The entrance of the Bo La detoxification center. As many as 450 inmates and 56 employees of the center have tested positive for Covid-19 - PHOTO: VNA

HCMC – As many as 506 people, including 450 inmates and 56 employees, at the Bo La detoxification center, managed by the HCMC Department of Labors, Invalids and Social Affairs and located in Binh Duong Province, have been found infected with Covid-19, said director of the HCMC Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs Le Minh Tan.

At a press conference on the fight against the pandemic in HCMC on July 21, Tan said the department was in charge of managing 12 detoxification centers in HCMC, Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc and Dong Nai with a total of some 14,000 inmates, the local media reported.

The Bo La detoxification center has 607 inmates and 82 employees.

On July 17, two employees of the center developed mild fever and a headache. They underwent quick tests and the results came back positive. Quick tests were later conducted randomly on 34 other employees and 21 of them tested positive.

On July 20, all 689 people at the center underwent Covid-19 tests and 506 were found to be infected with Covid-19.

The HCMC Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs has coordinated with Binh Duong’s healthcare sector to gather 450 inmates in four areas and 56 employees in another area. These 56 employees will serve the 450 coronavirus-infected inmates.

The Binh Duong Department of Health proposed HCMC conduct RT-PCR tests for them and treat the patients due to its lack of personnel.

Tan said the HCMC Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs had sent a team to the Bo La detoxification center to reassure the inmates and employees at the center, ask them to strictly comply with anti-pandemic regulations and disinfect the center.

If their condition worsens, coronavirus-infected inmates will be moved to the Nhan Ai Hospital in Binh Phuoc Province and the employees will be transferred to the Binh Duong General Hospital or the Cu Chi Hospital in HCMC.