Mekong Delta localities to bring people home from Covid hotspots

By Hoang Nam, Cuu Long July 27, 2021 | 09:29 pm PT

Police check papers of a bus leaving HCMC and heading to Long An Province, July 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Dinh Van.

Can Tho City and five provinces in the Mekong Delta have finalized plans to bring back locals who want to return home from Covid-19 epicenter HCMC.

Long An Province will organize buses for 1,000 people by early next month.

The returnees must test negative for Covid before the trip, and stay in quarantine for 14 days on reaching Long An, and it will cost them VND3.9 million ($170) in all, according to the Long An Fellow Countrymen Association in HCMC.

Ben Tre Province will bring back 1,400 people starting on Friday.

They would be quarantined for a week and have to isolate themselves at home for another week, Pham Thanh Hung, director of the province's Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, said.

Duong Tan Hien, deputy chairman of Can Tho, said the city would send buses over to HCMC and also Binh Duong Province for 1,000 people.

Kien Giang, Hau Giang and Ca Mau provinces have announced similar plans with quarantine for 14 days.

The 13 localities in the delta have reported over 10,600 cases, or 10 percent of the national tally, in the ongoing Covid wave that began three months ago.

HCMC is the worst hit with more than 74,800 cases, followed by its neighbor Binh Duong with over 8,900.