Official Dispatch 15467/UBND-VP Vung Tau 2021 temporary application of measures for safe adaptation to COVID-19

In implementing the Government’s Resolution No. 128/NQ-CP dated October 11, 2021, promulgating the interim regulations on “safe and flexible adaptation and effective control over the COVID-19 pandemic”; pending ministries and central branches guide the implementation, in order to stabilize the people’s life and socio-economic activities in the province, the People’s Committee of Ba Ria – Vung Tau province directs the temporary application of a number of measures for safe and flexible adaptation and effective control over the COVID-19 pandemic as follows:

From 00:00 October 16, 2021:

1. General regulations:

- Strictly adhering to 5K Rules of the Ministry of Health: “Facemask - Disinfection - Distance – No gathering - Health declaration”; the people shall make health declarations in an honest manner and be accountable for spreading the disease due to dishonest declarations.

- If detecting symptoms of fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, sore throat, loss of taste, etc., must immediately go to the nearest medical facility for timely examination, not arbitrarily using medicine for self-treatment.

2. Citizens’ movements within the province:

People are allowed to travel among districts, towns and cities in the province, except for cases where they travel from/to pandemic-hit localities of level 3 or level 4 or lockdown zones. 

3. Regulations applicable to people from other localities entering the province:

- The SARS-CoV-2 test result is not required. 

- Implementing COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control measures in accordance with regulations of the Ministry of Health. 

- Making declarations to the police of communes, wards and townships of residence/temporary residence or by using PC-COVID software, electronic health record, VNIED software on the National Database on Population. 

- In cases where a person does not stay overnight, he/she is not required to make declaration but must minimize contact with other people and limit unnecessary travel to multiple places.

4. Health measures for people returning from other localities:

4.1. Implementing the Ministry of Health’s Official Dispatch No. 8718/BYT-DP dated October 15, 2021. Actively and strictly monitoring people returning from other localities and pandemic-hit areas that have just removed the social distancing measure, especially localities with a high number of COVID-19 infected cases (such as Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, Dong Nai, Long An, etc.), carrying out tests and applying appropriate quarantine measures based on the actual situation (concentrated quarantine or home quarantine), monitoring health and applying other preventive measures against COVID-19 in accordance with regulations.

4.2. People who return from pandemic-hit localities and areas of level 4 and level 3 (corresponding to red zone and orange zone on the pandemic zoning chart of the Ministry of Health’s e-portal) shall comply with the following regulations:

a) A person who has been fully vaccinated for COVID-19 (obtaining a green card on the electronic health record or certificate of full vaccination issued by competent agencies, in which he/she has received the last dose of COVID-19 vaccine for at least 14 days) or has recovered from COVID-19 within 6 months by the time of returning to the province (with a hospital discharge certificate or certificate of COVID-19 recovery) shall self-monitor his/her health at home or place of residence for 7 days from the date of returning; carry out testing for SARS-CoV-2 on the first day. If detecting symptoms of fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, sore throat, loss of taste, etc., he/she must immediately report to health agencies for monitoring and handling in accordance with regulations.

b) A person who has not been fully vaccinated for COVID-19 (obtaining a yellow card on the electronic health record or vaccination certificate issued by competent agencies) shall self-monitor his/her health at home or place of residence for 7 days from the date of returning; continue to self-monitor his/her health for the next 7 days; carry out testing for SARS-CoV-2 on the first and seventh days from the date of returning.

c) A person who has not been vaccinated for COVID-19 shall be imposed concentrated isolation measure for 14 days from the date of returning; continue self-monitor his/her health for the next 14 days; carry out testing for SARS-CoV-2 on the first, seventh and fourteenth days from the date of returning.

d) With regard to a person who has been vaccinated for COVID-19 or has recovered from COVID-19 abroad, the inspection and recognition of vaccination certificates, written certificates of COVID-19 recovery or other equivalent documents of the foreign country shall comply with the regulations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

