HCMC – Since many Covid-19 cases have been detected at industrial parks (IPs) in Bac Ninh, Bac Giang and Danang, these localities are taking aggressive action to bring the pandemic under control and prevent a suspension of production.
Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, head of the national steering committee for Covid-19 infection prevention and control, worked with the governments of the three localities on May 12.
In Bac Ninh, three IPs reported Covid-19 cases. The authorities traced more than 1,200 people who were in close contact with the Covid-19 patients, who are employees of Samsung Electronics Vietnam Co., Ltd in the Yen Phong IP and the test results of 1,160 people came back negative.
In addition, more than 2,800 people linked to cases at the Johnson Health Vietnam Co., Ltd in the Thuan Thanh II IP had their samples taken and the results are yet to be announced. Meanwhile, two were found to be diagnosed with Covid-19 after nearly 2,000 people linked to patients in Canon Vietnam Co., Ltd at the Que Vo IP underwent Covid-19 tests.
Director of the Bac Ninh Department of Health has asked medical centers to enhance quick tests among workers at IPs and told them to limit contact with workers of other factories after working for hours to reduce the transmission risk.
Bac Ninh Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Huong Giang said the province, which was home to 16 IPs with more than 300,000 workers, had brought the pandemic at the IPs under control.
The province will put many areas under lockdown, including the dormitory of Canon Vietnam Co., Ltd, Que Vo Hillview social apartment building with 1,300 people and Chua Hamlet in Nam Son Ward with 300 residents.
Moreover, the province will test those in indirect contact with Covid-19 patients in Thuan Thanh District, while residents of Mao Dien Commune in the district will undergo the second test today and tomorrow.
Kim Dao Village in Luong Tai District’s Thua Town with 3,100 residents has been put under lockdown since 6 a.m. on May 11.
In Bac Giang, after Covid-19 patients were found in Shin Young Vietnam Co., Ltd at the Van Trung IP in Viet Yen District, the competent agencies tested 24,000 related people and considered it a complicated hotspot as the IP has a high number of workers at some 90,000.
Meanwhile, Danang Chairman Le Trung Chinh reported that the city had detected 33 Covid-19 cases at the An Don IP.
The city has put some areas under lockdown and will continue tracing and testing work to determine appropriate response solutions.
Today, military forces sprayed the An Don IP with disinfectants.
At the meeting, Deputy PM Dam said the country currently has 369 IPs, nearly 30 border gate economic zones and export processing zones with some 3.8 million laborers, as well as 700 industrial clusters with some 600,000 workers.
Most factories at the IPs have large numbers of workers and closed spaces, posing a high risk of widespread Covid-19 transmission.
The pandemic transmission at IPs may break supply chains, seriously affecting the country’s economy.
Therefore, the deputy prime minister asked all localities to direct enterprises, factories and IPs to strictly comply with anti-pandemic regulations and periodically self-assess their pandemic prevention and control.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade must coordinate with the Ministry of Health this week to provide an online training course on ensuring safety at the IPs.
In case of coronavirus outbreaks, they must prepare centralized quarantine centers to prevent cross infection and suspension of production when they face a risk of coronavirus infection.
In related news, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has called on the governments of localities to urge lodging facilities to regularly assess their safety from the pandemic and update it on the national Covid-19 safety system.
Lodging facilities suspending their operations must also state that they have suspended their operations on the system.
In addition, lodging facilities must provide customers with QR codes which they get after logging into the system so that customers can check the safety levels at the facilities.
Those failing to comply with anti-virus measures will face heavy sanctions. Only those ensuring safety are allowed to serve customers.
By Minh Duy
