Prime Minister requests localities to prevent and minimize the spread of Covid-19 in the community

The Government Office has just issued Notice No. 118/TB-VPCP on the conclusion of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the Government Standing Committee meeting on Covid-19 prevention and control. The notice clearly states:

1. The Prime Minister respectfully announces the direction of the General Secretary and President, highly appreciating and praising the entire Party, people and army, including sectors, levels, the Government, the Prime Minister, the National Steering Committee, medical staff and armed forces, for their efforts, efforts, solidarity and high determination to carry out the work of epidemic prevention and control with initial results. This is a victory of the entire superior and humane political system of our country, deeply demonstrating the concern of the Party and State in protecting and caring for the health and lives of the people.

2. The Prime Minister basically agrees with the positive assessments of the epidemic prevention and control work in the Report of the National Steering Committee, the Government Office and the statements of ministries, branches and Deputy Prime Ministers. The results achieved so far are encouraging. However, there are still some loopholes and limitations in the epidemic prevention and control work, the risk of spreading and outbreaks is still very high; it is necessary to seriously overcome the shortcomings, not be satisfied with the results achieved, always be vigilant, absolutely not be subjective and must always be proactive, ready for all conditions to respond to all situations, prepare a number of specific plans, including the worst case scenario.

3. The work of preventing and fighting the epidemic has entered a new phase, requiring greater determination, solidarity and responsibility from the entire political system with stronger and more resolute solutions.

The Prime Minister requested all levels, sectors, and people, especially socio-political organizations, to strengthen advocacy, recommendations, and implementation from each agency, organization, residential group, family, and individual on drastic changes in habits and lifestyles to adapt to the requirements of disease prevention and control, such as increasing online transactions, limiting large gatherings, wearing masks in public places and on public transport; recommending people to go to public places less, minimizing gatherings of more than 50 people at weddings and funerals; temporarily closing entertainment service establishments such as karaoke and massage; mobilizing religious organizations to practice at home and not conduct ceremonies with large gatherings.

State agencies continue to stop and limit unnecessary meetings, increase online meetings, actively reform administration, and decentralize and delegate power more strongly in handling work.

4. Continue to promote communication on disease prevention and control on mass media, including social networks to ensure social stability, focusing on information about positive results, good models, and community cooperation in disease prevention and control; proactively inform about treatment results, cases with good progress, and severe cases to avoid panic in society; provide more information on disease prevention and control, be vigilant against the disease, and avoid providing information that causes pessimism, fear, or discrimination against people with the disease or suspected of having the disease. Collaborate with universities and research institutes to bring scientific information to the community.

5. All levels, sectors and localities continue to thoroughly grasp the goal of preventing and minimizing the spread to the community, focusing on strictly implementing the following solutions:

a) Temporarily suspend entry for all foreigners into Vietnam, effective from 0:00 on March 22, 2020. Particularly for cases of entry for diplomatic, official and special purposes (foreign guests attending or serving important foreign affairs activities; experts, business managers, highly skilled workers, etc.), the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of National Defense shall preside over and coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Health and relevant agencies to issue visas (if necessary) and carry out mandatory medical examination and declaration procedures in separate areas and be appropriately quarantined at accommodation facilities in accordance with regulations. Representative agencies of countries in Vietnam shall commit to conducting medical surveillance of their citizens during their working period in Vietnam.

Temporarily suspend entry due to the epidemic for all cases holding Visa Exemption Certificates issued to people of Vietnamese origin and their relatives, effective from 0:00 on March 22, 2020. The Ministry of Health is responsible for implementing this in accordance with the provisions of law.

