Official Dispatch 8614/UBND-VP Vung Tau imposition of social distancing under Directive 16/CT-TTg

- Heads of Departments, agencies and sectors;

- Chairpersons of People’s Committees of districts, towns and cities;

Pursuant to the Prime Minister’s direction in the Official Dispatch No. 969/TTg-KGVX dated July 17, 2021 regarding the imposition of social distancing measure for COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control in a number of localities;

In the implementation of the Notice No. 569-TB/TU dated July 17, 2021 of the Provincial Party Standing Committee on applying the Prime Minister’s Directive No. 16/CT-TTg dated March 31, 2020 in province; and in order to actively and timely prevent, control and stamp out the pandemic, the Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee hereby directs as follows:

1. Social distancing measure shall be imposed in Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province in line with the Directive No. 16/CT-TTg dated March 31, 2020 within 14 days from 00:00 on July 19, 2021, on the principle that all persons, families, residential groups, neighborhoods - villages - hamlets, communes - wards - townships, rural districts - towns - cities be isolated from one another.

Chairpersons of People's Committees, Steering Committees for COVID-19 Prevention and Control of districts, towns and cities shall thoroughly the strict implementation of social distancing measures in their respective localities, ensuring that each area under their management will be completely under social distancing. They shall take the time of social distancing under the Prime Minister’s Directive No. 16/CT-TTg to drastically implement and tighten preventive measures against the pandemic with the aim to achieve the best results.

Regarding Vung Tau City which is applying the social distancing measure before the issuing date of this Official Dispatch, Chairperson of the People's Committee of Vung Tau City shall, based on the pandemic development and pandemic prevention and control results in locality, proactively and timely report the provincial People’s Committee to consider and decide on continuing to implement the approved social distancing period or extending the social distancing period like the other districts, towns and cities in province.

a) In order to minimize the spread of the pandemic in the community, all citizens in the province shall be requested to stay at home, except the following cases of absolute necessity:

- Going out to purchase food, foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals and other essential goods and services; emergency cases, medical emergencies, medical examination and treatment; natural disasters and fires;

- Working at State agencies, armed forces, diplomatic missions and at establishments mentioned at Point b, Section 1 of this Official Dispatch.

Anyone leaving home must strictly comply with 5K rules; gatherings of more than 02 people in public places or outside of offices and hospitals shall be banned, and a minimum distance of 02 meters between two people shall be maintained.

b) Factories, production establishments, construction sites, transport and construction works; establishments trading or providing essential goods and services (such as food, foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals; petrol and oil; electricity; water; fuel, etc.); education institutions, banks, treasuries, service providers directly related to banking activities and enterprise assistance (such as notaries, lawyers, registry, registration for secured transactions, etc.), securities, postal, telecommunications, services supporting transportation, import and export of goods, medical examination and treatment, funeral, etc. may continue to operate or take place.

Heads of the above-mentioned establishments shall be responsible for ensuring absolute safety and fully implementing anti-pandemic measures, including the follows: Strictly complying with 5K rules, especially wearing masks, disinfecting, measuring body temperature, providing adequate means and supplies for pandemic prevention and control in accordance with the regulations and recommendations of health agencies; requiring their employees to make health declarations, comply with the restricted contact and communication measures; suspending non-urgent activities and reducing the gathering of employees; organizing and strictly managing the shuttles of employees to the workplaces to prevent the risks of infection. Employers must strictly comply with the Joint Guidance No. 2242/LDTBXD-TLD-PTM dated July 14, 2021 of the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, on organizing the implementation of both isolation and production in enterprises, production and business establishments.

