OFFICIAL TELEGRAM

ON URGENT MEASURES TO RESPOND TO THE COMPLEX EVOLUTION OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC NATIONWIDE

THE PRESIDENT OF PEOPLE’S COMMITTEE OF HANOI CITY telegraphs:

- Directors, heads of departments, divisions, agencies and mass organizations;
- Presidents of People's Committees of districts, towns and communes, wards and townships;
- Agencies and units in the City.

Accordingly, in response to the complicated situation of the pandemic in the country, increasing COVID-19 cases, Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, Dong Nai and 16 southern provinces have applied social distancing measures under the Prime Minister's Directive 16 from 0am on July 19, 2021. In recent days, Hanoi has recorded rising number of community COVID-19 cases, and the transmission source of several of them has not been identified yet. Following the promulgated Telegrams, Directives of the President of People’s Committee of the City, in order to prevent the spread and outbreak of the novel coronavirus in the city, the President of the municipal People’s Committee asks heads of departments and branches, presidents of district- and commune-level People’s Committees, mass organizations and the people to continue to strictly comply with urgent measures for COVID-19 prevention and control as follows:

1. Urgent anti-pandemic measures will be put in place citywide from 0 a.m. on July 19, 2021. Particularly:

- All citizens are required to stay at home and only go out when necessary such as business trips, official assignments, for working at agencies, workplaces, factories, manufacturers, business establishments of essential services and goods that are allowed to operate, for food and medicine purchase, and other urgent cases like emergency aid, health check-ups and treatment, natural disasters, fires, etc. All local residents are advised to follow the Ministry of Health’s 5K message, maintain at least 2-meter distance upon communication; avoid gathering more than five people outside the workplaces, schools and hospitals, and fill in health declarations on the website www.tokhaiyte.vn or apps Ncovi and Bluezone when going out. All local residents are recommended to use electronic commerce and home delivery.

- Halt all non-essential services. Production, business, and services establishments which are allowed to remain open include: factories, production facilities, traffic works, construction sites, business establishments of essential goods (i.e. food, pharmaceuticals, electricity, water, fuel, gasoline, and oil); food businesses providing delivery/takeaway services, educational institutions, banks, treasuries, service businesses operating in banking and supporting business activities (i.e. notarization, lawyers, vehicle registries, registration of secured transactions, etc.), securities, postal and telecommunications services, transportation support services; import and export of goods, healthcare facilities, funeral services, etc. in which mandatory health declaration by QR Code is required.

- Production, business, services establishments, industrial zones/clusters must follow pandemic safety protocols, have action plans to respond when cases are detected on the premises, and assess of the risk of COVID-19 infection on daily basis, update COVID-19 safety assessment; and be held accountable to the local government and the City.

- Agencies and offices of the City and the Central Government located in the city, companies, enterprises and groups (including foreign-invested companies) shall actively develop plans for a half of personnel to work from home, shift split; the municipal agencies and units shall arrange no more than half of the number of officials and public employees to work; employees use information technology to work from home for assigned tasks. Heads of agencies and units shall, depending on the conditions and nature of their operations, arrange officials, public employees and workers in an appropriate manner; strictly follow pandemic safety protocols and minimize face-to-face activities, switch to online working and transactions.- Shopping malls, supermarkets, wholesale and local markets in the city sell necessities, ensure sufficient food and necessities for people daily; arrange stalls in conformity with the size and area, adjust to reduce the number of customers at the same time, ensure the implementation of 5K message, minimize close contact when trading; recommend online delivery model. Arrange more staff to guide buyers of goods to follow the pandemic safety protocols as prescribed right from parking areas, entrances and in business establishments.

- Minimize travels from Hanoi to other provinces and cities and vice versa; reorganize transport activities, ensure trade, fully supply essential goods and serve production and meet the city's pandemic prevention and control requirements.

- All people entering Hanoi from other cities and provinces are subject to make health declarations; immediately notify and commit to follow the pandemic safety protocols with local governments at grassroots.

