HCMC – The Mekong Delta province of Long An, neighboring HCMC, is being severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and has temporarily suspended the operations of all enterprises from July 13 so they can make arrangements for their workers to stay at their factories after work.
On July 11, provincial vice chairman Pham Tan Hoa said the suspension was aimed at reducing transmission risk, the local media reported.
After enterprises make arrangements for workers to eat, rest and work at the factories, they should report the results to the local authorities for review before they can resume operations.
Hoa said Long An had 62 industrial clusters and 35 industrial parks with some 230,000 workers. Each day, more than 36,000 laborers travel from Long An to HCMC for work and over 20,000 workers from HCMC and neighboring localities commute to Long An.
The Long An government has also announced its decision to HCMC, Tay Ninh, Tien Giang and Dong Thap, which border Long An, so they can inform their enterprises and residents.
To ensure safety during cargo transport, from 0 a.m. on July 13, vehicles and people traveling between Long An and its neighbors will be closely monitored. Those in charge of special duties and transporting food, essential products and building materials will be permitted, while others will be banned from traveling to/from the province.
Long An has recorded 393 locally-infected Covid-19 cases, including four deaths. All 13 infection clusters in the province were linked to confirmed Covid cases in HCMC.
Earlier, the province had decided to impose social distancing under the prime minister’s Directive 15 in Tan An City and Duc Hoa, Ben Luc, Can Duoc and Can Giuoc districts from June 2 to 20. On July 1, the province issued another social distancing order for some wards and communes of Tan An City and the four districts.
Three days ago, the anti-pandemic measures in Tan An City and the four districts were made stricter as they were practicing social distancing in line with Directive 16, while the remaining towns and districts are implementing social distancing under Directive 15.
At a meeting on July 11, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh asked Long An to strictly apply social distancing measures as it is a bridge between HCMC and the Mekong Delta provinces.
The prime minster required the Ministry of Health to allocate 400,000 Covid-19 vaccine doses to the province so that it could vaccinate workers there.