If the above requirements are not met, their operations must be suspended. Health agencies shall provide guidance, inspect and supervise the pandemic prevention and control at the above-mentioned establishments within their competence.

c) Public passenger transportation activities are halted, except for official duties, shuttle buses for workers, experts, quarantined people, vehicles transporting production materials and goods and vehicles of organizations that are allowed to continue to operate or take place as prescribed at Point b of Section 1. Personal vehicles are limited as much as possible. To ensure the smoothly transportation of goods and production materials.

d) Heads of agencies, units, organizations and enterprises shall be responsible for organizing the work-from-home in compliance with their conditions, avoid delaying, especially in jobs with prescribed time limit in accordance with law provisions, public services for peoples and enterprises.

dd) In the urgent context of pandemic prevention and control, all citizens in the province and enterprise community are requested to voluntarily abide by pandemic prevention and control measures, proactively make voluntary health declarations; making health declaration by QR is encouraged. They also are requested to fully implement measures to protect themselves and their families (especially complying with 5K rules) and participate responsibly in pandemic prevention and control activities of functional agencies and communities, immediately report local health agencies upon detecting suspected cases. Heads of enterprises, production establishments and establishments providing or trading services or goods shall be responsible for implementing anti-pandemic measures at their establishments, ensuring health and safety for employees, and take responsibility before law for any infection.

2. Heads of Departments, agencies, sectors and localities shall strictly implement directions of the provincial People’s Committee and provincial Steering Committees for COVID-19 Prevention and Control. To be specific:

a) Resolutely not letting the situation of “tight out, loose inside” happen; clearly identifying the focal points and responsibilities of their agencies, affiliated units, organizations, individuals, and authorities, especially the political system at the grassroots, ensuring concentration and unity in leadership and direction; promptly and strictly in reward and discipline.

b) Strengthening to inspect, supervise and urge the compliance of the social distancing requirements, especially keeping a minimum distance between each individual, or household, avoiding mass gatherings.

c) Paying attention to effectively implement social security works, especially ensuring timely and sufficient food, foodstuff, and necessity supply for the People, particularly for the poor, people with difficulties, and people unemployed due to the pandemic.

d) Ensuring security, social order, and safety; ensuring the safe production and circulation of goods  within the unit, locality, and with other localities; only allowing production and business activities of establishments that are allowed to operate and satisfy requirements and regulations on pandemic prevention and control; avoiding excess or lack of goods, traffic jam.

dd) Proactively allowing cadres, civil servants, public employees and employees to use information technology to work at home; only cases of absolutely necessity, such as performing combat duties or agency duties, providing essential goods and services, processing confidential documents and other necessary tasks upon request, shall be allowed to work at office.

The number of employees working at an office shall be decided by head of agency or unit, but must not exceed one third of the total number of employees to perform tasks of the agency or unit, and implement directions of the provincial authorities. However, such employees must be separated into groups, avoiding overlapping to ensure the pandemic prevention and control. Heads of such agencies shall take responsibilities before the provincial People’s Committee and provincial Steering Committees for COVID-19 Prevention and Control for the infection among officers and employees due to the failure to abide by pandemic prevention and control measures at offices.

 All in-person meetings in offices and agencies (except for meetings related to pandemic prevention and control or meetings to handle urgent issues of the units) shall be canceled, online meetings are promoted. The organization of permissible in-person meetings must be approved by the heads of the units but no more than 10 people are allowed to present in one meeting room, and all participants shall strictly comply with the 5K rules of the Ministry of Health. In case the number of participants in one meeting room exceed the above-mentioned regulations, it shall be reported to the provincial People’s Committee for consideration and decision.

e) Urgently implementing and thoroughly disseminating the contents and spirit of this Official Dispatch to cadres, civil servants, public employees and employees to properly and fully implement, timely provide support and propagandize people and enterprises. Any problems and difficulties arising in the course of implementation should be promptly reported to the provincial People’s Committee for consideration and settlement.

3. Provincial public administrative service center and Single-window sections of districts and communes shall temporarily stop receiving administrative procedure dossiers submitted directly within 14 days, notify and guide organizations and individuals; the form of online public service is encouraged to use. Concurrently, to assign people on duty in agencies, promptly handle arising issues according to regulations.

