Deputy PM requests greater COVID-19 containment at industrial parks
VOV.VN - Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam on May 12 called for greater efforts to be made as part of the nation’s fight to contain the SARS-CoV-2 virus as it shows signs of spreading among industrial parks (IPs) in several localities nationwide.
Greater efforts are needed in order to keep COVID-19 outbreaks in check whilst maintaining ongoing production at industrial parks, Deputy PM Dam told a meeting held among leaders of Da Nang, Bac Ninh, and Bac Giang, all of which have recorded infections at IPs over the past few days.
Most notably, Da Nang has been urgently conducting contact tracing and extensive testing after more than 30 people at An Don IP were diagnosed with COVID-19 on May 11.
Elsewhere, Bac Ninh also confirmed two positive cases on May 12 at Canon Vietnam, and another one at Johnson Health at two IPs in the locality.
Like hospitals, industrial parks can also be considered to be vulnerable to infection once the virus emerges, therefore they must be made the priority in the country’s ongoing fight against COVID-19, stressed the Deputy PM.
At present, Vietnam is home to 369 concentrated IPs, roughly 30 border economic and export processing zones, and approximately 700 industrial complexes which house some 4.4 million employees in total.
The majority of employees work in a closed environment or live in densely populated dormitories, thereby making it easier for the virus to rapidly spread.
As IPs are at a high risk of fresh COVID-19 outbreaks, Deputy PM Dam has requested that Da Nang, Bac Ninh, Bac Giang, and other localities direct their IPs to strictly abide by COVID-19 regulations set out by the Ministry of Health.
He requested that the Ministry of Health move to increase their testing capacity and license advanced testing technology, which enables localities to conduct testing in as swift a manner as possible.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Trade and Industry was asked to keep a close eye on production at IPs to ensure that it will not be disrupted in the event an outbreak occurs.
The national economy could be seriously damaged if production at IPs is disrupted, warned Deputy PM Dam.
He has also asked the Ministry of Transport to examine solutions aimed at transporting employees back and forth from one locality to another in order to ensure safety.