Epidemiology of COVID-19 pandemic in Bac Giang province during May and June in 2021: Experience in disease prevention and controls in industrial zone

Abstract

This study aims to describe characterize the COVID-19 pandemic in Bac Giang province during May and June i 2021, and to share our experience in successfully controlling COVID-19 in industrial zones. A descriptive epidemiology study was conducted in Bac Giang to collect from all COVID-19 confirmed case reports and by reviewing the government documents that were related to COVID-19 prevention and controls during May and June 2021. The first case of COVID-19 was identified on 5/8/2021 in an industrial zone. Between 5/8 6/30, a total of 5,962 cases (315.5 cases/100,000 people) were reported. The number of cases rapidly increased from 5/15 to 6/10, highest in Viet Yen district (2,254 cases/100,000 people, accounting for 81.5% of the total cases). The majority were workers in industrial zones (77.7%), 18 - 50 years old (90.8%), symptomatic at the time of investigation (60.7%), and unvaccinated (99.6%). After about 14 to 20 days (5/8 - 5/28), the pandemic began to be controlled (Rt decreased from 1.88 (90%CI: 1.28 – 2.65) on 5/8 to 0.86 (90%CI: 0.69 – 0.99) on 5/28), corresponding to the implementation of prevention and control measures: Flexible social distancing, community-based surveillance,
universal and repeated testing, risk classification before centralized quarantine, treatment stratification, and vaccination for high-risk people. COVID-19 in Bac Giang province was characterized as high transmission in industrial zones, mainly at working age. Comprehensive prevention and control measures need to continue.