100 inspection teams set up to track COVID-19 in IZs and EPZs in Ho Chi Minh City

With their high density of workers, IZs and EPZs are at high risk of infection. Photo: Le Toan

The Ministry of Health (MoH) has asked Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee to organise 100 teams to inspect and evaluate production and business establishments, IZs, EPZs, and high-tech parks. These teams will monitor and guide businesses to strictly implement measures to prevent and control the pandemic.

Due to the complicated situation of the pandemic, the inspection and evaluation will be urgently implemented, from today (June 21).

Notably, these teams will assess and guide enterprises employing more than 200 workers (more than 2,000 establishments) within 3-5 days. The teams will re-inspect establishments which were previously found to have not applied complete COVID-19 preventtion and control measures. High-risk businesses must request will be directed to suspend operations if they cannot meet the requirements.

According to Nguyen Dinh Trung, head of the Department of Occupational Diseases, National Institute of Occupational and Environmental Health, Ho Chi Minh City Industrial and Export Processing Zones Authority has implemented an online COVID-19 risk assessment tool for businesses from May 2021. Businesses can proactively assess their situation and prepare pandemic response plans and promptly overcome shortcomings.

Duong Chi Nam, deputy director of the Department of Environmental Management under the MoH, said that the complicated pandemic situation requires the drastic implementation of COVID-19 prevention and control measures, especially inside IZs and EPZs.

Currently, COVID-19 is a major complication in Ho Chi Minh City with the number of cases increasing rapidly and many outbreaks of unknown origin. Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh said the fourth wave of COVID-19 in Ho Chi Minh City is more difficult to control than previous outbreaks.