DIRECTIVE

STRENGTHENING CERTAIN MEASURES FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF DIRECTIVE 16/CT-TTG OF THE PRIME MINISTER ON THE PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF COVID-19 IN THE CITY

- Implementing the Telegram of the Standing Secretariat on July 21, 2021 on further strengthening the prevention and control of the Covid-19 pandemic;

- Implementing Resolution No. 78/NQ-CP dated July 20, 2021 of the Government on Covid-19 prevention and control and the direction of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in Official Dispatch No. 969/TTg-KGVX dated 17 July 2021 on the implementation of social distancing for pandemic prevention and control in some localities,

After 13 days, Ho Chi Minh City has made every effort with the direct leadership and direction of the Standing Government, the Ministry of Health and central ministries to implement measures according to Directive No. 16/CT-TTg On March 31, 2020 of the Prime Minister on the prevention and control of the Covid-19 pandemic (Directive 16/CT-TTg), the Covid-19 pandemic situation in the city still remains complex:  The number of daily infections days is extremely high, particularly in lockdown and quarantine areas; the number of patients being treated and the number of severe cases and deaths have been on the rise; human resources, facilities, materials and equipment for pandemic prevention and control have been overburdened, etc.

Facing the extremely urgent situation due to the fast, strong and unpredictable development of the new virus strain Delta; to achieve the goal of protecting the life and health of the People at any cost, to minimize the number of deaths, protecting the health system and the ability to treat and save patients, in addition to existing anti-pandemic measures, the Standing Board of the City Party Committee directs to strengthen certain measures to execute Directive 16/CT-TTg in the city as follows:

1. The objective of strengthening measures to implement Directive 16/CT-TTg is to:  Block off and contain the spread of the pandemic; maintain, expand the safe zone and curb the spread of high-risk areas.

2. Specific strengthening measures to focus on implementation:

2.1. Focus on promoting extensive propagation, thoroughly execute the motto "walk to every alley, knock on every door, check every person", distribute leaflets guiding the social distancing and anti-pandemic measures.

2.2. Strengthen inspection, supervision and expedite the strict implementation of social distancing rules, especially person-to-person and family-to-family distance; rigorously comply with the requirements and regulations on quarantine and lockdown according to the following principles:

- In lockdown areas, strictly follow the motto “person-to-person, family-to-family isolation”; absolutely no direct contact with people around.  People are only allowed to leave their homes when:  (1) there is a medical emergency, (2) buy essential food at supermarkets/markets in the lockdown area (02 times/week, use shopping vouchers issued by the local government).  In certain extremely risk areas, each household only stays at home, the authorities will bring necessities to each house.

- In the quarantine areas, quarantined people must absolutely abide by the regulations, not to leave the room and not be in direct contact with other people (except for medical emergencies).

- With regard to families with home-quarantined F0, F1 individuals, strictly follow the instructions of the health sector, absolutely do not leave the house (except for medical emergencies); essential food will be supported and provided by the authorities to the door.

- Regarding residential areas in small, crowded, packed, and high population density alleys, rigorously follow person-to-person distance rule.

2.3. Narrow the range of groups allowed to operate during the implementation of Directive 16-CT/TTg:

- Suspend production and business activities of construction sites, construction and traffic works that are not really urgent.

- Banks and securities companies must operate at the level of maintaining capacity to provide necessary services in a timely manner, especially for branches or transaction offices, which can operate alternately and arrange personnel to work on the premises in shifts, strictly abide by the distance rules.

- Tighten business operations: Only the following business may operate according to service requirements while ensuring the pandemic safety protocols: businesses in health care, pharmaceuticals, food, catering for hospitals, quarantine areas, admission and treatment areas; electricity, water, gas, postal, telecommunications, public sanitation, transportation of essential goods; state treasury, funeral services and a number of other essential services regulated by competent authorities. Other manufacturing enterprises are only allowed to operate on the condition that they follow the pandemic safety protocols and strictly adhere to the principles of "three-on-spot" and "one route, two destinations"; resolutely stop immediately and severely punish cases that do not meet the requirements of pandemic prevention and control.

