COVID vaccination and testing at local health centers

COVID testing will be conducted for seven days at each local level health center.

The Federal Government's Order on Omicron Variant Control states that the local level must have booths operating for at least 12 hours a day, seven days a week.

The local level responsibility of the order states, "It is mandatory to have a vaccination center against COVID and an antigen testing booth at the local level health center for at least 12 hours a day, seven days a week."

The metropolis, sub-metropolis and municipality will be able to have additional vaccination centers on the basis of population density. Physicians, health workers and other required manpower and volunteers will also be deployed at the local level for vaccination.

The federal government has given the responsibility to the local level to run a full vaccination campaign by identifying the people who are not vaccinated in the municipality and intensifying the vaccination campaign.

An order has been issued at the local level to prepare the identification and list of children from 5 to 11 years old who will be vaccinated in the near future and to prepare it as soon as it becomes available. It is said that the local level will make arrangements to encourage vaccination card in public places and while providing public services.

According to the order, the COVID test will be free. The local level will collect swabs within their municipality, identify crowded places or hotspots in each ward and conduct free tests.

The PCR test of a person who has a negative result of antigen test will be done and the person who has come in close contact with the person who has a positive result will be identified and the antigen test will be done.

The local level will mobilize Reform Committee, COVID-19 Facilitation Group and Consumer Committee formed at the toll level and will mobilize such committees or groups as required.

According to the order, the local level, which does not have basic hospital infrastructure, has to run a hospital with a minimum of five beds.

In addition, government, community, non-government and private hospitals with a capacity of up to 15 beds have been given the authority and responsibility to negotiate for the treatment of the infected, monitor and recommend to the Ministry of Health and Population for reimbursement.

The local level is also responsible for making necessary arrangements for quarantine, isolation, case investigation, contact tracing, treatment management, testing, and procurement of essential materials and mobilization of manpower.