Nghe An: Consider issuing market cards to people in epidemic areas

Comrade Pham Van Hoa - Director of the Department of Industry and Trade emphasized: "Epidemic prevention work at traditional markets is extremely important, both to ensure safety against the epidemic and to ensure that the supply chain of goods is not disrupted." Photo: Thanh Phuc

On the morning of August 17, the Department of Industry and Trade held an online conference on propaganda and guidance.Covid-19 prevention at the marketand instructions on how to safely use the anti-epidemic map. The conference was attended by representatives from 21 districts, cities, and towns. Comrade Pham Van Hoa - Director of the Department of Industry and Trade chaired the conference, attended by leaders of Vinh City People's Committee, relevant departments and branches.

At the conference, the Department of Industry and Trade assessedrisk of Covid-19 infectionat shopping centers, supermarkets, markets, restaurants. According to statistics, the province currently has 376 markets, 21 shopping centers and 35 supermarkets providing goods, food and foodstuffs for people in the province. This is also where goods and traders from many localities gather, so the risk of infection and spreading disease to the community is very high.

Comrade Cao Minh Tu - Deputy Director of the Department of Industry and Trade answered some questions from localities about epidemic prevention work. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Although the implementation of epidemic prevention and control for vendors and shoppers at traditional markets has been tightened recently, there is still a subjective and negligent mentality. At many traditional markets, health declaration, body temperature measurement, mask wearing, and control of people entering and leaving the market have not been thoroughly implemented.

Currently, many markets in the province have had cases related to Vinh wholesale market and there is a risk of widespread infection. Recognizing that risk, the Department of Industry and Trade has issued many documents directing, guiding the prevention, control and assessment of the risk of Covid-19 infection at shopping malls, supermarkets and markets to the People's Committees of districts, cities, towns, and business management units of shopping malls, markets and supermarkets.

Guide localities to assess Covid-19 safety and update status on the "Covid-19 Safe Living Map" on the system. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Accordingly, direct 100% of markets in the management area to implement the Guidelines on prevention, control and assessment of the risk of Covid-19 infection at shopping centers, supermarkets, markets and restaurants issued in Decision No. 2225/QD-BCDQG dated May 28, 2020 of the National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control.

As for local markets applying Directive 16/CT-TTg, they must organize SARS-CoV-2 testing using rapid antigen tests for managers, workers, and sellers at the market every week; Direct the People's Committees of communes, wards, and towns to implementfrequency division plan for grocery shoppingof local people by market card for local people living in the area.

Checking epidemic prevention and control work at traditional markets. Photo: Thanh Phuc

If necessary, consider suspending the operation of markets that do not ensure safety in epidemic prevention and control according to regulations. Strictly handle violations of epidemic prevention and control at markets, shopping centers, and restaurants.

Resolutely direct functional forces, deploy, urge, and guide markets to assess Covid-19 safety and update status on the "Covid-19 Safe Living Map" on the antoancovid.vn system.

According to data on the system, the completion rate of updating market status on the Covid-19 Map in localities in the province is very low, 10/21 districts have a rate of 0%, 3/21 districts have a completion rate of <10%.

Tighten control of customers entering and leaving shopping malls. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Concluding the conference, Comrade Pham Van Hoa - Director of the Department of Industry and Trade emphasized: With the important role of traditional markets, ensuring epidemic prevention and control here is an extremely important issue. Accordingly, both ensuring epidemic prevention and control work and ensuring the supply of essential goods to people.

Therefore, authorities at all levels, management units, and market operators in the area need to resolutely implement epidemic prevention and control measures, but it is necessary to pay attention to not being rigid in solving the problem, but needing flexibility according to the actual situation of each locality so that epidemic prevention and control work in the area in general, and epidemic prevention and control in the market in particular, can meet the requirements set out in the context of complicated epidemic developments.