4. The Department of Health shall:

a) Coordinate with Provincial Police, Provincial Center for Disease Control, quick response team and members in the Provincial Steering Committee that are assigned to support localities in, rapidly and drastically using all force sources and measures to thoroughly stamp out all “outbreaks”; take advantage of time to trace, take appropriate measures for at-risk people, people in contact with infected cases and those who travel through “outbreaks”; continue asking those who have traveled to “outbreaks”, were in contact with at-risk people or infected case to make health declaration and contact the nearest health agencies for testing.

b) Direct hospitals and health establishments to comply with procedures and strictly manage to avoid cross-infection in such hospitals and health establishments; strictly control, require mandatory health declaration for patients, their families or caregivers; limit to one caregiver per patient; visitors are not allowed in health establishments. Formulate strict regulations on receipt of patients, not let any infected case to affect the entire hospital or health establishment. Direct the medical separation, satisfy medical examination and treatment requirements for the people, pay special attention to improve treatment efficiency, prioritize maximum resources for severe cases; make a plan to divide shifts and crews working at health establishments to protect the safety of health staff and people.

c) Prepare adequate human resources, equipment, medicines, medical supplies and anti-pandemic plans, prepare treatment establishments, quarantine areas, ready to respond to the pandemic on large scale; timely prepare additional situations and scenarios by each level according to the pandemic development.

d) Improve testing capacity; urgently organize rapid tracing, have a plan on organizing to take samples, provide rapid tests for people living in quarantine or lockdown areas, separate F0 cases from the community as soon as possible.

dd) Coordinate with Provincial Military Command, relevant agencies and localities in, reviewing quarantine establishments, establishments providing treatment, prepare a scenario to respond to all situations.

e) Distribute and provide adequate biological products, medical supplies and antigen tests upon requests of localities before 00:00 on July 19, 2021.

g) Advise the provincial People's Committee about plans to control the pandemic in province in the direction of specifying daily tasks and jobs (from July 19 to the end of the last date of applying measures under the Directive No. 16/CT-TTg in province).

5. The Department of Transport shall coordinate with Provincial Police and relevant sectors, units and localities in:

a) Implementing each public passenger transportation; requesting vehicles’ owners to limit traveling between different areas; vehicles are not allowed to get in or out of the province, except for official duties or providing food, foodstuffs, necessities, shuttles buses for employees, experts of enterprises or vehicles transporting production materials as prescribed at Point c, Section 1 of this Official Dispatch.

b) Advising the provincial People’s Committee to specify transport activities for people and enterprises allowed to join the traffic according to regulations on pandemic prevention and control.

c) Making plans on strictly controlling people and vehicles getting in or out of the province who make health declaration by QR codes.

d) Making plans on coordinating, guiding and separating traffic routes to prevent traffic jam; goods and vehicles must be timely circulated to serve production and stabilize the people’s life.

6. The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development shall:

a) Review, make plans, deploy and organize the production and supply of agricultural and aquatic goods to meet the people’s needs.

b) Coordinate with the Department of Industry and Trade in, making plans on the market supply source of locality to timely regulate the market.

c) Coordinate with the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee, the Department of Information and Communications and the Department of Industry and Trade in supporting agricultural product consumption and agricultural product trading floors.

7. The Department of Industry and Trade shall:

a) Assume prime responsibility with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Department of Transport, the Department of Health and localities to actively grasp the situation, make specific plans to ensure sufficient food, foodstuff and necessity supply for the people, avoid interrupting the supply chain, not let any people lack food, clothing or necessities.

b) Coordinate with the Department of Health and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in inspecting the safety level of establishments trading essential goods according to regulations on pandemic prevention and control, thereby, provide guidance for such establishments’ owners to effectively implement the pandemic prevention and control in their daily sale and purchase activities.

c) Urgently implement online shopping, announce addresses, websites, telephones, goods, prices and method of delivery so as the people can easily access and purchase goods. Regularly inspect to clearly gasp the situation in order to organize the implementation and timely report the provincial People’s Committees difficulties for handling.

8. The provincial Market Surveillance Department shall:

a) Strengthen the market inspection and surveillance and strictly handle cases of violation, especially acts of speculation, hoarding, and raising prices for profit to ensure market stability and prices of essential commodities serving the people in accordance with regulations on pandemic prevention and control.

b) Request enterprises and small traders to make commitments on essential good price stability.

