload surpasses 1,000 patients, the construction of a 1,000-bed makeshift hospital will be immediately kick-started at Phu Tho Sports Complex in Ward 9, District 11.

In addition, the municipal medical authorities have plans to build similar hospitals at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center in District 7 and district-level cultural and sports halls, with an estimated capacity of up to 5,000 beds, including 1,000 resuscitation beds, 66 beds placed in negative pressure chambers, and 1,000 ventilators.

In the immediate future, they are mobilizing all resources from all hospitals, including empty beds, equipment and machinery systems, and medical personnel for preparation.

According to the Department of Health, the city currently has five hospitals specializing in the treatment of COVID-19, including Cho Ray Hospital, Cu Chi Field Hospital, Can Gio COVID-19 Treatment Hospital, the Ho Chi Minh City Children’s Hospital, and the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for Tropical Diseases, providing a total of 970 beds, 42 resuscitation beds, 39 beds placed in negative pressure chambers, and 42 ventilators.

Ho Chi Minh City’s infection tally had stood at 227 by Wednesday noon.

Enhanced social distancing measures have been reinstated in the metropolis from 0:00 on Monday and will last 15 days.

Nationwide, the caseload mounted to 7,675, including 4,597 patients registered since April 27, which marked the fourth virus wave in Vietnam and the worst so far.

Recoveries reached 3,043 and 49 virus-related deaths have been recorded.

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