Notice No. 118/TB-VPCP dated March 21, 2020 of the Government Office on the conclusion of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the meeting of the Standing Government on COVID-19 prevention and control

NOTICE

 On the conclusion of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the meeting of the Standing Government on COVID-19 prevention and control

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On March 20, 2020, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc chaired the meeting of the Standing Government on COVID-19 prevention and control. Participants in the meeting include Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh and Deputy Prime Ministers Vu Duc Dam and Trinh Dinh Dung; Minister, Chairman of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung; Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung, representatives of leaders of Central Propaganda and Training Commission, Committee for Culture, Education, Youth, Adolescents and Children of the National Assembly, representatives of leaders of the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of National Defence, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Industry and Trade, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, members of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, and leaders of Hanoi People’s Committee.

After listening to the reports from the National Steering Committee, the Government Office, and opinions of Deputy Prime Ministers and attendances of the meeting, the Prime Minister gives the direction as follows:

1. The Prime Minister respectfully announces the direction of the General Secretary, the President highly appreciates and praises the entire Party, people and army, including sectors at all levels, the Government, the Prime Minister, the National Steering Committee, medical staff, and the armed forces have made great efforts, solidarity and determination in the pandemic prevention and control to achieve initial results. This is a victory of our country's preeminent and humane political system, deeply demonstrating the Party and State's interest in protecting and taking care of the people's health and lives.

2. The Prime Minister basically agrees with positive assessments on the pandemic prevention and control recorded in the reports of the National Steering Committee, the Government Office and opinions of ministries, branches and Deputy Prime Ministers. The achieved results so far looked “encouraging”. However, in pandemic prevention and control, there are still some shortcomings and limitations, the risks of spreading and outbreak are very high, therefore, it is necessary to seriously overcome shortcomings without satisfaction with the achieved results, or subjective; it is required to be always active, prepare sufficient conditions to respond to any situations, prepare a number of specific plans, even for the worst situation.

3. The pandemic prevention and control is in the new stage, requiring more determination, solidarity and responsibility from the entire political system, with stricter measures.

The Prime Minister requests all levels, sectors and the people, especially social-political mass organizations to strengthen the mobilization, encouragement and implementation from each organization, agency, residential group, family and citizen to change their habits in order to adapt to requirements for pandemic prevention and control, such as promoting online transactions, limiting mass gatherings, wearing face masks in public areas and public vehicles; encouraging the citizens to avoid going to public areas, prohibiting mass gatherings of more than 50 people at weddings or funerals; temporarily closing entertainment facilities, including karaoke or massage service; mobilizing religious organizations to take at-home spiritual practice, not organize crowded ceremonies.

State agencies shall continue to suspend or minimize unnecessary meetings, promote virtual meetings, actively carry out administrative reforms, decentralize strongly in their works.

4. To continue promoting the propaganda on pandemic prevention and control on mass media, including social networks in order to stabilize the society, focus on information on positive results, effective models, the community’s cooperation in pandemic prevention and control; proactively provide information on treatment results, patients in good progress, and serious illnesses to avoid confusion in the society; provide more information on how to prevent the disease, be alert to the pandemic, and avoid giving information that causes pessimism, fear or stigma towards infected or suspected cases. To associate with Universities and Institutions in provide scientific information to the community.

5. Agencies at all levels, sectors and localities shall continue to thoroughly grasp the targets of preventing and minimizing the spreading in the community, focus on strictly taking the following measures:

a) Suspending all foreigners’ entry into Vietnam from 00:00 on March 22, 2020. Particularly for the cases of entering Vietnam for diplomatic or official purposes and special cases (foreign guests participating or serving important foreign activities; experts, enterprise managers, high-skilled workers, etc.), the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of National Defence shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Health and relevant agencies, in granting visas (if any), and carry out procedures for mandatory health declaration and inspection in private areas and take appropriate quarantine measures at accommodation establishments according to regulations.  Vietnam-based representative offices of other countries shall make commitments to implement medical surveillance for their citizens during their working trips in Vietnam.

Suspending the entry due to pandemic for all overseas Vietnamese and their relatives who have certificates of visa exemption from 00:00 on March 22, 2020. The Ministry of Health is assigned to take responsibility for implementing according to law provisions.

