Workers at Biển Đông Seafood Co., Ltd in Cần Thơ City where COVID cases have recently been detected. — Photo tuoitre.vn

HCM CITY — The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta provinces are faced with a high risk of COVID-19 infections with 1.6 per cent of people returning from pandemic hotspots testing positive for the virus after the provinces resumed production under the “new normal”.

Seventeen out of 19 provinces and cities in the region have recorded a hike in cases (especially from October 19 to 25), according to a report from the Ministry of Health.

Since early October, thousands of people flocked to their hometowns in southwestern provinces from COVID epicentres such as HCM City, Bình Dương, Đồng Nai and Long An, causing a surge in cases where vaccination rates remain low.

Seafood companies in the region have detected cases in recent weeks. Sóc Trăng in particular has seen cases increasing in residential areas and companies.

In early October, an outbreak occurred at Út Xi Seafood Processing Joint Stock Company (in Tài Văn Commune in Trần Đề District) with the highest number, 231 cases, recorded in one day. 

Trần Đề District has the highest number of cases with 1,619 cases out of a total of 4,845 cases in Sóc Trăng. 

In Bạc Liêu, within one week, an outbreak at Tấn Khởi Seafood Company Limited (in Giá Rai Town) rose to 249 cases (up from 50 cases initially) as of October 28.

As many as 16 industrial parks in Long An Province had detected a total of 471 cases since the beginning of the month.

Cần Thơ Department of Health said that 40 pooled samples from people at the Biển Đông Seafood Factory in the city tested positive for the virus through rapid screening tests.

From October 20 to 27, Cần Thơ found 494 cases, including those recorded at seafood factories in Thốt Nốt and Ô Môn districts.

“New normal”

The Giá Rai Town’s Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control in Bạc Liêu Province has ordered screening tests for workers at companies and for people in high-risk areas. As of October 28, 10,400 of the total 11,000 doses of vaccine had been administered to workers.

Phạm Duy Tính, head of the Management Board of Cần Thơ Industrial and Export Processing Zones, said that many factories were no longer maintaining the “3 on-site” model, and most have resumed production under the “new normal”.

The factories were ensuring smooth production and pandemic prevention measures. 

“When a suspected positive case occurs in the factory, the firm must notify the local health department for rapid testing,” Tính said.

“The Biển Đông Seafood Company, with more than 1,000 workers, faces inevitable cases, but we must accept to live with the virus while ensuring pandemic safety,” he noted.

Nguyễn Thành Thanh, head of the Economic Zone Authority of Long An Province, said enterprises must ensure that detection of cases would not affect the whole process of production.

“Businesses must immediately contact local authorities if they detect cases of COVID. Normally, businesses only need to suspend operation for 24 hours to perform tracing, testing and disinfection before resuming operation as prescribed by the Ministry of Health,” he noted.

The Mekong Delta has 12 provinces and a city with a total population of around 20 million, or nearly a fifth of the country’s population. 

The vaccination rate for adults aged 18 and above remains low (only 30 per cent as of mid October) due to a shortage of vaccines in Việt Nam and globally.

Nine provinces, Tiền Giang, Bến Tre, Trà Vinh, Đồng Tháp, Bình Phước, Kiên Giang, Cà Mau, Bạc Liêu and Hậu Giang, have not reached the target of having at least 70 per cent of adults aged 18 and older have the first vaccine dose.

Long An has vaccinated 1.5 million people, or 98 per cent of its adult population, with 41 per cent fully vaccinated as of mid October. 

It is followed by Tiền Giang and Bến Tre, with 50 per cent and 39.4 per cent, but only 10 per cent in the two provinces are fully vaccinated.

The southernmost province of Cà Mau has the lowest vaccination rate at 13.9 per cent. — VNS