Directive 16/CT-TTg on urgent measures to prevent, control the COVID-19 pandemic

DIRECTIVE

On implementing urgent measures to prevent and control the COVID-19 pandemic

--------------------

The COVID-19 pandemic broke out globally, affecting over 720,000 people, killing nearly 35,000 people in over 200 countries and territories and shows no sign of ending. In Vietnam, the number of infected cases increases rapidly day by day and there is a high risk of infection in the community. It is predicted that the pandemic will spread rapidly on a large scale, seriously threatening human life and health and the country’s socio-economic.

On implementing the call of the General Secretary and President - Nguyen Phu Trong and with the spirit of attaching great importance to human health and life, to continue to proactively prevent and control the pandemic, the Prime Minister requests ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-attached agencies and the People s Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities to focus on implementing the provided pandemic prevention and control measures, especially the Directive No. 15/CT-TTg dated March 27, 2020, and in compliance with the instructions of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 prevention and control, effectively implementing the following urgent measures:

1. To carry out nationwide social distancing in 15 days from 0:00 on April 01, 2020 with the principle is that each family isolates itself with other families, one village to other villages, one commune to other communes, one province to other provinces; workshops and factories must maintain safe distances, perform disinfection, and their employees must wear masks in accordance with regulations. The people are required to stay at home, only leave home in case of necessity, such as to buy food, foodstuffs and medicine, emergency, or to work in factories, manufacturing facilities, factories and businesses providing essential goods and services that are not closed and other emergency cases; strictly observe the minimum distance of 2m when communicating; not gather more than 2 people outside of offices, schools, and hospitals an public places.

The Prime Minister requests the entire people to voluntarily abide by the requirements, the pandemic prevention and control measures; actively declare the health status, fully perform measures to protect themselves and their families and be responsible for the pandemic prevention and control activities organized by the competent authorities and community. Heads of enterprises, manufacturing facilities, service and trading facilities shall be responsible for deploying pandemic prevention and control measures at their businesses to keep their employees healthy and safe.

2. The Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Public Security and the People s Committees of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh Cities must be quick, determined and spend all their resources and measures to thoroughly handle the "outbreak areas” at Bach Mai Hospital (Hanoi) and the Buddha Bar & Grill (Ho Chi Minh City); to gain time to trace and apply appropriate measures to all cases of risk, contact with patients and people who have been to and from the "outbreak areas"; continue to urge such people to make health declarations, contact and requests for testing. The Ministry of Public Security is required to coordinate with the health sector to make a list of people relating to the Truong Sinh Company’s activities at risk of cross-infection to monitor their health, supervise, quarantine and promptly handle thoroughly sources of the pandemic.

The People’s Committees of related provinces and cities shall closely coordinate with Ministries and 2 cities to perform this task. People who have been to and from Bach Mai Hospital since March 12, 2020 shall be subject to home isolation, medical declaration for classification, testing and concentrated isolation if necessary; the grassroots administrations are assigned to organize and strictly supervise each family.

The Ministry of Public Security and the provincial People’s Committee shall continue to urgently carry out medical review and examination, update the health status of people who have entered from March 08, 2020 but have not isolated; make a list of people who have directly and closely contact them for classification and screening, applying appropriate isolation measures (concentrated isolation, home and accommodation establishments isolation).

3. State agencies and units shall arrange for cadres, civil servants and public employees to use information technology to work from home; only go to offices in case of necessity, such as combat duty, duty watch, the supply of essential goods and services, processing confidential documents and other necessary tasks; promote online meetings. Heads of such agencies and units shall be responsible for the infected cases because of not strictly observing the regulations on prevention and control of pandemic at the workplace.

4. The Ministry of Transport and the People’s Committees of provinces and cities shall direct to basically stop public passenger transport activities. To minimize the commuting from this area or locality to another area or locality; stop the commuting from the pandemic areas to other localities, except for special cases due to official duties and cases of provision of food, foodstuffs, necessities, shuttle buses for workers and experts of enterprises and transporting production materials.

5. To assign the Ministry of Health:

a) To direct hospitals to strictly carry out the process and manage, avoid cross-infection in hospitals; to strictly manage and request compulsory health declaration with patients and their relatives and caregivers; only allow one caregiver per patient; stop visiting patients at health establishments. There should be strict regulations on receiving patients, not allowing an infected person to affect the operation of the entire hospital.

b) To propose specific regimes and policies to support domestic enterprises manufacturing medical equipment and instruments, especially respirators, patient monitors, infusion machines, dialysis machines and report to Deputy Prime Minister Prime - Trinh Dinh Dung for direction.

c) To report to the Prime Minister options, scenarios and emergency response to the pandemic emergencies in the afternoon of March 31, 2020.

d) To organize and arrange to continue the medical examination and treatment at Bach Mai Hospital (Hanoi), ensure the health officials, staff and people at the request of the Steering Committee and the Ministry of Health.

dd) To consider and handle recommendations of the People s Committee of Hanoi City and support, create the favorable conditions for controlling the pandemic in Hanoi.

6. The Ministry of Health shall summarize and periodically publish of positive test results in localities twice a day, ensuring accuracy.

7. To temporarily close main and auxiliary border gates for people traveling from 00:00 on April 01, 2020 on the border with Laos and Cambodia. To strictly control the entry through international border gates; all immigrants from Laos and Cambodia must be concentrated isolated for 14 days.

8. The Ministry of Defense shall direct, organize, arrange and expand concentrated isolation establishments, separate new cases of isolation and the old cases of isolation to prevent cross-contamination; strengthening the management of trails and openings on border routes.

9. The Ministry of Public Security shall direct to ensure security and order to prevent crimes, especially in rural areas.

10. The Ministry of Finance shall direct the General Department of Vietnam Customs to handle all difficulties in exporting cloth masks; require insurance businesses not to introduce and deploy insurance packages related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

11. Ministries, branches, localities and press agencies shall continue to promote information and propaganda to support the people s health protection policy, rectify several newspaper headlines causing confusion and misunderstanding. The person in charge of prevention and control of the pandemic is not allowed to speak anything that causes panic among the people.

12. The Ministry of Industry and Trade and the People s Committees of localities shall pay attention to ensure essential goods, food and foodstuffs for the people./.