Directive 13/CT-TTg prevention, control of the COVID-19 epidemic in the new situation

DIRECTIVE

On continuing to promote the prevention and control of the COVID-19 epidemic in the new situation

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Recently, the prevention and control of the COVID-19 of all levels, branches and localities have been actively implemented and achieved initial results, highly appreciated by the international community and the people. However, the epidemic continues to be complicated, occurring in 105 countries with 114.000 infected cases and showing no sign of stopping. Only in the last 10 days, the number of infected people has increased rapidly, accounting for 25% of the previous infected people. There are many large outbreaks with the number of infected people and deaths increase rapidly. In our country, after 22 days without newly infected cases, in the last 04 days, an additional 18 infected people was detected (bringing the total number of infections more than 02 times higher than the previous number of infections), of which 15 people entered from countries with trade and a large number of people travel to our country. Vietnam is at high risk of spreading the epidemic.

Facing the new development of such epidemic, in order to minimum the spreading, ready and actively prevent and control of the epidemic on a large scale, to best protect health and lives of the people, the Prime Minister hereby directs:

1. Ministries, branches and localities shall continue to strictly and drastically implement directions of the Secretariat of the Party Central Committee in the Official Dispatch No. 79-CV/TW dated January 30, 2020, the Official Notice of the Standing Secretariat of the Party Central Committee dated March 07, 2020; the Directives No. 05/CT-TTg, 06/CT-TTg and 10/CT-TTg, the Official Notices No. 121/CD-TT and 156/CD-TTg and directive documents of the Prime Minister; best prepare and ready for all situations; continue to thoroughly grasp the spirit of "fighting against epidemics like fighting against the enemy", ready to sacrifice economic benefits to best protect the health and lives of the people.

2. Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, provincial/municipal People s Committees shall, base on the functions and task, focus on directing:

a) To actively and drastically prevent, quickly detect and strictly control the source of infection (both domestically and from abroad); organize the isolation and supervision of people who contacted infected person according to the Ministry of Health s guidance; check people who enter the country in the past 14 days but are not subject to concentrated isolation, timely detect the source of infection.

b) To strictly control people who enter the country

- To strengthen control of people entering through the airport, seaport and border gates; strict control of entry across the Southwest border.

- To temporarily halt unilateral visa exemption and validity of visa exemption certificates granted to Vietnamese citizens residing overseas and foreigners being Vietnamese spouses and children in Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden, England, France, Germany and Spain.

- To deploy compulsory medical declaration with all passengers enter into Vietnam according to regulations, strictly and efficiently manage declared information and early detect to isolate cases coming from or traveling to epidemic areas.

- To minimize flights from Vietnam to epidemic areas and vice versa (including foreign airlines).

- To strictly manage tourist activities, ensure safety; coordinate with relevant Ministers to inspect, detect and timely handle risks of infection from other countries via tourist routes.

- To postpone oversea duty tours; special cases must be approved by the Prime Minister; warn the people not to go aboard, especially to the epidemic areas.

c) To strictly isolate and prepare for isolating on a large scale

- To implement appropriate isolation measures at isolation establishments for all cases that enter into the country from or travel to epidemic areas; screening and applying appropriate measures to prevent and control of epidemic for each case at the concentrated isolation areas, preventing cross-contamination.

The Ministry of Health shall preside and coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to promptly announce the list of countries and territories having epidemic and apply the measure of concentrated isolation for people who enter Vietnam from epidemic areas.

- To take care and protect the health, ensure living conditions, prevent infection to officials, staffs and army forces working in concentrated isolation areas.

- The People’s Committees of provinces and cities shall immediately organize zoning, isolation and disinfection for areas where detecting infected cases; strictly control people going in and out of the isolation areas.

- The Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs and the People’s Committees of provinces and cities shall accelerate to prepare facilities and human resources to carry out the isolation; review and update the plan of isolation on a large scale; have plan of mobilization of hotels, accommodation establishments, etc. as the concentrated isolation place.

d) The Ministry of Science and Technology shall preside and coordinate with the Ministry of Health to continue to focus on directing the study of methods of control and prevention of the COVID-19 disease and treatment regimens, vaccines of the COVID-19 disease; soon put the test kit into use.

The Ministry of Health shall review the availability of human resources, means and medical supplies to respond in case that the epidemic spreading widely.

dd) To continue providing complete, public and transparency information about the epidemic development in Vietnam, about cases subject to the concentrated isolation or medical supervision and health monitoring in the community in a timely manner as prescribed by law; focus on providing selective news for social stability.

e) To strictly handle, including handle under criminal law with cases of untruthful reporting, causing public confusion, social instability and acts of hoarding, raising prices, causing market instability in accordance with law provisions.

The Ministry of Justice shall propose strict handling measures; preside and coordinate with the Ministry of Health to request to handle cases of violating regulations on medical declaration and non-observance of isolation.

3. Heads of agencies, organizations and enterprises shall actively focus on directing the works of prevention and control of the epidemic, consider it is as central tasks; strictly handle organizations and individuals that do not seriously implement their tasks and responsibilities in prevention and control of the epidemic. To restrict the organization of meetings, events and crowded activities; strengthen the application of information technology in direction, administration, study, e-declaration and control of the epidemic; guide and encourage the people to use online public services.

Party committee, local authorities, especially wards, communes, villages and population groups, etc. shall focus on reviewing to quickly detect suspected cases to take appropriate measures; mobilize the people to restrict their participating in the crowded activities, strengthen activities to improve health and fitness.

4. Ministries, branches, localities and State corporations shall according to the assigned competence and tasks, strictly implement to ensure the supply of goods and necessities to meet the consumption needs of the people in accordance with the prime Minister s direction in the document No. 1771/VPCP-KTTH dated March 07, 2020.

5. To require the Vietnam Fatherland Front and organizations to coordinate with the authorities, especially the grassroots authorities in mobilizing the people to comply with epidemic prevention and control measures; strictly carry out the isolation and medical supervision, in order to timely detect suspected cases; mobilize the entire people to raise their awareness and enhance activities to protect their health.

6. The Prime Minister requires Ministries, branches and localities to drastically prevent and control the epidemic; positively carry out measures of epidemic prevention and control, at the same time, focus on drastically implementing specific and efficient measures to remove difficulties for production and business, ensuring social security in accordance with the Directive No. 11/CT-TTg dated March 04, 2020 of the Prime Minister./.