Authorities strictly control people entering the country by sea, waterway, road and air.

b) Continue to promptly, maximally and space out flights carrying passengers from abroad to Vietnam, including those by foreign airlines (because it can easily lead to overloading of quarantine areas). The Ministry of Transport directs the aviation industry to immediately implement this and at the same time create favorable conditions for flights carrying foreign passengers to leave Vietnam.

c) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs directs Vietnamese representative agencies abroad to continue to mobilize and advise Vietnamese people abroad (students, workers, overseas Vietnamese) to minimize their return to the country at present and comply with epidemic prevention and control measures in the host country. In case of real need to return to the country, they must register with the representative agency to promptly coordinate with the Ministry of Transport to direct the aviation industry to organize each commercial flight and must register, comply with the arrangement for each flight, batch, strictly implement health declaration and quarantine according to regulations.

Vietnamese people holding diplomatic or official passports traveling abroad on business trips must comply with quarantine and health declaration at the border gate according to current epidemic prevention and control procedures and comply with mandatory quarantine requirements in accordance with regulations upon returning to the country.

d) Implement centralized quarantine for all cases entering Vietnam, except for foreigners entering for diplomatic or official purposes, Vietnamese people holding diplomatic or official passports returning from overseas business trips and other special cases stated in Point a, Section 5. Strictly handle cases of non-compliance with quarantine, failure to declare and acts of assisting cases of quarantine evasion.

The Ministry of National Defense shall continue to manage and coordinate centralized quarantine facilities. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the People's Committees of provinces and cities shall continue to prepare centralized quarantine facilities and assign the Ministry of National Defense to receive and organize and coordinate centralized quarantine before March 25, 2020. The People's Committee of Hanoi shall prepare additional facilities sufficient to quarantine 20,000 people, paying attention to choosing locations near the airport, not in densely populated areas. Other assigned provinces and cities shall actively have proactive plans for quarantine facilities.

Foreigners who are experts, business managers, high-skilled workers, etc. with a certificate of negative Covid-19 virus infection issued by a competent authority of the host country and approved by Vietnam are allowed to enter the country and must be strictly quarantined at their accommodation facility, ensuring safety measures and epidemic prevention and control. The Ministry of Public Security directs relevant units to issue or extend appropriate visas for these cases (including those affected by the Covid-19 epidemic who cannot return home and must continue to stay and work). The Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs urgently issues appropriate work permits for the above cases.

The People's Committees of relevant provinces and cities and the health sector shall closely monitor the above cases according to disease prevention and control requirements when working in Vietnam.

d) Local authorities, from villages, residential groups, local police... continue to screen at-risk groups in the community, especially those who have entered the country within the past 14 days, to promptly detect sources of infection and at-risk people in order to have timely solutions.

e) The National Steering Committee and the Ministry of Health continue to review and update scenarios, prepare adequate human resources, means, equipment, and supplies necessary for epidemic prevention and control, and treatment of infected people, and report to the Prime Minister before March 25, 2020; have plans ready to mobilize doctors, nurses, and medical staff, including retirees and medical students, for epidemic prevention and control; further improve testing capacity, standardize laboratories and testing procedures.

The National Steering Committee and the Ministry of Health shall propose specific fees (food, accommodation, etc.) for quarantined subjects and report to the Prime Minister at the next meeting.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade directs the production of masks, ensuring sufficient supply for domestic use and a portion for export according to Resolution No. 20/NQ-CP dated February 28, 2020 of the Government; together with sectors and localities, continue to direct the resolution of existing problems and difficulties in production and business.

g) Continue to promote international cooperation with other countries in the work of epidemic prevention and control. Assign the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Health to consider and propose specific, immediate measures to consider the State's purchase of masks to provide aid and support to countries that have made requests and have received the Prime Minister's approval.

6. Regarding the proposals of the National Steering Committee:

a) Agree to the Ministry of National Defense to purchase 10 mobile testing vehicles early as requested by the National Steering Committee.

b) All levels, sectors, especially the Ministry of Health and members of the Steering Committee, continue to uphold the sense of responsibility, have a mechanism to quickly and promptly resolve issues. Assign Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, Head of the National Steering Committee, to decide on specific and accurate epidemic prevention and control solutions, and report to the Prime Minister for timely decisions on major issues. The National Steering Committee promptly resolves the regime for medical staff, officers and soldiers on quarantine duty.