Epicenter Bac Giang quarantines over 3,000 workers

More than 3,000 workers renting apartments in Nui Hieu Village of Quang Chau Commune, Viet Yen District were taken to quarantine facilities in different districts on Thursday night, Mai Son, the provincial vice chairman, said Friday.

They are all employed at local industrial parks.

Of the number, 1,300 workers residing in Bac Giang were sent to quarantine zones in their hometowns, while 1,700 from other provinces were sent for quarantine in Viet Yen.

The move would reduce the density of workers gathered at one place and limit the chance of spreading infection.

"All these workers had already tested negative twice. They will remain in quarantine for 14 days," Son said.

With 1,701 cases registered by Friday noon, Bac Giang now accounts for more than half the total infections Vietnam recorded in the ongoing wave that broke out a month ago. Most cases involve industrial park workers.

Quang Chau Commune, for instance, is home to Quang Chau Industrial Park, where the company Hosiden Vietnam is located.

Hosiden is currently the biggest cluster in Bac Giang with 1,270 cases recorded as of Thursday.

The commune has over 15,500 workers staying in rented apartments.

The province shut down four parks, Van Trung, Quang Chau, Dinh Tram in Viet Yen District and Song Khe-Noi Hoang in Yen Dung District on May 18 to curb infection, planning to reopen them within Friday.

The zones are home, among others, to 13 Samsung suppliers and Apple partners Foxconn and Luxshare.