Official Telegram 23/CD-UBND Hanoi 2021 COVID-19 prevention measures according to the new situation

OFFICIAL TELEGRAM

On continuing to implement COVID-19 prevention and control measures in the City according to the new situation

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THE CHAIRMAN OF HANOI PEOPLE’S COMMITTEE notifies:

- The Hanoi Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front;

- Directors of Departments, agencies, sectors, and socio-political unions in the City;

- Chairpersons of People's Committees of districts and towns.

Implementing the Government’s Resolution No. 128/NQ-CP dated October 11, 2021, many activities in Hanoi as well as many other localities throughout the country have been expanded and relaxed. Besides, the number of people from other localities returning to the City for work and transactions increased rapidly. Recently, the number of infected cases tends to increase rapidly in many areas with many complicated outbreaks; some organizations, units, service providers, and people still show signs of subjectivity, neglect, loss of vigilance, failure to strictly observe regulations on pandemic prevention, and control, and failure to strictly observe the 5K regulations, while vaccination coverage has not yet reached the required coverage and people under the age of 18 have not been vaccinated; the risks and developments of the pandemic still remain complicated and unpredictable.

Pursuant to the Government Office’s Official Dispatch No. 8149/CD-VPCP dated November 7, 2021, on intensifying the implementation of measures to prevent and control the COVID-19 pandemic; in the implementation of the direction of the Hanoi Party Committee on pandemic prevention and control; while keeping a clear view to maintain the achieved results to protect the safety of the City, the Chairman of Hanoi People's Committee hereby requests the Directors/Heads of the Departments, sectors and the Chairpersons of People's Committees of districts, towns, and communes, wards, and townships to take some measures in Hanoi. To be specific:

1. Thoroughly grasping the guiding principles of the authorities, Steering Committees, and Headquarters at all levels in preventing and controlling the pandemic in areas:

- The general principle applied from the central to the municipal levels is proactively assessing pandemic levels and risks from the grassroots level. Hanoi City shall orient and provide general policies; each sectoral level and local government shall proactively implement measures right from the grassroots according to the “four-on-the-spot” motto and synchronize the stages and tasks of pandemic prevention and control (lockdown, testing, tracing, healthcare on the spot, etc.) in association with authorities at all levels, the superior Steering Committees and Headquarters shall take full responsibility for the fields and areas under their direct responsibility.

- Consistently implementing the pandemic prevention and control strategy, maintaining and promoting the achieved results; avoiding being subjective or neglectful, taking appropriate measures to prevent and control the pandemic in the new situation, preventing the pandemic from spreading in the community, and continuing to strictly implement solutions to ensure "safe, flexible adaptation and effective control over the COVID-19 pandemic".

- Tightening discipline; strengthening inspection and handling in association with the responsibilities of heads of Party Committees and authorities at all levels; strictly implementing pandemic prevention and control measures provided by the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Health, the standing body of the Municipal Party Committee, the Municipal Party Committee Standing Committee, Hanoi People's Committee and Hanoi Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.

- Continuing to review policies and mobilizing social forces to participate in pandemic prevention and control and ensure social security in areas.

2. From November 17, 2021, Hanoi shall revise regulations on reception and treatment of SARS-CoV-2 patients, quarantine of close contacts (F1 cases), and strengthen the quarantine and testing for people from other provinces or cities to Hanoi. To be specific:

2.1. Actively developing plans on reception and treatment of SARS-CoV-2 patients in the City with high-risk scenarios according to the 3-storey tower model.

- Piloting the establishments receiving and treating asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic patients (F0 cases) in communes, wards, and townships according to the "four-on-the-spot" motto, that are established and run by districts and towns according to specialized instructions provided by the Department of Health.  Pilot implementation at the Culture and Sports Center in Thach Ban Ward, Long Bien District with a scale of 150 beds; Tien Yen Lower Secondary School, Hoai Duc District with a scale of 300 beds (newly built, not yet handed over to welcome students); Minh Phu General Clinic, Soc Son District with a scale of 200 beds; Center for Continuing Education and Vocational Training in Thanh Tri District with a scale of 300 beds; Le Thanh A Kindergarten, Le Thanh Commune, My Duc District with a scale of 200 beds.

- Expanding establishments providing treatment for asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 patients at district and town levels after the pilot period.

- Reviewing and expanding treatment establishments at facilities of the City, district-level, and municipal hospitals.

- Mobilizing hospitals and health establishments of ministries, central agencies and universities, colleges of medicine and pharmacy, and private health facilities in the area to participate in the reception and treatment of patients (F0 cases).