- Workers residing in the city and workers from other provinces and cities in industrial parks, industrial clusters and production and business establishments in the city and surrounding areas must register with the local authorities (where workers, experts reside; where factories, enterprises, agencies, etc. are located) for daily shuttle buses, commit to strictly follow the pandemic safety protocols at the places of residence, during travel and workplaces; strictly control the process of mobility outside the working and living areas; undergo screening tests as prescribed by the specialized authorities. The business owners shall commit and be held accountable to the local governments and the City.

- Means of transport of goods from other provinces and cities may only deliver goods to the registered places, notify the local authorities, complete mandatory health declarations at places from the pick-up points, during travel, at rest stops, the drivers and passengers must test negative for SAR-CoV-2 using RT-PCR method within 3 days; commit to only stop upon delivery and refueling and minimize direct contact upon delivery and refueling; complete mandatory health declarations and follow 5K message.

- Public transport would operate at half of their operating capacity and seating capacity, except for cases on grounds of official duties, shuttles for workers, experts, quarantined people, vehicles transporting materials for production and goods. Limit personal vehicles as much as possible. Ensure smooth operation of the transport of goods and production materials; do not apply “closed-door policy”; means of transport of agricultural products, production materials and goods may operate as long as they follow the pandemic safety protocols. Vehicles carrying people from other provinces are allowed to pass through checkpoints but cannot stop to pick up and drop off passengers in the area.

- Suspend weddings while funerals must be held with no more than 30 people and must be rigorously supervised by the local health authority.

- The organization of meetings and important political events of the Central Committee in the City shall be decided by the Party Central Committee, the National Assembly, the Government and central agencies.

2. Districts and towns that have industrial parks and industrial clusters must do the following immediately:

- The Presidents of districts and towns shall take charge and cooperate with the heads of management boards of industrial parks and export processing zones, and Director of the Department of Industry and Trade shall comprehensively roll out pandemic safety protocols in industrial parks and industrial clusters, and maintain production activities unbroken; manage the residence and mobility of workers in the industrial parks located in the city.

- The heads of management boards of industrial parks and export processing zones in Hanoi, and Director of the Department of Industry and Trade shall cooperate and direct units, task forces to give comprehensive guidance on the pandemic safety protocols in factories and enterprises in the industrial parks and industrial clusters.

- Directors, owners of enterprises, factories shall manage daily commutation of workers; sign commitment on abiding by regulations on COVID-19 prevention and prevent infection and send daily reports to local governments and work out plans for the “three-on-spot” motto.

- Investors of industrial parks/industrial clusters, manufacturers in the industrial parks/industrial clusters shall, based on the plan No. 162/PA-UBND dated July 12, 2021 of the People’s Committee of City on COVID-19 prevention and control in industrial zones/clusters, production and business establishments in the city, proactively develop plans and scenarios to maintain production in case the factory is locked down, isolated, taking the factory as a place to isolate and stabilize production (The plan and scenario need to be comprehensive and synchronous, with coordination and support for units and local authorities in the supply of food and necessities, etc. to ensure accommodation, production at factories of enterprises).  Presidents of the People's Committees of districts, towns consider and approve for enterprises to both implement the lockdown plan or scenario and ensure safe production.

- The People's Committees of districts, towns shall take charge and cooperate with the Fatherland Front, the grassroots labor unions in regularly paying attention to and understanding thoughts, ensuring basic necessities and living conditions for the labor force in the area.

- Service businesses must fully meet requirements for COVID-19 prevention and control, operate under the management and supervision of task forces and local authorities; resolutely close businesses that commit violations.

3. Presidents of the People’s Committees of districts and towns shall be held accountable to the President of the People’s Committee of City in initiating the anti-pandemic practices in the districts and towns.

- Based on the pandemic circumstances in the area, Presidents of People's Committees of districts and towns shall assess the extent of risks and actively work out specific plans, and decide to close/open essential service facilities in the districts and towns.

