Vietnam HCM City workers carry on despite Covid fears
Many workers in HCM City have tried to stay at work despite Covid-19 fears.
Tran Thi My Trinh returned home late after working extra hours at her company in HCM City's Binh Tan District. The 29-year-old woman said she was not only tired but also worried about being infected with Coronavirus at her company.
"A colleague who sits next to me tested positive for the virus today," she said. "I was very worried but I can't stop my work. I had stayed home for too long during the social distancing period and I've run out of money."
Trinh comes from Vinh Long Province and has lived and worked in HCM City for eight years. Her modest income from working at a garment company is only enough for her to live a simple life here and support her small son and her elderly mother who are living in Vinh Long. She does not have any savings.
"Luckily our company still gave us some financial support during the three-month social distancing period here from August to October and I could still stay in the city during that time," she said. "But I had to borrow money to send to my son and my mother and now I have to try to work to pay my debts."
Pham Hong Thuy, 31, also feels very worried when her footwear company is reporting new Covid-19 infections every week. But she tries to reassure herself that she would be ok because she has good health and has been fully vaccinated against the virus.
"I have to work to support my elderly parents who have no pension in Tra Vinh Province," she said. "I've incurred debts after my company closed for over three months earlier and now I need to work to repay the debts. The pandemic is still spreading and posing big threats to us but I and many colleagues are still determined to work.'
Thuy said that although her company has fully resumed operation, their working environment has changed a lot.
"We have been asked to wear protective clothing and limit chatting with colleagues," she said. "We've also prepared some kinds of medicine to treat Covid-19 because we may get infected any time. Despite working extra long hours in constant threat, we have to try to keep a positive mood to avoid possible work accidents."
According to Vice Chairman of the HCM City Export Processing Zone and Industrial Park Authority Business Association, Tran Viet Anh, the rate of workers infected with Covid-19 remains high in the city and they have proposed to set up field hospitals for Covid-19 treatment at local industrial zones.
"Many workers are now working in constant fear of Covid-19," he said. "They have also expressed worries that they will have to stop work if they are moved to hospital for Covid-19 treatment. They want to be treated at their work. And we’ve tried to support them so that they can feel safer at work."