- Reviewing treatment establishments, mobilizing medical personnel (such as doctors, students, pupils, retired nurses, and doctors) to participate in the prevention of COVID-19 as required.

2.2. Revising the quarantine plan applicable to close contacts (F1 cases)

- The concentrated quarantine period applicable to close contacts (F1 cases) is shortened to 14 days.

- Continuing to maintain concentrated quarantine areas for F1 cases at districts and towns already established or reviewed without being put into use; reviewing and expanding quarantine areas (including education institutions, schools, student dormitories), preparing equipment and logistics for quarantine areas to receive quarantined people.

- Piloting the home quarantine for close contacts (F1 cases) eligible for home quarantine under the Ministry of Health’s regulations and the Department of Health’s instructions.

For ineligible cases, they shall be subject to mandatory quarantine at concentrated quarantine establishments or hotels (F1 cases must have a written request for voluntary quarantine at hotels approved by the City and commit to paying expenses for quarantine at hotels).

Pilot duration: until the City issues new notice.

2.3. Continuing to control people from other provinces or cities to Hanoi

- People returning from very high-risk or high-risk areas (level 4 and level 3, or red and orange areas) and provinces and cities with high infection rates such as Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, Long An, and Dong Nai, etc., who have received full doses of vaccines¹ or recovered from COVID-19², shall undergo quarantine at home or places of residence (with quarantine decision issued by the local authority) within 7 days instead of self-monitoring of health at home; and be tested twice on the first and seventh days instead of testing only one time on the first day.

- Unvaccinated people or people not fully vaccinated who return from high-risk areas (level 3 or orange areas) shall undergo quarantine at home or places of residence within the next 7 days and comply with the 5K measures; be tested twice on the first and seventh days after arriving in Hanoi (instead of self-monitoring at home and not indicating testing).

- People from medium-risk areas (level 2) to Hanoi, who are fully vaccinated or have been recovered from COVID-19 shall self-monitor their health at home for 7 days and be tested once on the first day.

- People from medium-risk areas (level 2) to Hanoi, who are unvaccinated or received insufficient doses of COVID-19 vaccine shall self-monitor their health within 14 days; be tested twice on the first and seventh days.

They must make health declarations, notify and commit to local authorities immediately after arriving in Hanoi. During the quarantine period, they shall self-monitor their health, follow the 5K rules, and immediately notify local health agencies for sampling, testing, and taking pandemic prevention and control measures if showing any suspected symptoms such as cough, fever, sore throat, loss or reduction of smell and taste, etc. Other cases shall follow the Plan No. 243/KH-UBND dated October 29, 2021, of the Hanoi People's Committee.

3. Hanoi Department of Health shall

- Ensure quick response and timely control of the pandemic in any situation; continue to implement the vaccination plans with priority given to people over 50 years old, workers in industrial parks, export processing zones, deliverymen, transporters, people working in high-risk areas such as shopping centers, supermarkets, pregnant women, etc.; prepare to vaccinate against COVID-19 for people under 18 years old according to the City's plan.

- Update information and data serving the determination of pandemic risk levels according to the Ministry of Health's guidelines.

- Monitor, assess, and predict the pandemic development in the coming time, advise the municipal People's Committee and municipal Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control shall actively take measures for pandemic prevention and control according to regulations and actual situation of the City.

- Continue to reinforce health systems at grassroots, districts, or towns, arrange equipment, medical supplies, medicines, and oxygen to be ready to take care of the citizens and implement the pandemic prevention and control.

- Promulgate documents guiding the pilot home quarantine for close contacts (F1 cases); organize training courses on managing and monitoring the quarantine for safe pandemic prevention and control; periodically supervise the implementation at grassroots.

- Assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with Departments, agencies, sectors, districts, and towns in, urgently developing the plan for receiving and treating SARS-CoV-2 patients at health agencies at the grassroots level according to the "four-on-the-spot" motto that are capable of responding to the situation of 100,000 patients and submit such plant to the municipal People's Committee for promulgation and organizing a rehearsal.

- Actively coordinate with hospitals and health establishments of ministries, central agencies, universities, colleges of medicine and pharmacy, and private health facilities in the areas to mobilize human resources (doctors, students, pupils, retired nurses, and doctors) to participate in the pandemic prevention and control at request.