9. The Department of Planning and Investment shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with Management Boards of industrial parks, the Department of Industry and Trade, the Department of Tourism, the Tax Department, the State Bank branches in provinces and relevant units in, reviewing policies on supporting enterprises hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, and propose the provincial People's Committee for consideration and settlement.

10. The Department of Construction shall urgently issue solutions, and manage, apply them to investors, Management Boards of undergoing construction works, high-rise condominiums in the province to strictly implement regulations on COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control.

11. The Department of Finance shall balance and allocate adequate funds to ensure the COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control as prescribed.

12. The Department of Information and Communications shall:

a) Proactively collect sufficient information for propaganda so that the People understand, calm down, share and are fully aware of the pandemic situation, pandemic prevention and control, and actively, safely and effectively implement pandemic prevention and control measures; handle quickly and strictly the acts of giving distorted information, causing suspicion, especially extreme behavior, agitation for the people.

b) Focus on promoting the application of information technology in the management of work, people, vehicles and itineraries

c) Support enterprises and the people to promote e-commerce transactions with essential goods for the people’s demand.

13. Department of Home Affairs shall:

a) Continue to coordinate with functional branches and People's Committees of districts, towns and cities to propagate and persuade religious and worship establishments to completely stop religious ceremonies in accordance with the direction of the Prime Minister, inspect and make records to take measures against establishments that deliberately fail to comply with regulations.

b) Monitor the observance, implementation of the branches and authorities to promptly advise and propose the Provincial People's Committee commendation, criticism and review of responsibilities according to regulations.

14. Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs shall:

a) Advise the Provincial People's Committee to promptly intensify the implementation of the Government’s Resolution No. 68/NQ-CP on policies to support employees and employers hit by the COVID-19 pandemic; ensure social security, the materials and spirituality of the people.

b) Coordinate with the Department of Industry and Trade, Department of Transport, Department of Tourism and People's Committees of districts, towns and cities in advising the Provincial People's Committee to apply Article 12 of the Government’s Resolution No. 68/NQ-CP.

15. The Provincial Police shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Department of Health, People's Committees of districts, towns and cities in implementing the following tasks:

a) Strengthen the direction to ensure security and order, checkpoints to prevent the pandemic, prevent the crime in the localities, strengthen patrols, control to timely detect and strictly handle organizations and individuals violating the COVID-19 prevention and control regulations.

b) Coordinate with the Department of Health and related units to thoroughly trace F1, F2 and F3 cases for taking handling measures according to regulations.

c) Coordinate with the Provincial Military Command and the Provincial Border Guard Command to strengthen the supporting force to ensure security and safety for the quarantine areas and surroundings.

d) Make a plan and process for handling and managing work to ensure absolute safety for the police force and pandemic prevention and control checkpoints, avoiding the cross-infection in the pandemic prevention and control force.

16. Provincial Military Command shall:

- Assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Department of Health, relevant branches, units and localities in, organizing, arranging and increasing more concentrated quarantine establishments, separating quarantined people by time of quarantine, strictly managing to avoid the cross-infection.

- To coordinate with the Provincial Police to strengthen management and control at paths or crossings between the province and other provinces.

17. Provincial Border Guard Command shall:

To organize effectively operations, patrol and control of ships and boats at disease checkpoints, on waterway routes, landing stages and ports, fully implement the sector’s responsibilities, to effectively implement pandemic prevention and control measures.

18. The Management Board of Industrial Parks of the province, the Department of Industry and Trade, the Department of Transport, the People's Committees of districts, towns and cities shall implement the plan for Covid-19 prevention and control at production and business establishments located in and outside industrial parks, industrial clusters and ports in the province as specified in the Provincial Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control’s Plan No. 104/KH-BCD dated July 16, 2021, the Provincial People's Committee’s Official Dispatch No. 8590/UBND-VP dated July 16, 2021 and Official Dispatch No. 8603/UBND-VP dated July 17, 2021. Encourage enterprises to use their resources to perform rapid screening tests for employees; at the same time, encourage enterprises to strongly promote their persons in charge of medical work to ensure that such persons may take samples and rapid testing for their employees.

