Official Dispatch No. 3836/CV-BCD on strengthening prevention COVID-19 in production and business establishments and industrial parks

To: People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities.

The Ministry of Health and standing agency of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control issued the document No. 1096/BYT-MT on strengthening the pandemic prevention and control in the new situation in the workplace on February 23, 2021. However, the pandemic prevention and control in the workplace and production and business establishments in many provinces and cities has not yet been strictly implemented in accordance with the Steering Committee's instructions. Plans on quarantine and COVID-19 prevention and control in case an infected case is confirmed in an industrial park have not yet been developed in many provinces and cities. Data of the map of safe living with COVID-19 has not been updated and provided for production and business establishments. The training, inspection and supervision of the prevention and control of COVID-19 pandemic in the workplace and the assessment of COVID-19 infection risks in the workplace and dormitory for production and business establishments are still limited (only 5-10% of the number of production and business establishments are trained, inspected, supervised and assessed).

Currently, the COVID-19 development in Vietnam is very complicated with new variants with a high level of infection, spreading quickly in the community, in production and business establishments and industrial parks, especially many infected cases was confirmed and found in industrial parks in Hai Duong and Bac Giang. In order to strengthen and ensure safe COVID-19 prevention and control in production and business establishments and industrial parks, the Ministry of Health (the standing agency of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control) requests People’s Committees of provinces and centrally run cities (hereinafter referred to as the provincial-level People’s Committee) to implement the following contents:

1. With regard to provinces and cities where infected cases in production and business establishments and industrial parks have been confirmed, it is required to continue tracing and determining close contacts (F1), those in contact with F1 (F2) in production and business establishments through work shift management, cameras installed in public areas, canteens, resting places between work shifts, etc. for timely quarantine and testing. All workers working in the same factory with a F0 shall be considered as F1. At the same time, it is requested to urgently detect, make a list and notify immediately to provinces and cities the list of relevant workers in other provinces and cities for timely quarantine, tracing and zoning.

2. The provincial-level People’s Committee shall strengthen the inspection, supervision and urge establishments in the area to strictly implement the Decision No. 2194/QD-BCDQG dated May 27, 2020 of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control on the promulgation of “the Guidelines for prevention, control and assessment of the risk of COVID-19 infection in the workplace and dormitory for workers”;

3. Developing and approving plans on COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control in industrial parks in localities; developing quarantine plans in case where an infected case is confirmed in an industrial park, and holding rehearsals for COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control plans in industrial parks. Strictly managing and controlling information of workers from other provinces who are working in industrial parks for the prevention and control of COVID-19 pandemic.

4. Directing the strict implementation of assessment of the risk of COVID-19 infection and COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control measures in production and business establishments and industrial parks; updating data of the map of safe living with COVID-19 for production and business establishments. Focusing on directing, inspecting and guiding pandemic prevention and control measures for production and business establishments that are assessed with medium and high risk of infection. Decentralizing in COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control supervision management for the local committee for pandemic prevention and control where such production and business establishments are operating.

5. Organizing and guiding production and business establishments, industrial parks to carry out medical separation and establish a temporary quarantine room upon having any suspected case. Guiding production and business establishments to use quick-hand antiseptic preparations and surface antiseptic preparations that have been issued with circulation registration numbers by the Health Ministry to ensure efficiency and safety for users.

6. Strengthening the direction and inspection of the medical separation by medical examination and treatment establishments to serve workers in industrial parks.

7. The employers are requested to make and sign a commitment to fully comply with regulations on COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control and take responsibility for the pandemic prevention and control at their units or agencies.

8. Strictly handling individuals and units failing to comply with regulations on COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control at the workplace.

Any difficulties arising in the course of implementation should be reported to the Ministry of Health (the Health Environment Management Agency). Sincerely./.