Ports see increase in goods handling despite COVID-19
Thanks to the adoption of drastic COVID-19 prevention measures at ports, the volume of goods that passed through ports in the first eight months of the year increased by 18 percent year-on-year to 16.8 million TEUs, the Vietnam Maritime Administration said.
HCMCity (VNS/VNA) – Thanks to the adoption of drastic COVID-19prevention measures at ports, the volume of goods that passed through ports inthe first eight months of the year increased by 18 percent year-on-year to 16.8million TEUs, the Vietnam Maritime Administration said.
They comprised exports of 5.4 million TEUs, up 16 percent, and imports of 5.5million TEUs.
With 3.2 million TEU, the Cai Mep - Thi Vai Port Cluster in Ba Ria-Vung Tau provinceaccounted two thirds of the imports and exports in the south and 100 percent ofshipments from and to the US.
Amid the COVID-19 outbreak in many southern provinces and cities, portauthorities have been adopting many preventive measures like keeping itsemployees on site and testing them all every three days.
Nguyen Xuan Ky, general director of the Tan Cang - Cai Mep InternationalTerminal Company Limited, said thanks to the strict implementation ofprevention and control measures, some COVID cases were detected in time andimmediately quarantined.
But after more than two months the model has also revealed certain limitations,he said.
The cost for the "three on-site" model and the periodic COVID-19test fee for more than 350 company employees, up to more than 1 billionVND (44,000 USD) a week, are causing many difficulties for businesses, Ky said.
Keeping the workers at the port and not allowing them to go home for a longtime also adversely affects their psyche, directly affecting productivity andsafety, he added.
His company has called on the provincial People's Committee to allow theadoption of other solutions such as allowing local employees living in areaswith little or no COVID-19 cases to go home./.
The Cai Mep - Thi Vai port cluster in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau is investing in upgrading infrastructure to increase cargo-loading capacity, according to Tan Cang Sai Gon Corporation.
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Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) 
