Testing for Covid-19
Bac Ninh has 10 industrial parks and 26 industrial clusters with 450,000 workers. As of 4 pm on May 26, Bac Ninh reported 627 infection cases. Of which 464 cases were in Thuan Thanh District, Bac Ninh City has 66 cases, Que Vo District has 35 cases and Yen Phong District has 33 cases. Positive cases have also been reported in big companies such as Samsung Electronics and Canon Vietnam. Over 50,000 workers have become unemployed.
Bac Ninh authorities agreed that letting workers completely live inside local industrial parks would be a difficult task but a potentially necessary move to curb Covid-19 or else firms would have to be closed.
"Community cases now account for 89% of the total reported cases. If we don't do something, the situation will worsen," Tuan emphasised.
Tuan went on to say that industrial park management boards must work with departments of health and the police to make suitable arrangements for workers so that they will not have to go outside. Before boarding on-site, the workers must be tested negative three days prior and commit to not going out of the factory or industrial parks without permission. Firms must also test regularly for at least 10% of the employees every week.
"Cafeterias, meeting rooms and other rooms can be converted into living areas. Safety and hygienic requirements must be met," Tuan said. "Firms should also arrange more toilets and unused warehouses can be converted into cafeterias. It's best if the workers can take turn living at the factories for at least 15 days. Those who return home should be regarded as F2 people."
Firms and industrial park managers were asked to prepare and ready to implement the plan from June 2.
According to the firms, they have the situation in their area under control and production for the year is ensured. Vo Thanh Tu, the deputy CEO of Tenma Vietnam, said they had strictly followed preventive regulations like preparing face masks for employees and setting up teams for Covid-19 prevention for better monitoring. Khaw Chee Wee, director of Biel Crystal Vietnam, also said they had always followed regulations and arranged working shifts to suit the situation. They also co-operated with the authorities in the contact tracing and supported employees who have to be quarantined.
Many firms said letting workers live in factories would be very difficult, especially for firms that don't have dormitories. Gathering a large number of workers to live together may affect their health. As a result, several firms proposed to let employees stay at appointed hotels and guesthouses. The firms will be responsible for picking up and dropping off their employees.
In the end, Bac Ninh authorities agreed with the proposal but asked firms to have strict monitoring and management over their employees as if running a quarantine centre.
Bac Ninh has been given 150,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccines which will be given to frontline workers, and plant workers. Bac Ninh authorities also called for firms to contribute to the Vaccine Fund and the cost that firms spend on vaccinating employees will be deducted from their corporate income tax.