- Investigate, zone large areas, block narrow areas, take samples and quarantine, in the short time, individuals in close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 (F1) and those in close contact with F1 (F2). Strengthen direction and supervision of quarantine people at home.

- Cooperate with the Department of Industry and Trade, Department of Health, Department of Transport and other relevant units to support businesses in goods circulation, goods gathering places, mobile vendors (if any), etc. to serve the essential needs of the people.

- Effectively follow “four-on-spot” motto in the pandemic prevention and control, ensure adequate supply of necessities for the people in the districts and towns, especially in quarantined and locked down areas.

- Completely clear away makeshift markets and spontaneous business establishments in the districts and towns.

- Direct local authorities and grassroots task forces, community COVID teams to strengthen monitoring of mobility and people returning from other provinces and cities. The COVID teams shall send daily reports, using the form prescribed by the Department of Health, to local governments of communes, wards, towns; strictly control and supervise people returning from provinces and cities.

- Organize inspection and take drastic actions against anti-pandemic violations; strictly handle and order closure of service establishments that violate regulations on pandemic prevention and control.

- Establish and organize centralized quarantine areas in the area, assign responsibilities for each division, conduct trial operation to immediately learn from experience, avoid errors during operation when the situations actually arise.

- Direct health facilities in the area to review, take samples for testing, closely manage the list of people with suspected symptoms of SARs-CoV-2 i.e.  cough, fever, difficulty breathing, etc. when going to pharmaceutical business establishments or health facilities and taking measures to promptly handle arising situations.

- Pay attention to the pandemic task forces at the grassroots, arrange personnel appropriately in arising situations, ensuring long-term combat strength when the pandemic develops in a complicated way.

4. The Provincial Department of Health shall:

- Organize epidemiological investigation, sample testing in the shortest time to promptly localize and suppress the spread of pandemic.

- Direct, perform triage, ensure the pandemic safety protocols to be absolutely followed by health facilities in the City.

- Fully arrange medical equipment for testing, ready to conduct testing on a large scale; develop a plan to increase testing capacity where necessary.

- On the basis of plans for pandemic prevention and control at different levels; urgently promulgate a staffing plan, better care for health workers, frontline forces in pandemic prevention and control, preserve the medical staff, and doctors who are treating COVID-19 patients to have fighting strength in the long-term pandemic.  Regularly organize testing for health workers and related forces to assess the possibility of infection.

- Hold training and guide the health forces of districts, towns to work out and roll out plans for vaccination against COVID-19 in the city according to extents of the pandemic situation.

5. The Department of Transport shall direct and inspect public passenger transport units, transport and delivery service providers; direct the inter-provincial transportation of people and goods; arrange and arrange transport routes from the provinces via national highways, not stopping in the city.

Direct providers of online delivery services to strictly the pandemic safety protocols, screen and manage delivery people, request delivery people to strictly the pandemic safety protocols during delivery.

6. The Department of Industry and Trade shall direct the transportation and supply of goods to wholesale markets, shopping malls, supermarkets, and local markets, ensuring adequate supplies of essential goods; direct, guide and supervise the arrangement of essential stalls in wholesale markets, shopping centers, supermarkets and local markets to ensure pandemic safety protocols; arrange intermediate areas for transporting goods, ensure distance and limit direct contact; direct the Market Management Board to work out specific plans to manage the number of people entering and leaving markets at a time; arrange intermediate areas for transporting goods, etc. and other pandemic safety protocols.

Coordinate with the People's Committees of districts, towns in inspecting the supply of goods, ensuring the essential needs of the people; strictly handle violations and request the closure of business establishments that do not meet pandemic prevention and control requirements.

Direct the Hanoi Power Corporation to ensure power for pandemic prevention and control, production and business activities and consumption needs of the people in the area.