4.3. People who return from pandemic-hit localities and areas of level 2 (corresponding to yellow zone on the pandemic zoning chart of the Ministry of Health’s e-portal) shall comply with the following regulations:

a) A person who has been fully vaccinated for COVID-19 (obtaining a green card on the electronic health record or certificate of full vaccination issued by competent agencies, in which he/she has received the last dose of COVID-19 vaccine for at least 14 days) or has recovered from COVID-19 within 6 months by the time of returning to the province (with a hospital discharge certificate or certificate of COVID-19 recovery) shall self-monitor his/her health at home or place of residence for 14 days from the date of returning. If detecting symptoms of fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, sore throat, loss of taste, etc., he/she must immediately report to health agencies for monitoring and handling in accordance with regulations.

b) A person who has not been vaccinated or fully vaccinated for COVID-19 shall carry out home quarantine for 7 days from the date of returning and limit close contact with others, then continue to self-monitor his/her health for the next 14 days; carry out testing for SARS-CoV-2 twice on the first and seventh days during the medical isolation period at home or place of residence. If detecting symptoms of fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, sore throat, loss of taste, etc., he/she must immediately report to health agencies for monitoring and handling in accordance with regulations.

4.4. The elderly, people with underlying medical conditions, pregnant women or people under the age of 18 (children) shall carry out medical quarantine at home and have their caregivers accompanied during the quarantine period.

5. Regulations on COVID-19 prevention and control in transport:

- Drivers and assistant drivers involved in freight transport shall receive at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

- Fixed-route inter-provincial passenger transport shall comply with the Department of Transport’s Plan No. 4149/KH - SGTVT dated October 12, 2021.

- Freight transport shall comply with the Ministry of Health’s Official Dispatch No. 898/BYT-MT dated February 7, 2021, in which drivers shall record the transportation journey and list of cases of contact; ensure vehicle ventilation and regularly open vehicle windows; limit close contact with others; fully implement disease prevention and control measures (wearing facemasks during the transportation and loading/unloading process of goods, regularly disinfecting hands, making health declarations and disinfecting vehicles daily, etc.).

- Enterprise owners must organize SARS-CoV-2 rapid antigen tests or real time RT-PCR tests for drivers and assistant drivers periodically once a week (except for cases where they have received two doses of vaccine).

- People’s Committees of districts, towns and cities shall strictly manage, inspect and monitor the COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control in freight transport; and carry out medical supervision for drivers and assistant drivers.

6. Regulations applicable to agencies and offices

- Strictly complying with disease prevention and control measures at the workplace.

- Managing information on people entering/exiting agencies and offices by QR codes.

- Heads of agencies and offices shall assume the responsibility for formulating plans and taking disease prevention and control measures in accordance with regulations of the Ministry of Health.

7. Regulations applicable to enterprises and production, business and service establishments in the province:

- Managing workers outside the province as specified in Sections 1 and 2 of this document.

- Experts, consultants, business managers, investors who come to work within the day must ensure that they have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19 (obtaining a green card on the electronic health record/PC-COVID or certificate of full vaccination issued by competent agencies, in which they have received the last dose of COVID-19 vaccine for at least 14 days) and have invitations from destinations or referrals from places of departure.

- Periodically screening for SARS-CoV-2 in accordance with instructions in the Ministry of Health’s Official Dispatch No. 8228/BYT-MT dated September 30, 2021.

- Developing operation plans to ensure the pandemic prevention and control of units in accordance with the guidance of the Ministry of Health, ministries and central agencies.

- Strictly adhering to disease prevention and control measures at the workplace; managing information on people entering/exiting the workplace by QR codes.

8. Fields and sectors eligible for reopening:

- Food and beverage services not serving on the spot, only for take-out.

- Service activities for repair and maintenance of vehicles and machinery, civil and industrial equipment, services of management, operation, maintenance, repair, application of infrastructure systems and equipment of agencies and buildings; grocery stores, bookstores, office equipment, learning tools and supplies, information technology, informatics equipment and electronics stores.

- Traditional markets must operate in accordance with approved plans on disease prevention and control.

- Barbering and shampooing services: gathering no more than 5 people at the same time.

