Directive 22/CT-UBND 2021 Hanoi adjusting COVID-19 prevention and control measures

DIRECTIVE

On adjusting COVID-19 prevention and control measures in the City according to the new situation

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After 60 days of social distancing, Hanoi basically put the pandemic under control. However, the risk of disease spread still exists in some narrow inner-city areas with high population density, there are still people returning from pandemic-hit areas and a small number of people who have not strictly followed the prescribed pandemic prevention and control measures. In order to implement tasks and solutions to safely adapt to the pandemic development, absolutely ensure political security, social order, and safety of the City, ensure social security, and recover and develop production, business, and services, the Chairman of Hanoi People's Committee hereby requests departments, branches, sectors, People's Committees of districts, towns and proposes agencies, units, mass organizations, organizations and citizens in the City to strictly implements a number of the following contents:

            1. Objectives

- The top priority shall be given to the citizens' health and the City's safety.

- To continue to control the situation in the City while the pandemic development remains complicated and unpredictable in some provinces and cities across the country; strive to give the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine for all people of vaccination age.

- To adjust solutions to safely adapt to the pandemic development, ensure social security, social works, and safe production, business, and service activities in the City.

            2. Principles of implementation

- Not to apply zoning regulations; not control travel papers for organizations, individuals, and enterprises moving within the City; promote the application of information technology in pandemic prevention and control, management, and control of movements within the City.

- Not to additionally prescribe administrative procedures for individuals, organizations, and enterprises in the City under the directions of central and municipal authorities.

- Individuals, organizations, and units shall comply with criteria, guidelines, and regulations on safety in COVID-19 prevention and control according to the lists and appendices posted on e-portals of the City, Health Department, and relevant departments and sectors.

- People’s Committees of districts and towns shall closely follow directions of central and municipal authorities and the actual situation in localities, flexibly adjust and proactively decide measures in association with requirements on inspecting and monitoring the implementation to ensure efficiency and safety in pandemic prevention and control and take responsibility before the City. It is not allowed to become subjective, negligent, drop the guard, hastily loosen pandemic prevention and control measures without thoroughly making preparation, and when the localities have not become safe from the pandemic.

- In the course of implementation, departments, sectors, and branches of the City, People's Committees of districts and towns shall instruct and create favorable conditions for organizations, units, and individuals in localities to restore production, business, and service operations while strictly complying with 5K rule, "safety and production go hand in hand"; establish interdisciplinary inspection teams to conduct post-inspection and strictly handle violations, request the closure of establishments and organizations that fail to fully meet the criteria for safety, prevention and control of COVID-19 according to regulations.

- To continue to maintain the blockade on a narrow scale, strictly manage at blockade points in the City.

- To adjust operations in outbreak areas, high-risk areas, quarantine areas, and blockade areas. To flexibly adjust pandemic prevention and control activities, closely follow the actual situation.

- Citizens and organizations must continue to raise awareness of pandemic prevention and control, strictly implement the 5K rule as well as personal and community protection measures. It is not allowed to become subjectivity while restrictions in the City are gradually eased to restore production and business.

3. From 06:00 on September 21, 2021, to adjust COVID-19 prevention and control measures in the City in line with the Prime Minister's Directive No. 15/CT-TTg dated March 27, 2020, and some stricter measures according to the actual situation until all citizens in the vaccination age are received the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine and the new notice is issued. To be specific:

3.1. Continuing to implement a number of COVID-19 prevention and control measures:

- To maintain operations of 22 checkpoints at the gateways to/from the City and 33 checkpoints in districts, towns bordering neighboring provinces to control people and vehicles, ensure the prevention and control of COVID-19 pandemic.

- To continue to maintain checkpoints managed by citizens at residential groups, neighborhoods; strictly control citizens’ movements.

- To continue to request the Ministry of Transport to direct to halt domestic commercial flights to Noi Bai International Airport and passenger transport by railway to Hanoi.

- To continue to strictly control; not allow any toad markets, temporary markets in the area.

3.2.  Continuing to suspend the following operations:

- Passenger transport by road and water, including buses, taxis, contract vehicles, tourist cars, inter-provincial buses, river-crossing passenger terminals, inland waterway terminals, passenger transport by motorcycles; except for the following cases: serving pandemic prevention, public service, diplomacy, transporting workers and experts.

