Health ministry holds urgent meeting as over 300 workers in Bac Giang infected with COVID-19

Collecting samples for COVID-19 testing (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) - The northern province of Bac Giang, Vietnam’s largest COVID-19 hotspotat present, had logged over 300 new infections as of the afternoon of May 25,the Ministry of Health (MoH)’s special taskforce in the province said.

All are workers stayingin a sealed off area.

The MoH has held anurgent meeting with the special taskforce in Bac Giang and the province’sHealth Department.

The cases weredetected after an acceleration of testing conducted jointly by the MoH, localauthorities, and relevant agencies over the last three days at all industrialparks (IPs), factories, and worker dormitories in the locality.

Associate ProfessorDr Tran Nhu Duong, Deputy Director of the National Institute of Hygiene andEpidemiology, said that either factories in the IPs or the dormitories are thesource of the infections. Both are high-density areas and the virus spreads quicklyin the air.

The MoH has asked itsspecial taskforce to immediately block off all worker dormitories and ensurestrict compliance with quarantine regulations, especially in high-risebuildings accommodating a large number of workers, and apply regulations at quarantinesites in these areas.

Relevant agenciesmust not allow people to leave these areas or their rooms, and must conductregular testing and disinfect workers’ residential areas./.

VNA