Firms and workers raise worry over Covid test costs

Firms and workers in Dong Nai said they would not be able to afford Covid tests twice a week to go to work.

Some workers have to test twice a week to go to work in Dong Nai

Dong Nai authorities request people arriving from HCM City, and Binh Duong Province must have certificates proving that they have been tested negative for Covid-19.

Ho Van Lam from Thuan An City, Binh Duong Province, said he was a bricklayer at construction in Bien Hoa City, Dong Nai Province. He often travels back and forth from Binh Duong to Dong Nai to work. However, on July 5, he was blocked for not having the certificate.

"My income is really unstable. Covid-19 test is really time-consuming and costly for me. I can't afford it" he said. "When I get home, it's already too dark to go to the test site. If I take a day off then I won't have an income and have to pay for the test."

Since Bien Hoa City in Dong Nai and Di An City in Binh Duong are next to each other, lots of people often travel back and forth between the provinces to work. The cost for a quick test is from VND238,000 (USD10) to VND400,000.

Pouchen Vietnam Company in Dong Nai said nearly 1,000 of their workers are living in Binh Duong and HCM City. According to the company, they can provide support for the first two weeks but not for long. Workers have to choose to pay for the test themselves, stay in Dong Nai or take a leave of absence.

Taekwang Vina Company also has about 1,000 workers living in Binh Duong and HCM City. The company said they had already asked the workers to live temporarily in Dong Nai.

In order to enter Dong Nai, people from Binh Duong and HCM City must have a certificate within seven days of arrival. Di An City in Binh Duong Province also requires a certificate within three days of arrival for people from Dong Nai and HCM City. Some people in HCM City have to test twice a week to enter Dong Nai.

Phan Huy Anh Vu, director of Dong Nai Department of Health said the high number of positive patients in HCM City and Binh Duong had put pressure on the industrial zones in Dong Nai. If the travel routes are not monitored, Dong Nai will have more positive patients.

"A positive patient living in Binh Duong went to Big C Supermarket in Dong Nai and infected hundreds of people so we need measures to prevent such cases," he said.

Vu went on to say that Dong Nai has about 1.2 million workers, of which 10,000 people are moving back and forth between Dong Nai and Binh Duong or HCM City. Their aim is to better monitor the entrance of those 10,000 people to prevent the virus spreading.