- Cultural, sports, and entertainment activities at public places and business establishments (except activities permitted by competent state agencies).

- Activities at religious, belief, and worship establishments.

- Operations of business establishments and service providers located in the locality, except for the cases specified in Section 3.3 of this Directive.

3.3. The following operations are allowed to conduct:

- State-level political and foreign affairs activities in the locality shall be carried out according to the approval of competent authorities but must comply with the regulations on pandemic prevention and control.

- Agencies, offices, organizations, and enterprises located in the locality (except for the armed forces, agencies, units, and forces in charge of pandemic prevention and control) shall arrange for their cadres, civil servants, public employees, and employees to work according to the 50/50 principle (50% at the office and 50% using information technology to work from home). The department that receives and returns the results of administrative procedure processing in the direct form of agencies and units (if any) shall operate normally, ensuring timely processing of administrative procedures for individuals and organized according to regulations.

- Meetings and events that gather no more than 20 people in one room (in case of an urgent mass meeting, it shall be decided by central agencies, party committees, and local authorities, and must ensure the minimum distance and pandemic prevention and control measures). It is not allowed to gather 10 or more people outside of offices, schools, or hospitals; a minimum distance of 2m between people in public places must be maintained.

- Essential goods and service providers; supermarkets, markets, convenience stores, mini-marts, grocery stores, florist's, fruit shops, agro-food business chains in the locality; stores of drugs, medical equipment and consumables in service of medical examination and treatment and pandemic prevention; medical examination and treatment services, banking, treasury, service businesses directly related to banking activities and supporting businesses, securities, postal, telecommunications, services supporting transportation, import and export of goods, detoxification establishments, social relief establishments; barbershops; services of trading, repairing and washing cars, motorbikes, vehicles, electronics, refrigeration and household appliances; establishments conducting business related to stationery, books, equipment and school supplies; shops dealing in building materials and supplies; business activities on e-commerce platforms using online delivery services; food and beverage service establishments (only for takeout) which must close before 21:00 daily.

- In addition to motorcycles, two-wheeled vehicles transporting postal items and goods, which are currently permitted to operate, motorbikes and two-wheeled vehicles participating in the technology application are allowed to operate. Enterprises providing transportation services by motorcycles and two-wheel vehicles with technology applications are only allowed to arrange no more than 50% of the number of operating vehicles. The delivery persons (shippers) must receive at least 1 dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, make a daily health declaration on the VN-eID application or the website: suckhoe.dancuquocgia.gov.vn; take responsibility for strictly complying with COVID-19 prevention and control as prescribed. Time for operation: Form 09:00 to 22:00 every day (for both motorcycles and two-wheel vehicles currently permitted to operate and vehicles participating in technology application).

- Funerals must be organized within the family with a maximum of 20 people; visitation groups are limited; each group of visitations must not exceed 5 people.

4. Citizens are requested to:

- Strictly implement 5K rule, make daily health declaration on the website www.tokhaiyte.vn or Ncovi, Bluezone applications. - Immediately contact with local authorities and medical establishments when showing signs of fever, cough, dyspnoea, loss of taste, etc.

- In case of moving to the City for official reasons or pandemic prevention and control, or production, they must make health declarations and comply with measures of monitoring and quarantine according to the City's regulations.

- Actively participate in the pandemic prevention and control at the grassroots, together with the frontline forces to expand and maintain the grassroots position, protect the green zone, spread good deeds, and join hands to respond to the City's emulation movement

"All citizens join hands and unite to stamp out the COVID-19 pandemic"

5. Business establishments and service providers permitted to operate must satisfy the following requirements:

- Developing plans for safe adaptation to prevent and control the pandemic. Establishment owners must take responsibility for ensuring safety for their staff and community; controlling and taking pandemic prevention measures for customers purchasing goods/using services and making health declarations with QR codes and implementing the 5K rule.

- Conducting business, production, and other operations according to guidelines on COVID-19 prevention and control (see the attached appendix) and regulations promulgated by the central and municipal authorities.

