A boarding house in HCMC’s Thu Duc City is locked down. The city has anticipated the extension of social distancing - PHOTO: VNA

HCMC – The HCMC steering committee for Covid-19 infection prevention and control is striving to put the Covid-19 pandemic in the city under control. However, if the pandemic continues raging, the city has prepared for the extension of the social distancing period, said deputy secretary of the HCMC Party Committee Phan Van Mai.

At a press briefing on July 16, Mai said the city must get prepared for all possible scenarios, the local media reported.

The city has been employing drastic and comprehensive solutions to effectively control the pandemic. It has also mapped out three scenarios for the fight against Covid-19 after the 15-day social distancing order.

In the first scenario, after the stay-at-home period, if the city brings the Covid-19 pandemic under control, it will ease social distancing and restriction measures.

In the second scenario, if the fight against Covid-19 in the city has yet to pay off, the city will continue applying social distancing under Directive 16 or even tighten Covid-19 measures in some parts.

Under the worst-case scenario, when the number of infections surges and the city cannot control the pandemic, HCMC will adopt lockdown measures and harsher solutions.

The city has prepared for each scenario, focusing on the testing work and the treatment of critical patients to minimize Covid-19 deaths. The city has also established a Covid-19 intensive care center with 1,000 beds and prepared plans for 1,500-2,000 critical patients.

As for asymptomatic patients, the city will work out a process to allow them to stay at home and use technology to monitor them. If their condition worsens, they will be immediately sent to medical centers.

The city will also establish a center monitoring the Covid-19 treatment.