DIRECTIVE

ON REINFORCEMENT OF COVID-19 PREVENTION AND CONTROL

The Covid-19 pandemic is spreading fast globally in many countries, every day there are about 600,000 new cases and about 6,000 deaths, especially the new Covid strains are more contagious than SARS-CoV-2 virus in 38 countries; many countries have had to take strict actions and reinstate lockdown measures to prevent and control the pandemic. The risk of pandemic spreading in Vietnam is still very high, especially from people entering from pandemic-outbreak countries and illegal entering Vietnam without control through local trails and border crossings, etc. Some people in the community might neglect or underestimate the pandemic and not strictly implement measures to prevent and control the pandemic.

In initiating the Telegram dated January 5, 2021 of the Standing Secretariat on reinforcement of prevention and control of the pandemic to best protect the people’s health and lives and ensure a safe and playful celebration of the Tan Suu Lunar New Year, the Prime Minister requests as follows:

1. The Ministry of National Defense shall take charge and cooperate with the Ministry of Public Security, the People’s Committees of border provinces in directing the enhancement of border management, thoroughly preventing illegal entry, especially at local trails, border crossings, seaway, etc.

The Ministry of National Defense, the People's Committees of provinces and provinces or central-affiliated cities shall continue to strictly manage the quarantine of people entering Vietnam, ensure enforcement of full 14-day centralized quarantine and sufficient time for medical monitoring after quarantine as required; completely curb the pandemic from spreading in the quarantine area and from the quarantine area to the community.

2. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall direct the strict review of repatriation requests filed by Vietnamese citizens in foreign countries, ensure the applicants are eligible entities, protect citizens, enable lonely old people, people suffering financial hardship, people going abroad for medical treatment, people with expired visas, people with expired employment contracts or studies, etc. to repatriate.

Suspend flights to Vietnam from countries and territories infected with the new strains of the SARS-CoV-2 virus or countries/territories in complicated situation, first of all from the UK and South Africa; designate the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to cooperate with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Transport in identifying specific countries to adopt this measure.

3. In a case where an infected case is detected, Ministries of Health, Public Security, National Defense, the People's Committees of the provinces and central-affiliated cities must speedily track down and immediately adopt necessary measures, suppress the pandemic from spreading to the community.

4. The Ministry of Public Security shall direct the intensification of investigation and actions against the following cases: illegal entrants, organizers of illegal entry; accommodation establishments, hotels accommodating illegal entrants; those opposing and disobeying the regulations on pandemic prevention and control.

5. The Ministry of Transport shall direct the strict enforcement of prevention and control of the pandemic before, during and after flights carrying entrants, ensure early detection and take appropriate actions against infected or suspected cases that enter Vietnam by air.

6. The People’s Committees of provinces and central-affiliated cities shall direct:

a) Reinforcement of inspection, detection and actions against illegal entry in the provinces; assign tasks to the full-time police officers at the commune level, launch mass movements, mobilize the grassroots-level fatherland’s front and unions, request every citizen, family, neighborhood, residential area to be active in targeting and reporting cases of illegal entry.

b) Strict enforcement of centralized quarantine and medical monitoring after centralized quarantine time.

c) Strict enforcement of wearing masks in the public, penalties on those who fail to wear masks as required; limitation of mass gatherings and celebration of festivals. Events with mass gatherings must comply with health authorities' requirements and guidance on pandemic prevention and control.

d) Reinforcement of inspection, urge and correction to prevention and control measures at organizations, units, residential areas, high-risk places such as supermarkets, railway stations, airports, schools, hospitals, enterprises, factories, etc. and strict actions against violations and the leaders’ liability for the violation cases.

7. Ministries of Health, Information and Communications, Vietnam Television, Voice of Vietnam, People’s Committees of provinces and central-affiliated cities shall continue to direct and strengthen advocacy messages about pandemic threats, recommend the people to be alert, wear masks in the public, limit crowds, proactively detect and notify authorities of cases of illegal entry and violations against pandemic prevention and control./.

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