6. Regarding factories, production establishments, and construction works:

6.1. Factories and production establishments located outside industrial parks/clusters: To fully comply with regulations of the central and municipal authorities; actively approve plans on safe production in response to the pandemic situation, and send them to People's Committees of communes, wards, and townships for management, monitoring, and inspection; take responsibility before local authorities for their pandemic prevention and control.

6.2. Factories, workshops, and production establishments located in industrial parks/clusters: Chairpersons of People’s Committees of districts and towns shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with Heads of Management Boards of industrial parks and export processing zones located in Hanoi, and the Director of the Department of Industry and Trade in, taking full responsibilities and implementing pandemic prevention and control measures to ensure safety and production without disrupting the supply chain; managing the places of residence and movements of workers and employees working at industrial parks/clusters in the locality.

6.3. Construction works: Based on the work size and management competence, the Department of Transport, the Department of Industry and Trade, the Department of Construction and People’s Committees of districts and towns shall coordinate with relevant units in managing and instructing the organization of construction activities according to pandemic prevention and control requirements.

7. Directors, Heads of Departments, agencies, and sectors in the City shall urgently develop plans and organize to implement this Directive within their functions, tasks, and fields:

7.1. The Department of Health

- To assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with relevant Departments, agencies, and sectors in, developing guidance on safe criteria applicable to production and business activities, sectors, etc. according to the pandemic prevention and control as instructed by central authorities.

- Based on the number of allocated vaccines, to strive to give the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine safely and effectively for citizens in the City in the fastest manner.

- To continue to direct the testing and screening in very high-risk areas and high-risk areas to prevent the pandemic from spreading.

- To closely follow the pandemic development in neighboring provinces and localities to timely advise and adjust measures for effective and active control of the pandemic in the City.

- To improve capacity for the medical force at all levels in terms of facilities, equipment, and human resources.

7.2. The Hanoi Public Security Department

 - To continue to maintain current checkpoints at the gateway to/from the City; coordinate with relevant agencies, units, and localities in seriously implementing the Prime Minister's directions and instructions of ministries and branches on creating favorable conditions for transportation, goods circulation, and movements of citizens to ensure consistency and smoothness in the implementation and safety of COVID-19 prevention and control; not prescribe additional procedures to obstruct the circulation of goods, especially for essential goods serving people's lives and production; avoid traffic jams; strengthen the propaganda, guidance, and traffic flow separation in advance, creating favorable conditions for organizations and individuals to comply with regulations on COVID-19 prevention and control.

- To direct police departments of districts, towns; communes, wards, and townships, grassroots forces, community-based COVID-19 groups, maintain checkpoints managed by citizens to protect “green zones”, strictly control the citizens’ movements; coordinate with other functional forces to control the observance of anti-pandemic measures in the locality.

 - To strengthen the direction of ensuring security and order, preventing crime in the City.

7.3. The Hanoi Capital High Command

- To coordinate with local authorities and relevant agencies in organizing the quarantine according to regulations.

- To prevent cross-infection in the concentrated quarantine areas and from quarantine areas to the community.

7.4. The Department of Industry and Trade

- To organize the instruction, inspection, and supervision of the observance of pandemic prevention and control regulations, safe criteria applicable to industrial production, business activities, and distribution systems (establishments trading essential food, spontaneous markets, wholesale markets) that are permitted to operate.

- To coordinate with the Department of Transport and Hanoi Public Security in ensuring the smooth transportation and circulation of goods; good supply for citizens in the City; implement solutions to support product consumption, cooperate with provinces to ensure the supply of goods in the locality.

7.5. The Department of Transport

- To re-organize the transportation activities; coordinate with the Department of Industry and Trade in ensuring the smooth transportation and circulation of goods.

- Coordinate with the Hanoi Municipal Police Department to control traveling at the quarantine checkpoints at the gateway to/from the City.

7.6. The Department of Construction

To instruct People’s Committees of districts and towns, central and municipal units to perform construction works in the locality, ensuring safety in COVID-19 prevention and control.

7.7. The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development

To direct and maintain agricultural productions, activities in service of livestock and poultry raising, aquaculture, harvesting of agricultural products, capacity to supply agricultural and aquatic products to the City; ensure the safety in pandemic prevention.