- As for traditional market activities, it is only allowed to operate under the new model, with strict regulations and rigorous control, ensuring an open, airy space with a barrier between buyers and sellers, with prices quoted and encourage sales in prepacked grocery bags, strictly enforce social distancing rules; only allow trading in food and essential goods and reduce the scale to about 30; business households should operate alternately on even-odd days to minimize the number of people interacting.

- Regulatory agencies work on alternate days or alternate sessions of day on the premises. Be exemplary, strictly abide by Directive 16/CT-TTg, and only go out in case of emergency.

- Covid-19 checkpoints at the gateways to the city (12 city-level checkpoints and checkpoints of districts and Thu Duc city) shall only allow vehicles for public duties, means of transport of goods with QR codes that are allowed to transport into the city or pass through the city; personal vehicles of regulatory agencies and armed forces, vehicles for anti-pandemic duties and public duties; buses to transport municipal people back to their hometowns as planned.

2.4. Strengthen proactive, effective and safe communication, reassurance of people:  accurate, timely and positive information on pandemic prevention and control practices, minimize news that is one-sided, lack of verification, or causes psychological panic among the people.

3. Implementation:

The entire political system from the city to the grassroots shall take the lead in effectively implementing measures to strengthen Directive 16/CT-TTg of the Prime Minister:

3.1. Members of the Standing Committee of the City Party Committee, members, heads of committees and authorities at all levels, based on their assigned functions, tasks and assigned areas, uphold the sense of responsibility, grasp the situation closely and promptly; closely and with the grassroots to direct the implementation, share and encourage the Covid-19 task forces to keep determined to create changes and be effective.  Proactively solve and propose timely resolution of difficulties and problems arising in the area.

3.2. The City Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control shall urgently elaborate it into a decision to ensure the highest legality, direct effective implementation of solutions to strengthen Directive 16-CT/TTg.  Continue to direct specialized agencies, especially the health sector to promptly coordinate with localities to develop detailed scenarios and specific solutions for pandemic prevention and control such as:  prevention, testing, quarantine, treatment ... in conformity with the new development of the pandemic; mainly speed up the receipt, purchase and injection of vaccines.

3.3. The Party Caucus committee of the City People's Committee shall lead the People's Committee of the City to directly coordinate with ministries, branches and the Government's special working group to make the most of the human resource support, to ensure the needs of facilities, medical equipment, and pharmaceuticals in service of pandemic prevention and control; focus on capacity building, promptly handle, receive, take care of and treat F0 cases, especially severe cases; promptly promulgate detailed, easy-to-understand and easy-to-follow regulations and instructions for operation in quarantine areas of F0, F1 individuals, lockdown areas and the preparation of quarantine areas of F0 individuals in the localities; continue to direct, coordinate, and organize well the supply, transportation, receipt and circulation of essential goods for life and production smoothly, absolutely eliminate congestion or negative impact on prevention and control of the pandemic; develop a plan to coordinate and enable people to return to their localities for isolation as prescribed.

3.4. The Party Committee of City Public Security shall direct the City Police, within its functions and tasks, take charge and coordinate with relevant agencies and localities in developing specific action plans and strengthening detailed guidance, easy-to-understand and easy-to-follow situations throughout the task forces, focusing on effectively implementing measures to tighten pandemic prevention and control throughout the city, and effectively perform the fire safety at hospitals, field hospitals, treatment areas, lockdown areas, quarantine areas; ensure political security, social order and safety in the locality.  Resolutely take strict actions against organizations and individuals that violate regulations on pandemic prevention and control or take advantage of the pandemic situation for distortion, incitement, or sabotage attempt.

3.5. The Party Committee of City Military shall lead the effective implementation of measures to strengthen pandemic prevention and control; promote the role of taking charge and cooperating in operating centralized quarantine facilities and field hospitals for treatment of Covid-19 to ensure strict, safe, effective, and prevent cross-infection and infection to support staff in the quarantine areas, coordinate the task forces to spray chemicals in the lockdown areas; organize convoys to transport goods to serve the people of the city.  Work closely with the police force to be ready to handle any situation arising.