19. Chairman of People's Committee, Steering Committees for Covid-19 Prevention and Control of districts, towns and cities shall:

a) Pursuant to the Prime Minister’s Directive No. 16/CT-TTg dated March 31, 2020, the Office of the Government's Official Dispatch No. 2601/VPCP-KGVX dated April 3, 2020 and the Prime Minister’s Official Dispatch No. 969/TTg -KGVX dated July 17, 2021 and this Official Dispatch, implement urgently, strictly and effectively; develop plans to carry out implement urgent Covid-19 prevention and control measures in localities under their management according to the “4-on-spot” motto, assign specific tasks and responsibilities to each person, each unit; strengthen inspection and control of work progress, timely detect shortcomings, report to the Provincial People's Committee for handling.

b) Closely coordinate with departments, agencies and sectors to perform solutions suitable to the local situation to strictly implement social distancing, strengthen health declaration for classification, taking samples for testing and concentrated quarantine application if necessary for people related to outbreaks; organize strict supervision at each family according to regulations.

c) Review human and material resources, register to report to the Provincial People's Committee (by the summary of the Department of Health) for grasping the situation, implement synchronously and uniformly its operation throughout the province.

d) Intensify the provision of (accurate, complete and standard) information, propagating and persuasion in order that the people calm down, support and cooperate with local authorities and Party committees to speed up progress of tracing, testing, and stamping out the pandemic soon to stabilize the People’s life.

dd) Strongly promote the role of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, organizations, unions, community-based COVID-19 working groups and the People in pandemic prevention and control.

e) Strengthen the inspection of the implementation of pandemic prevention and control solutions at production and business establishments and public places; strictly handle violations according to regulations.

g) Immediately support people according to the Government’s Resolution No. 68/NQ-CP dated July 01, 2021 on policies to support employees and employers hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, starting from July 19, 2021. The support must be completed in July 2021.

h) Direct specialized agencies, People's Committees of communes, wards and townships to organize round-the-clock patrols and surveillance teams to prevent mass gatherings and strictly handle cases of violations of anti-pandemic rules; especially intensify sanctions on people who leave their homes other than permitted cases.

i) Regularly grasp and update the situation of pandemic prevention and control, quickly handle arising problems, summarize the situation of implementing the contents as directed in this Official Dispatch. Report to the Provincial Steering Committee for Pandemic Prevention and Control at the end of the day and irregularly.

20. The press agencies shall continue to promote provision of information on the province's pandemic prevention and control policies and measures, and the supply sources of necessities and essential goods serving the people during the social distancing period.

21. Provincial Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and provincial socio-political organizations are required to:

Strengthen propaganda and persuading the People in various forms appropriate to the pandemic development to strictly comply with the direction on the Covid-19 prevention and control of the authority and functional sectors, raise the awareness, responsibility, and initiative of people in the implementation of pandemic prevention and control measures; especially strictly implementation of the Ministry of Health’s 5K message.

Encourage the People and implement solutions to support people in difficulty in quarantine areas, treatment establishments for patients with Covid-19; promote the spirit of mutual affection and cooperation in the community and society to help families in difficulty.

In the context of urgent pandemic prevention and control due to the rapid, strong and unpredictable development of the new strain of Delta variant, while Vietnam still faces many difficulties in terms of ensuring conditions; and with the spirit of putting The People’s health and life first, the Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee calls on the People and enterprises to promote the spirit of great national unity, self-reliance and resilience; support, respond to and seriously implement the Directive 16, stay at home, except the cases of absolute necessity and strictly comply with 5K message. The implementation of the Directive 16 is the responsibility, obligation and the right of each citizen, for the benefit of the community, economic development and social security in the province.

Heads of Departments, branches, chairpersons of People's Committees of districts, towns and cities are required to seriously implement this Official Dispatch./.