Hanoi (VNA) - Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam onMay 27 requested the northern provinces of Bac Giang and Bac Ninh to continuespeeding up the implementation of COVID-19 prevention and control measures toprevent the pandemic from spreading to other industrial zones.

Speaking at the National Steering Committee for COVID-19Prevention and Control’s online meeting with leaders of the two provinces,Dam, who is also head of the steering committee, suggested the HealthMinistry’s special team in Bac Giang and local authorities combine Realtime-PCRtesting and quick testing at current pandemic hotbeds, and speed up the self-collectionof samples for quick tests among workers.

Bac Giang should collect samples for screening testing atplaces that have yet to detect any infections or districts that have yet toapply social distancing, and strengthen monitoring over people with symptoms ofcough and fever, Dam said.

He agreed with the plan to rearrange production ofenterprises in Bac Ninh’s industrial zones. Accordingly, the provincetemporarily allows a number of workers to stay at factories, and at the sametime arrange accommodations outside factories for workers who have to work inshifts, and transport them to the factories safely.

However, the Deputy PM also stressed the threat of thepandemic spreading outside industrial zones, asking all localities to raiseawareness and vigilance at the highest level.

Reporting at the meeting, Director of Bac Ninh’s HealthDepartment To Thi Mai Hoa said that as of 12:00pm on May 27, the province hadrecorded 669 COVID-19 patients, with 5,056 "F1" cases who had direct contact withconfirmed patients.

Notably, screening testing for workers at Khac Niem industrialcluster in Bac Ninh city on May 26 detected 19 workers positive for the coronavirus.Additional 40 cases were found on May 27./.