7. The City Police shall continue to direct the Police of districts, towns, wards, communes, townships and task forces at the grassroots to intensify strict actions against individuals and organizations that do not comply with the City's anti-pandemic measures, fail to fill in health declarations, make dishonest health declarations, evade, oppose, or do not strictly observe quarantine measures.

The on-duty forces at 22 checkpoints across the city should work around the clock, inspect every person and vehicle coming into the City; specific tasks shall be assigned to every task force member, the commander, coordinators and performers must be clearly appointed; arrange enough forces and divide the groups on rotational duty. The superiors regularly communicate and coordinate to promptly handle difficulties and problems; inspect, urge, remind, tighten discipline, minimize the number of new infections entering the city.

Quarantine forces at Noi Bai International Airport must regularly review and inspect operations to tighten discipline; inspect, urge, remind, maintain discipline, minimize the import of disease threats into the City.

8. The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development shall direct the maintenance of agricultural production, livestock and poultry raising, and aquaculture; coordinate with the Department of Industry and Trade to ensure the supply of food and goods to the distribution system to ensure the essential needs of the people in the area.

9. Hanoi Market Management Department shall strengthen market inspection and control; promptly detect and strictly handle violations to prevent speculation and inflate prices for goods for pandemic prevention and control and essential goods for the people.

10. The Department of Information and Communications shall take charge and coordinate with the Department of Health, act as the focal point and direct the City's press agencies to coordinate with the central press agencies to promptly, fully and publicly provide information, be transparent about pandemic evolution, regularly update information and propagate in the media, the direction and management of the city so that localities and people can promptly grasp instructions and avoid causing bewilderment in public opinions; severely sanction individuals and organizations that make untruthful statements and information in cyberspace.

11. Departments, agencies, boards of the People's Committees of districts, towns, heads of units in the city shall actively innovate and improve working methods, ensure a safe environment and take measures according to the situation, evolution of the pandemic: Increase use of IT applications, minimize face-to-face meetings, hold meetings only when distance requirements are met, increase online activities in directing, operating and working, administrative procedures; minimize travel out of the city, every business trips out of the city must be reported to the heads of agencies and units. State agencies and units need to suspend unnecessary inspection missions; where necessary, the inspection and examination must limit the number of participants; suspend the reception of citizens in person at the headquarters of the agencies or units.

Officials, public employees, and workers of agencies in the city must be exemplary and take the lead in following pandemic safety protocols in the city, only go to work and go out if necessary. Limit contact with people outside the family.

12. The Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs shall take charge and coordinate with concerned agencies in, immediately implementing support measures according to Resolution No. 68/NQ-CP on certain policies to support workers and employers facing difficulties due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, contributing to the recovery of production and business, minimizing negative impacts of the pandemic, stabilizing production and business, ensuring living conditions and safety for workers.

13. Request the Vietnam Fatherland Front in Hanoi city and the city's socio-political mass organizations to strengthen coordination with authorities at all levels, to mobilize the people to voluntarily comply with the pandemic safety protocols; continue to mobilize organizations, businesses and people to support resources for the pandemic prevention and control.

The Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union in Hanoi shall continue to direct and promote the active and volunteering role of young people in supporting the authorities at all levels and the people in implementing measures to prevent and control the pandemic.

14. Request the city’s citizens to continue to support the city's pandemic prevention and control measures; every citizen should be a soldier in pandemic prevention and control; continue to join together with singleness of mind to continue to control and contain the pandemic.  In the short term, strictly implement measures to avoid mass gatherings; only leave the house when necessary; take preventive measures for yourself and the community when going out.  The city has directed to prepare enough food and necessities in all situations; the initiatives at the grassroots level and the consensus of the people will determine the success of the city's pandemic prevention and control.

15. Along with drastic measures to combat the pandemic, all levels and sectors need to drastically focus on specific and effective solutions to promptly resolve difficulties for production and business, ensure the social security of the city.

Request agencies, units, and people to strictly implement the contents of this Official Telegram./.

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