4. People's Committees of districts and town shall

- Maintain 24/7 mobile COVID-19 teams at health establishments to ensure quick and timely handling of pandemic situations occurring in the City; closely monitor the pandemic in the community, be ready to react quickly to information for early detection tracing, investigation, verification, and zoning in a timely manner to prevent the disease from spreading to the community; strengthen measures to prevent and control COVID-19 infection in medical examination and treatment establishments.

- Actively review, develop and rehearse high-level plans at the grassroots, provide additional plans for reception and treatment of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 patients at district and town levels, ready to implement under the direction of the City and the guidance of the health sector.

- Direct communes, wards, townships, and related units to review conditions for isolating close contacts (F1 cases) at home to ensure compliance with the guidance of the health sector; direct the community-based COVID-19 teams and the residential community to closely monitor the observance of regulations and measures for pandemic prevention and control of close contacts (F1 cases) who are subject to home quarantine; preventing the disease from spreading to the community.

- Tighten discipline; avoid being subjective, negligent in all situations. Strengthen inspection and sanction cases of violating regulations on pandemic prevention and control such as the observance of the 5K regulations; scanning QR codes at business and service establishments, etc.

5. Hanoi Department of Education and Training shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with Hanoi Department of Health and the People’s Committee of Ba Vi district in, reviewing the on-site teaching recently; urgently coordinate with districts and towns to review and develop specific plans to organize on-site teaching in other districts and towns in the coming time.

6. Hanoi Public Security Department shall

- Assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with Hanoi Department of Information and Communications and Hanoi Department of Health in, timely and effectively implementing the municipal People's Committee's plans on applying the population database in social management, COVID-19 prevention and control, and certifying information and carrying out vaccination against COVID-19 in accordance with instructions of ministries and central agencies.

- Coordinate with People’s Committees of districts and towns to continue directing affiliated units to review, manage and monitor the movements of citizens and those who come from other provinces or other countries to Hanoi to work and reside in the areas for monitoring and handling in a timely manner. At the same time, compile dossiers and strictly handle organizations and individuals committing acts of violations in COVID-19 prevention and control.

7. Hanoi Department of Information and Communication shall

- Assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with Hanoi Department of Health in, updating the pandemic development in the City and localities nationwide. Strengthen communication on the mass media about the City's pandemic prevention and control to create consensus, initiative, and unity. Step up the propaganda, raising awareness and responsibility of the whole political system from the City to the grassroots such as communes, wards, townships, villages, hamlets, residential areas; citizens are required to strictly observe the City’s regulations and directions on pandemic prevention and control.

- Regularly update and report Hanoi People's Committee, Hanoi Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control of the propaganda about pandemic prevention and control in the City.

8. Hanoi Department of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with relevant units in, timely implementing social security policies, taking care of, and sharing difficulties with frontline forces in prevention and control of COVID-19 pandemic and private preschool teachers, and residents affected by COVID-19, make sure no one is left behind.

9. Hanoi Department of Construction shall coordinate with Hanoi Capital High Command, the Department of Health, and localities to continue to review, rearrange, supplement, and convert public works and resettlement areas that have not been put into use and report such to the City authorities to temporarily convert to serve the treatment of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 patients and establish a centralized quarantine establishment for F1 cases.

10. Hanoi Department of Finance shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with relevant departments and sectors and the People's Committees of districts, towns in reviewing, synthesizing, and advising Hanoi People's Committee to ensure funding sources for medical equipment procurement according to the City's pandemic prevention and control scenarios; coordinate with the Department of Health, the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs and related units to propose mechanisms and policies to mobilize forces to participate in pandemic prevention and control and ensure social security.

11. Departments, agencies, and sectors of the City and People's Committees at all levels shall, based on their tasks, functions, and management, strengthen administrative reform, remove difficulties and obstacles without causing troubles or arising administrative procedures for enterprises and people; effectively organize socio-economic recovery and development in the context of “safe and flexible adaptation and effective control over the COVID-19 pandemic”, ensure effective social security for the right subjects; promote propaganda for people to continue implementing the 5K rules, avoid being negligent, strictly implement safety for covid, strictly handle organizations and individuals that violate the prevention and control of COVID-19 pandemic.

Hanoi People's Committee hereby requests agencies, units, organizations, individuals, and citizens in the City to seriously implement this Official Telegram./.

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1 Fully vaccinated people mean those who have received full doses of vaccines against COVID-19 under instructions provided by the Ministry of Health/manufactures. In which the last dose has been given at least 14 days but no more than 12 months.

2 People have recovered from COVID-19 within 6 months.