- Indoor sports activities: gathering no more than 10 people at the same time, participants must have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

- Outdoor sports activities: gathering no more than 20 people at the same time.

 - Swimming activities at public beaches: wearing facemasks before and after swimming, and strictly following the 5K rules.

- Ceremonies and funerals: simply organizing with no more than 30 people attending.

- Indoor meetings and events: gathering no more than 30 people in one room, unless otherwise permitted by the Provincial Party Committee and Provincial People’s Committee.

9. Responsibilities of enterprise owners:

Owners of enterprises and service, production and business establishments that are allowed to operate must have plans to ensure disease prevention and control at their units in accordance with the guidance of the Ministry of Health and central ministries; comply with and take the responsibilities in accordance with regulations on disease prevention and control during their operation.

10. Organization of implementation:

10.1. The provincial Command Center for Disease Prevention and Control

Assuming the prime responsibilities for directing and urging provincial departments, branches and localities to implement assigned tasks; developing “the Plan on safe and flexible adaptation and effective control over the COVID-19 pandemic” with a specific and feasible roadmap, ensuring effective control over the COVID-19 pandemic.

10.2. The provincial Department of Health

- Assuming the prime responsibilities for, coordinating with relevant provincial departments, branches and localities in, and advising on the development of “the Plan on safe and flexible adaptation and effective control over the COVID-19 pandemic” with a specific and feasible roadmap, ensuring effective control over the COVID-19 pandemic.  

- Based on the pandemic zoning chart of the Ministry of Health’s e-portal, updating and guiding the COVID-19 checkpoints and localities in applying measures to manage people traveling from pandemic-hit areas and other localities.

- Directing medical units in the sector to carry out testing for subjects as prescribed in the Decision No. 4800/QD-BYT dated October 12, 2021; Official Dispatch No. 8318/BYT-DP dated October 3, 2021; Official Dispatch No. 8399/BYT-MT dated October 6, 2021 and Official Dispatch No. 8718/BYT-DP dated October 15, 2021 of the Ministry of Health; continuing to direct the testing and screening in high-risk areas to control the risk of disease spread.

- Based on the guidance on criteria, classification, assessment of pandemic risk level and professional measures of the Ministry of Health, assessing the pandemic risk level and situation in the province.

- Continuing to implement solutions to improve the capacity of the health system, especially preventive medicine and health care at grassroots; speeding up the procurement of medical equipment and supplies, training human resources to respond to receipt, emergency and treatment of patients.

- Implementing safe and effective vaccination against COVID-19, developing a roadmap of vaccination for children and booster shots in accordance with the guidance of the Ministry of Health.

- Strengthening the direction and inspection of the implementation of 37 safety criteria for hospitals in disease prevention and control at medical examination and treatment facilities, ensuring hospital safety in situations of potential disease risk in the community.

10.3. The provincial Department of Transport

- Reviewing and promulgating guidelines for formulating plans on inter-provincial transportation and goods circulation, ensuring continuity of production supply chain, safe and flexible adaptation, and effective control over the COVID-19 pandemic.

- Disseminating, guiding and supervising the implementation of seaports and inland waterway ports in managing workers and employees and implementing activities mentioned in this document.

- Guiding construction activities of traffic projects and works, ensuring safe and flexible adaptation, and effective control over the COVID-19 pandemic.

10.4. The Provincial Public Security Department

- Continuing to maintain entry and exit checkpoints in the province, ensuring their scientific and effective operation. Assigning the Provincial Public Security Department to develop a plan to arrange and requisition the maximum of provincial public security force and other forces involved in controlling vehicles and people entering and leaving the province. Guiding such people to make travel and health declarations through VNIED software on the National Population Database (or make paper declarations at the checkpoints) and in accordance with the regulations hereof.

- Transforming commune-level and district-level checkpoints into mobile patrol teams to supervise, guide and check the travel, stay, and health monitoring of people, especially those returning from other provinces and cities.

10.5. The Management Board of Industrial Parks

- Disseminating, guiding, inspecting and supervising the performance of enterprises and production establishments in industrial parks.

