PM issues urgent message about new situation of COVID-19 epidemic

​The COVID-19 pandemic remains complicated and breaks out again during winter in many countries all over the world with the number of infected cases constantly increasing. After 88 consecutive days without community transmission, Vietnam has confirmed cases infected from people on entry during their quarantine period in Ho Chi Minh City. There has been a situation of negligence, subjectivity, improper and incomplete implementation of pandemic prevention and control measures.

In order to firmly maintain the achievements of pandemic prevention and control and protect people's health, the Prime Minister hereby requests ministries, ministerial-level agencies, and government-attached agencies, People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities:

1.     To continue strictly implementing the strategy of closely controlling the transmission sources from other countries, thoroughly identifying a zone; to effectively treat the pandemic in the country; to intensify vigilance against the pandemic risks, uphold the responsibility of leaders, calmly respond to all pandemic situations, and drastically, synchronously and effectively implement proposed pandemic prevention and control measures.

2.     Provinces and cities, especially centrally-run cities shall direct the 5K requirements for the pandemic prevention and control as recommended by the Ministry of Health, including the mandatory masking, disinfection at quarantine areas, concentrated residential areas, and public places such as markets, supermarkets, schools, production establishments; airports, seaports, stations, etc., and on public transport vehicles, especially in medical examination and treatment establishments. Accommodation establishments, schools, and medical examination and treatment establishments are required to regularly assess the implementation of requirements for, and guidance on the pandemic prevention and control, publicize the self-assessment result on the anti-epidemic map system.

Chairpersons of the People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities directly direct the inspection and strongly urge the implementation of proposed anti-epidemic measures, especially measures such as wearing face masks, disinfection and at places where there is a high risk of disease transmission; regularly inspect and handle the responsibility of heads of violating units and establishments, handle violating organizations and individuals according to the provisions of Decree No. 117/2020/ND-CP dated September 28, 2020 of the Government provides for the sanctioning of administrative violations in the health sector.

3.     For cases of infection with disease COVID-19 in Ho Chi Minh City:

a)     Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee directs to seriously, vigorously and quickly track all patient Fl, F2 of newly discovered cases, with the highest spirit, to achieve maximum results, not to spread the third round.

b)    Infection is a serious violation of regulations on epidemic prevention and control. The PM asked the Ministry of Transport and the State capital management committee at enterprises to direct the review and clarify responsibilities and strictly handle related organizations and individuals, and report the results to the PM. The Ministry of Health and the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee are responsible for monitoring and handling this violation.

4.     Ministries: Minstry of Defense and Minstry of Public Security continue to strengthen border management, strictly manage entry activities, and thoroughly prevent illegal entries.

5.     Continuing flights to carry diplomats, experts, investors, skilled workers and relatives to Vietnam and bring Vietnamese workers to work abroad for the realization of dual goals, economic recovery; flights to Vietnam must ensure strict implementation of epidemic prevention and control measures according to regulations.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall act as the leading unit in considering and settling the return of Vietnamese from overseas; assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Transport in studying and working out plans to bring Vietnamese people home suitable to their domestic reception and management capacities and epidemic prevention and control requirements; direct overseas representative missions to consider and allow only really necessary cases to return home (including returning home during the Lunar New Year) and send the list of returnees to the Ministry of Public Security and Ministry of Transport to carry out operations related to immigration and flight organization.

Relevant ministries, agencies and the People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities urgently implement the Prime Minister's instructions in Official Dispatch No. 3298/VPCP-QHQT dated November 28, 2020 on supporting Vietnamese citizens being stuck in a foreign country; quickly handle procedures at airports in order to promptly bring our citizens to the quarantine facilities according to the plan, ensuring safety for epidemic prevention and control. The Department of Defense prepares centralized quarantine facilities.

The Ministry of Transport directs: (1) sell tickets to people on entry to ensure publicity, transparency, and right subjects, to avoid taking advantage of price increases, taking profits, and strictly handling violations; (2) restrict flights carrying isolated people entering Hanoi; (3) strictly enforce the isolation of flight crews and flight attendants to ensure compliance with epidemic prevention and control requirements.

6.     All entry cases must be centrally isolated at quarantine facilities managed by the military and qualified civil isolation establishments managed by localities, requiring the isolated proper process, regulations and time. Relevant ministries, agencies, People's Committees of provinces and cities directly under the Central Government manage and closely supervise establishments to isolate people on entry, to prevent cross-spread and spread of diseases to the community.

7.     Continue to stop activities and events that gather crowds when not needed; In cases of organizations, they must strictly implement epidemic prevention and control measures such as wearing face masks, antiseptic, and so on in accordance with regulations.

All levels, branches and localities, when organizing events and activities in contact with people coming from abroad, especially from high-risk countries, they must consult the health agencies.

8.     In the event of an epidemic infection in the community, it is necessary to implement social segregation for high-risk areas and reasonably zoned, not applying widespread social gap that badly affects to people's life and production and business activities.

9.     Continue to ensure the capacity of the health system both in the spirit of vigilance and always ready to take the lead, respond to all epidemic situations, improve the capacity of examination, treatment, ability to trace and test In the short term, it is aimed at ensuring safety for important political events of the country, especially the National Party Congress.

The Ministry of Health directs the whole branch to implement the working regime with the spirit of being ready to respond to all epidemic situations. The Ministry of Health will soon work out a plan for cooperation with foreign countries in production and purchase of foreign vaccines, research into and manufacture of vaccines in the country, and report to the Standing Government for consideration and decision.

10.  Ministries: Information and Communication, Health, Vietnam Television, Voice of Vietnam, Vietnam News Agency, People's Committees of provinces and cities directly under the Central Government, press agencies continue to communicate about prevention and fight against epidemics, in which aim to popularize the spirit of non-subjectivity towards epidemics in all organizations and individuals in Vietnam; guide people to stay alert; prevent negative information, fabricated, causing confusion among people./.​