7.8. The Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs

To provide policies on ensuring social security for people in difficulties who are not supported in accordance with current policies; coordinate with Hanoi Social Security to ensure the unemployment insurance regime for employees.

7.9. The Department of Finance

To give advice and proposal to ensure funds for the COVID-19 prevention and control upon request.

7.10. The Department of Education and Training

To assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Department of Health in, developing criteria for safe COVID-19 prevention and control at education and training institutions; prepare plans and conditions to re-open schools.

7.11. The Department of Information and Communication

 - To assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with relevant units, People’s Committees of districts and towns in, promoting the application of information technology in COVID-19 prevention and control, strengthening the propaganda, and guiding citizens to install Bluezone, Ncovi, VietnamHealthDeclaration, VnelD applications; and at the same time, propagandize, guide and ask the people to scan QR codes when entering or leaving offices, agencies, organizations, and public places.

- To assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Department of Industry and Trade, the Department of Transport, the Department of Health, and Hanoi Public Security Department in inspecting and supervising the motorcycle, two-wheel vehicle transportation activities applying technology via software; strictly handle cases of violation according to regulations.

To coordinate with the Commission for Propaganda and Education under the Municipal Party Committee in directing and guiding the press agencies to continue promoting the dissemination of information on the COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control; popularize and encourage the people to support the policy of protecting people's health; strictly sanction cases of posting false news causing public anxiety and affecting the pandemic prevention of the City.

7.12. Management Boards of industrial parks and export processing zones located in Hanoi

To direct enterprises in the industrial parks to develop and implement plans on safe production in the new situation.

8. People’s Committees of districts and towns shall urgently develop and approve the plans on implementing this Directive according to local requirements, tasks, and actual situation:

- When taking blockade or quarantine measures for pandemic prevention and control in localities, it is required to determine the social distancing scope and size as small as possible (village, hamlet, neighborhood, etc.). To identify the social distancing targets for rapid control of the pandemic and drastically and effectively implement measures, including: (1) Strictly complying with social distancing measures; (2) Ensuring sufficient food and foodstuffs for citizens, leaving no one lacking food; (3) Implementing synchronously and effectively health measures such as testing, treatment, vaccination, ensuring people have early access to healthcare from the grassroots; (4) Ensuring people's safety, security, safety, and social order; (5) Propagating and mobilizing people to participate in pandemic prevention and control.

- To maintain the operation of anti-pandemic "fortresses" in each commune, ward, and township, taking the people as the center subject of pandemic prevention and control with the synchronous and drastic participation of the entire political system and citizens in the area; maintain checkpoints managed by citizens to protect “green zones” in villages, hamlets, residential quarters and residential areas to control the citizens’ movement.

- To ensure the four-on-the-spot principle in pandemic prevention and control. To coordinate with the Department of Industry and Trade in supplying food, foodstuffs, and necessities when necessary.

- To proactively implement plans to organize mobile health stations at communes, wards, and townships to respond and ensure the early accessibility to healthcare for citizens.

- To establish interdisciplinary teams to regularly inspect and supervise the pandemic prevention and control at production, business establishments, and service providers operating in the area, strictly handle violations, and request closure of establishments failing to satisfy the safety criteria for pandemic prevention and control provided by the central and municipal authorities.

- To direct People's Committees of communes, wards, and townships:

+ To organize and sign commitments to strictly comply with pandemic prevention and control measures for households, production and business establishments, and service providers in the locality.

+ To review and make the list of people with underlying diseases, locate high-risk areas to promptly take measures to blockade, isolate or take urgent measures when recording any cases; urgently trace, isolate and test to narrow the blockade area, ensure small scale, tight management; maintain the requirement of testing every 2-3 days in high-risk, very high-risk areas and screening in high-risk areas in the locality.

9. The Hanoi Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and municipal socio-political organizations, Directors, and Heads of Departments, sectors, and branches, agencies and units in the City; Chairpersons of People's Committees of districts, towns, communes, wards, and townships and relevant organizations, units and individuals are requested to strictly implement this Directive.

10. Ministries, departments, branches, central-level agencies, embassies, diplomatic agencies, international organizations located in the City, and the People's Committees of relevant provinces and cities are requested to coordinate in implementing the anti-pandemic measures under this Directive./.

* All Appendices are not translated herein.