Social distancing is not a national lockdown, the government can still control the situation

Four days after signing Directive 15 with many drastic solutions in preventing and fighting the Covid-19 epidemic, today, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc continued to issue Directive No. 16. The solutions and instructions this time are one level higher than the previous directive because the epidemic situation is more complicated.

According to assessments, the number of Covid-19 cases in Vietnam is increasing rapidly every day and there is a high risk of infection in the community. It is predicted that the epidemic will spread rapidly on a large scale, seriously threatening human life, health and the country's socio-economy.

Hanoi streets are deserted during the complicated days of the Covid-19 pandemic. Photo:Viet Linh

10 drastic solutions

1. Social isolation for 15 days from 0:00 on April 1 nationwide.

2. Require everyone to stay at home and only go out when absolutely necessary.

3. Must keep a minimum distance of 2 m when communicating.

4. Do not gather in groups of more than 2 people outside of offices, schools, hospitals and in public places.

5. Basically stop public passenger transport activities.

6. Restrict movement between locations.

7. Temporarily close main and secondary border gates for people to cross from 0:00 on April 1 on the border with Laos and Cambodia.

8. State agencies allow staff to work from home, only come to the office when absolutely necessary.

9. Stop visiting patients in hospitals; require mandatory medical declarations for patients, relatives, and caregivers.

10. Quickly, resolutely, using all resources and solutions to thoroughly handle outbreaks at Bach Mai Hospital (Hanoi) and Buddha Bar (HCMC).

Social distancing is not a lockdown

Share withZing.vnTo further explain the requirements in the Directive just issued by the Prime Minister, Minister and Head of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung - Government Spokesperson, affirmed that the requirement of social isolation is not a lockdown of the country as some countries have done.

Depending on the development of the epidemic, the Government will issue recommendations and requests at an appropriate level. If the epidemic becomes more complicated, the requests and instructions will be at a higher level. If the epidemic continues to worsen and spread strongly in the community, there must be higher and stricter decrees. However, to effectively implement these solutions, we must prepare and "go step by step".

“These are draft orders, recommendations, restrictions, and requests made by the Government leaders, not yet a ban,” Minister Dung explained, adding that the Government is always prepared for all scenarios. If the situation breaks out, it will report to the competent authorities and the Party and State leaders.

Government Spokesperson - Minister Mai Tien Dung affirmed that "social distancing is not a national lockdown". Photo:Duy Hieu.

According to Minister Mai Tien Dung, the Government still agrees to allow factories and workshops to operate but requires office staff, state administrative agencies, and businesses to apply information technology to work from home.

Mr. Dung also cited that the Government Office has decided to let 50% of its staff, about 300 people, work from home. However, those who are required to go to work must also ensure that they sit 2 meters apart, and eat at one table per person.

This time, the Government assigns responsibility to the unit head to monitor and handle. If the head of the agency lets someone in his unit get infected with Covid-19 due to lax management and letting officials gather, that head must take responsibility.

Because with factories and workshops with tens of thousands of workers, if there is just one case of infection and poor supervision, they must be closed immediately to avoid cross-infection and spreading to the community.

The Government spokesman said that the direct superior will supervise and handle the subordinate leaders in implementing these requirements.

Missing the "golden opportunity" will be very complicated and difficult.

Although the Government and ministries have repeatedly issued recommendations in recent days to avoid large gatherings, in some localities, such as Nha Trang, thousands of people still gather to swim in the sea despite the complicated developments of the epidemic. Minister Mai Tien Dung said that local leaders must take responsibility for this. In the immediate future, the Government will issue reminders and make immediate corrections.

Despite the complicated developments of the Covid-19 epidemic, thousands of people still gather to swim in the sea in Nha Trang. Photo:Peace

Explaining why a lockdown order has not been issued while the epidemic is still complicated, Mr. Dung emphasized that the Government is still in control of the situation, so it is still necessary to ensure issues related to daily life, production, and socio-economics. When the situation is under control, there should not be an immediate lockdown, because in fact there are provinces that do not have the epidemic yet, or have it but they have already isolated and controlled it.

Regarding the decision to temporarily close the border with Laos and Cambodia, the Government spokesman said that due to the more complicated situation there, Vietnamese people in these countries are tending to return home, and air travel has been banned, so they return by land across the border. Therefore, a strong solution is needed here to be able to control the situation well.

According to Mr. Dung, the request not to gather more than 2 people outside of offices, hospitals, schools and public places is a stronger message than 4 days ago when it was requested not to gather more than 10 people. This sends the message that everyone should stay at home during the peak period, limit going out and gathering in large groups because the situation is now different from 4 days ago.

“If we miss this opportunity, we will lose the golden opportunity, and the situation will become much more complicated and difficult. The Government understands that with the above requirements, people and businesses may find it difficult or uncomfortable, but we hope everyone will comply. Because fighting the epidemic requires consensus from all levels from the central to local levels and especially the consensus and joint efforts of the people,” the Government Spokesperson shared.