A frontline worker gets a shot of Covid-19 vaccine. The Ministry of Health has decided to allocate 800,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine to HCMC - PHOTO: VNA

HCMC - The Ministry of Health has decided to allocate 800,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine to HCMC to vaccinate its residents as the number of Covid-19 infections in the city has surpassed 1,000.

Chairing a meeting on June 16, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son said that HCMC was one of the localities to be prioritized for Covid-19 vaccination.

The 800,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine will be stored at the facilities of the Pasteur Institute in HCMC and will be administered to frontline forces and workers at industrial parks and export processing zones, the local media reported, citing Deputy Minister Son.

Phan Trong Lan, head of the Pasteur Institute in HCMC, said that the city could have 200,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine administered to people per day. As such, with the volume of 800,000 doses, the city will mobilize medical workers and competent forces to complete the vaccination within one week.

Deputy Minister Son also said that the Ministry of Health is planning to pilot home quarantine for direct contacts of confirmed Covid-19 cases in some parts of HCMC.

As planned, children aged below 15 will be quarantined at home to avoid the risk of cross infection and make it easy for care.