- Requesting enterprises and production establishments to propagate, mobilize and coordinate with the health sector to vaccinate against COVID-19 for 100% of workers.

10.6. The Provincial Department of Industry and Trade

- Disseminating, guiding, inspecting and supervising the performance of enterprises and production establishments in industrial clusters.

- Requesting enterprises, production and business establishments to propagate, mobilize and coordinate with the health sector to vaccinate against COVID-19 for 100% of workers.

- Inspecting and supervising the operation of commercial centers, supermarkets and traditional markets to ensure safety in disease prevention and control.

10.7. The Provincial Department of Information and Communications

- Strengthening propaganda to create social consensus and trust; promoting self-discipline and positivity of people in disease prevention and control, guiding measures for safe and flexible adaptation as well as effective control over the COVID-19 pandemic, and raising people’s awareness in the new situation.

- On a daily basis, providing the Provincial Public Security Department with data on the list of people outside the province who declare to move domestically to Ba Ria - Vung Tau province on the PC-COVID application.

10.8. The Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development

Assuming the prime responsibilities for, and coordinating with other agencies, units and localities in, disseminating instructions and supervising the implementation of fishing ports, and agricultural, forestry and fishery activities to ensure disease prevention and control in production and business.

10.9. The Provincial Border Guard Command

Assuming the prime responsibilities for, and coordinating with relevant units in, strengthening the inspection and supervision of waterway routes and channels in the province.

10.10. The Provincial Department of Culture and Sports

Strengthening the inspection and supervision of cultural and sports activities to ensure safety in COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control.

10.11. People’s Committees of districts, towns and cities

- Developing and organizing the implementation of “the Plan on safe and flexible adaptation and effective control over the COVID-19 pandemic” with a specific and feasible roadmap, ensuring effective control over the COVID-19 pandemic.

- Effectively organizing disease prevention and control measures in accordance with developments of the pandemic in each locality.

- Following the Provincial Department of Health’s instructions for testing, quarantine and medical supervision of people returning from pandemic-hit areas and other localities.

- Strengthening the work of urging and inspecting the observance of disease prevention and control measures by people quarantined at home or places of residence, people returning from other localities, and being accountable to the Provincial People’s Committee for these activities.

- Appraising the operation plan of traditional markets to ensure the regulations on COVID-19 prevention and control of the Ministry of Health.

10.12. Heads of provincial departments and branches; Chairpersons of People’s Committees of districts, towns and cities

- Continuing to perform assigned tasks, upholding sense of responsibilities, being on high alert without neglect and urging the people to continue promoting the spirit of solidarity, self-discipline, responsibility, and strictly adhering to the 5K rules; drastically implementing disease prevention and control measures in an effective manner.

- Strengthening the inspection and handling of violations at industrial parks, industrial clusters, construction sites, markets, supermarkets, commercial centers, production and business establishments, ensuring safety for production and while producing.

- Chairpersons of People’s Committees of districts, towns and cities shall assume the responsibilities for inspecting and supervising the implementation of COVID-19 prevention and control measures by business and service establishments permitted to operate in the area, and carrying out forcible suspension from operation if such establishments fail to strictly and fully comply with regulations. At the same time, they shall ask people to implement the following regulations:

+ Continuing to limit going out if unnecessary; promoting the spirit of solidarity, self-discipline and responsibility, and strictly adhering to the 5K rules in disease prevention and control.

+ Actively participating in disease prevention and control at the grassroots level, joining with the frontline forces to drastically implement effective disease prevention and control measures that have been implemented so far.

+ Propagating and mobilizing relatives, families and surrounding people to agree with and strictly implement regulations on disease prevention and control, health protection for themselves, their relatives and families, and the whole social community.

+ Regularly cleaning the house to keep ventilation and healthy activities.

+ Using information technology applications (PC-COVID, Electronic health record, VNEID, etc.) to make health declarations and register for vaccinations, using personal QR codes on these applications to declare their entry/exit at public places./.

For the Chairman

The Deputy Chairman

TRAN VAN TUAN