On Monday, a combined total of 20,000 employees working in Hoa Cam and Hoa Khanh industrial parks (IPs) had their swab samples taken for COVID-19 testing via a 'pooled test' with samples of ten people each in order to save time and resources.

Employees working in the Hoa Cam Industrial Park have their swab samples taken for COVID-19 testing, May 24, 2021. Photo: LE HUNG/ DNO

During the sampling, all the tested people were required to strictly comply with the compulsory measures against COVID-19, including making health declarations, wearing facemasks, disinfecting their hands, keeping a safe distance from others, and joining the queue whilst waiting for their turns to have their swabs taken.

In addition, they were asked to stay at home and limit their contact with others pending their test results which are expected to be released soon.

According to Pham Truong Son, the Head of the Authority of the Da Nang Hi-Tech Park and Industrial Zones, on May 25 and 26, the swab sampling for COVID-19 testing will be conducted on people in the Da Nang Hi-Tech Park and the Lien Chieu and Expanded Hoa Khanh IPs.

For the time being, Da Nang is home to the High-tech Park and 6 IPs with a combined total of 65,444 employees. Previously, all employees working at the Da Nang IP, known as the An Don IP, and the Da Nang Fisheries Service IP had been tested for the virus from May 12 to 17.

The municipal People's Committee Chairman Le Trung Chinh has asked businesses operating in the Da Nang High-tech Park and IPs across the city to strengthen their practice of compulsory COVID-19 precautions in the face of the complicated developments of the virus resurgence.

Enterprises must refund the cost of COVID-19 testing for all of their employees in accordance with the guidance of the municipal Department of Finance and other competent agencies.

The tests aim to early detect those catching COVID-19 in the Da Nang High-tech Park and IPs, especially infected people who show no clinical symptoms, thus implementing precautionary measures in a prompt fashion to curb the virus spread at these at-risk sites.

Till date, 42 COVID-19 cases linked to the Da Nang IP have been reported. 

Reporting by LE HUNG – Translating by A.T