Official Dispatch No. 1133/BYT-MT of the Ministry of Health on instructing the prevention for COVID-19 epidemic at workplaces and dormitories of workers

To:

- Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, Government affiliated agencies;

- Vietnam General Confederation of Labor;

- Provincial and municipal cities People s Committees;

On February 06, 2020, the Ministry of Health issued the Official Dispatch No. 490/BYT-MT to Ministries, branches and provincial level and municipal cities People s Committees on warning of health agencies on the prevention acute respiratory infections caused by new strains of Corona virus (COVID-19) at workplaces.

Currently, the epidemic situation is complicated on worldwide scale, the risk of infection among workers in labor facilities and industrial parks, especially in production facilities with foreigners employees may occur. In order to concretize the contents and measures to prevent and combat the epidemic in the workplace and dormitories of workers, with the target to minimizing the spread of the epidemic, ensuring occupational health and safety for workers and stabilizing production and business activities, the Ministry of Health (standing body of National Steering Committee) stipulates the Instruction for the prevention of COVID-19 epidemic at workplaces and dormitories of workers, hereinafter refer to as the Instruction (attached to this Official Dispatch).

Ministry of Health proposes that Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, Government-attached agencies, Vietnam General Confederation of Labor and provincial and municipal People s Committees:

1. Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, Government affiliated agencies; To direct affiliated labor facilities to organize the implementation of the Instruction seriously.

2. Vietnam General Confederation of Labor shall direct the Confederation of Labor at all level to coordinate with Ministries, branches and localities to organize the implementation of the Instruction.

3. Provincial level and municipal cities People s Committees:

- To direct and organize collective quarantine at workplaces, industrial parks and dormitories of workers when necessary and mobilizing resources to implement  quarantine to combat the epidemic; to facilitate and support so that people being quarantined can be comfortable during the period of quarantine. To closely inspect and supervise the performance of quarantine and to enforce medical quarantine if the people to be quarantined do not comply with the requirements of medical quarantine.

- Enhance medical manpower to support the operation of COVID-19 prevention in  labor facilities, industrial parks and dormitories of workers.

- Ensure sufficient funds to implementation of training, propaganda for employees at workplaces and dormitories of workers.

- To direct the Department of Health to establish the plan of implementation and report to the Provincial Steering Committee for COVID-19 Epidemic Prevention and Control to allocate resources for implementation.

- To assign the Department of Health to take prime charge and coordinate with local Departments, branches and lines to organize training the implementation of the Instruction for medical staffs at labor facilities, employees and employers in labor facilities, small and medium size enterprises, traditional craft villages and industrial parks on the locality.

4. To examine and supervise the implementation of epidemic prevention on labor facilities, industrial parks on the localities and which affiliated to Ministries and branches.

5. To report the result to the Ministry of Health (Health Environment Management Agency).

In case of inform, contact to Occupational Health Management Department, Health Environment Management Agency, Ministry of Health (Alley No. 08, Ton That Thuyet Street, Nam Tu Liem District) on the following number: 024 3227 2855, Fax number: 024 3227 2858, web-site:www.vihema.gov.vn, E-mail:[email protected].

Thanks and best regards./.

For the Minister

The Deputy Minister

Do Xuan Tuyen