Functional agencies shall strictly implement the control of people on entry by sea, waterway, road or air.

b) Continuing to timely, maximumly and reducing the inbound flight frequency and increasing the time between different inbound flights, even with foreign airlines (avoiding overload for the quarantine zones). The Ministry of Transport shall direct the aviation sector to immediately implement, concurrently create favorable conditions for flights carrying foreigners to leave Vietnam.

c) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall direct Vietnamese overseas missions to continue mobilizing and encouraging Vietnamese in other countries (including pupils, students, workers or overseas Vietnamese, etc.) to avoid returning to Vietnam at this time and comply with pandemic prevention and control measures of the host countries. In case of necessity to return to Vietnam, they must register with Vietnamese overseas missions for the latter to timely coordinate with the Ministry of Transport in directing the aviation sector to organize commercial flights, at the same time, they must register and follow the arrangement, strictly make health declarations and quarantine according to regulations.

Vietnamese with diplomatic passports or official passports who have a business trip abroad must comply with health declaration and quarantine at the border gates according to current regulations and follow requirements for mandatory isolation as prescribed when returning to Vietnam.

d) Implementing concentrated quarantine measures for all cases of entering Vietnam, except for foreigners on entry for diplomatic or official purposes, Vietnamese with diplomatic or official passports who return to Vietnam after a business trip abroad, and special cases specified at Point a Section 5 of this Notice. All cases failing to comply with quarantine requirements, or failing to make declarations and cases of abetting escape from quarantine shall be strictly handled.

The Ministry of National Defence is assigned to continue managing and coordinating concentrated quarantine establishments. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, People’s Committees of provinces and cities shall continue preparing concentrated quarantine establishments and the Ministry of Defence is assigned to be in charge of such establishments to organize and coordinate the concentrated quarantine. Before March 25, 2020, Hanoi People’s Committee shall prepare more quarantine establishments with a capacity of 20,000 people, such establishments should be located near airports and far from crowded residential areas. Other assigned provinces and cities should actively prepare quarantine establishment plans.

Foreigners being experts, enterprise managers and high-skilled workers, etc., who have a COVID-19 Negative Test Result Certificate granted by the competent agencies of the host countries and approved by Vietnamese authorities, are allowed to enter Vietnam, provided that they are quarantined at the accommodation establishments and take safe anti-pandemic measures. The Ministry of Public Security shall direct relevant units to grant or extend visas for such cases (including those who are affected by COVID-19 pandemic, cannot return to their countries and have to stay in Vietnam for work). The Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs shall urgently grant appropriate labor permits for them.

People’s Committees of relevant provinces and cities, and the health sector shall strictly supervise the requirements for pandemic prevention and control applicable to the above-mentioned cases during their work in Vietnam.

dd) Grassroots authorities, even villages, residential groups or local police, etc. shall continue reviewing at-risk people in the community, especially among those who have entered Vietnam within 14 days, in order to early detect the infection sources and at-risk cases to timely take solutions.

e) The National Steering Committee and the Ministry of Health shall continue reviewing and updating scenarios, preparing sufficient human resources, means, equipment and supplies for the pandemic prevention and control, treatment, and report to the Prime Minister before March 25, 2020; prepare plans for mobilizing doctors, nurses and medical staff, including those who have retired, medical students; improve testing capacity, standardize laboratories and test processes.

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

The Ministry of Industry and Trade shall direct the manufacture of face masks to meet the domestic needs, and spend a part of them for export under the Government’s Resolution No. 20/NQ-CP dated February 28, 2020; together with sectors and localities in continuing to direct to remove shortcomings and difficulties in production and business.

g) Continuing to promote international cooperation with other countries in pandemic prevention and control. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Health are assigned to consider and propose, firstly, consider the state’s purchase of face masks for use as aid or support for countries that have sent requests and obtain approval from the Prime Minister.

6. Regarding proposals of the National Steering Committee:

a) To agree with the National Steering Committee’s request on allowing the Ministry of Defence to early purchase 10 mobile testing vehicles.

b) Authorities at all levels and sectors, especially the Ministry of Health and members of the Steering Committee shall continue upholding the responsibility and formulate a mechanism to timely and rapidly settle issues. Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam - head of the National Steering Committee is assigned to decide on specific and appropriate anti-pandemic measures, and report major issues to the Prime Minister for timely decision. The National Steering Committee shall settle policies for medical staff, soldiers and officers performing quarantine tasks in an early manner.

The Government Office hereby informs ministries, agencies, the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control and People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities for reference and compliance./.