3.6. The Propaganda Board of City Party Committee shall cooperate with the Public Relation  Board of City Party Committee, the High Command of City, the Department of Information and Communications in effectively orienting the propagation, intensifying and proactively providing timely and accurate information to the media agencies, orienting public opinions; directing local authorities to organize mobile propagation teams and groups to each residential area, especially lockdown and quarantine areas, contributing to reinforce trust, unity, consensus, sharing and coordination of people from all social strata in the anti-pandemic practices.  Coordinate with the Ministry of Information and Communications, the Ministry of Public Security and the City Public Security in timely and effective handling of social media crisis and strictly handle violations that distort, incite, sabotage and prejudice the anti-pandemic practices.

3.7. The Public Relation  Board of City Party Committee, Vietnamese Fatherland Front, and socio-political organizations from the city to the grassroots continue to intensify the dissemination and propagation to raise awareness, responsibilities and skills of union members, members, religious dignitaries, religious compatriots and the People to strictly and actively participate in the anti-pandemic practices; mobilize and promote the spirit of great national unity, arouse the spirit of compassion, fellow feeling, helping each other overcome difficulties; continue to mobilize resources, promptly take care of people, especially those suffering hardships and in  disadvantageous position.

3.8. The Standing Committees of Party Committees of Thu Duc City and districts shall uphold the initiative and creativity to well implement the "5-on-the-spot" motto and strongly promote their strong and comprehensive role in leading and directing the implementation, inspection, and supervision:

- Develop a detailed plan, mobilize all social resources, assign the right people, clear jobs, clear responsibilities, and organize strict and effective implementation of measures to strengthen Directive 16-CT/ TTg.  Promote the role of the grassroots core forces to promote extensive propagation in various forms, close to the actual situation of the current pandemic context to mobilize the people to voluntarily and rigorously implement the anti-pandemic rules, strictly implement social distancing measures throughout the city, especially in the lockdown areas, centralized quarantine areas, houses in small, crowded, packed, and high population density alleys; grasp thorough understanding of and strictly implement regulations on vaccination; isolation measures of F0, F1 individuals. Handle humanitarian issues in the localities and treatment areas.  Reinforce inspection, supervision, promptly detect positive factors, typical, dynamic, creative organizations and individuals who overcome difficulties and are brave... to encourage and reward; at the same time correct and rectify inadequacies; resolutely handle violations caused by subjectivity and lack of sense of responsibility, affecting the effectiveness of anti-pandemic practices.

- Direct, inspect and supervise the role of heads of Party Committees and People's Committees of wards, communes and townships in formulating detailed implementation plans, ensuring that the directives of all levels are organized and implemented promptly to each neighborhood, hamlet and household; intensify and promote the role of the community Covid-19 teams to inspect and supervise the strict implementation of regulations in the lockdown areas and centralized quarantine areas in the localities, especially supervise families with home quarantined F0 and F1 individuals and strictly enforce and punish violators of regulations; at the same time, know thoroughly people and households with F0, F1 individuals who are poor, disadvantaged, lonely, disabled, religious, ethnic... including addicts, in order to take appropriate support measures; carefully and closely coordinate the care and supply of food and essential goods to people in the localities; assigned 24/24 hotlines to promptly handle the claims and feedbacks of the people.

The Standing Board of the City Party Committee respectfully reports to the Politburo, the Secretariat, key leaders and the Prime Minister to continue paying special attention and directing Ho Chi Minh City to overcome this difficult moment.

The next two peak-time weeks is decisive for the city's anti-pandemic result, the Standing Board of the City Party Committee requests the key leaders, members of the Standing Committee of the City Party Committee, members of all levels to be united, determined, uphold the sense of responsibility, initiative, creativity, overcoming challenges, taking drastic action, striving to best complete the set plan.

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