Notice 118/TB-VPCP in 2020 conclusion of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the Government Standing meeting on COVID-19 prevention and control issued by the Government Office

NOTICE

CONCLUSION OF PRIME MINISTER NGUYEN XUAN PHUC AT THE GOVERNMENT’S MEETING ON PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF COVID-19

On March 20, 2020, the Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc chaired the Government’s meeting on prevention and control of Covid-19, which was attended by Deputy Prime Ministers Truong Hoa Binh, Vu Duc Dam, Trinh Dinh Dung, Minister cum Chairperson of the Office of the Government Mai Tien Dung, the Minister of Information And Communications Nguyen Manh Hung, representatives of Central Propaganda Committee, the National Assembly’s Committee for Culture, Education, Youth and Children, representatives of the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Labor, War Invalid and Social Affairs and members of the National Steering Committee for Prevention and Control of Covid-19 (hereinafter referred to as “National Steering Committee”) and senior officials of the People’s Committee of Hanoi, and has given the following directives:

1. The PM appreciates that the Secretary General’s and the President’s recognition of the effort of the Communist Party, the people, including the authorities, the Government, the PM, National Steering Committee, health workers and the armed forces, in successful prevention and control of Covid-19. This is the success of Vietnam’s excellent political system and culture, which reflects the concerns of the Communist Party and the State about the people’s health and life.

2. The PM concurs with positive remarks on the Covid-19 prevention and control efforts in the reports of National Steering Committee, Government Office, ministries and Deputy PMs. This is by far a very positive outcome. However, there are still weaknesses in the epidemic prevention and control tasks which may lead to an outbreak and need to be eliminated. Avoid complacency and maintain a high level of alert. Always be prepared for any situation. Prepare specific plans and worst-case scenario.

3. We have entered a new stage of Covid-19 prevention and control which demands higher determination, collaboration and responsibility of the political system, with even more drastic measures.

The PM hereby requests the authorities, the people, socio-political organizations to encourage each and every organization, community, family and person to change their habits to adapt to the epidemic situation, such as increasing online transactions, avoiding gathering crowds, wearing facemasks in public places and public transportation; avoiding going outside and forming crowds of more than 50 people at parties; temporarily close entertainment facilities such as karaoke and massage services; request religion organizations to encourage home practice and stop holding collective and public rituals.

State authorities should avoid holding suspension of unnecessary meetings and hold more online meetings; speed up administrative reform and increase decentralization.

4. Continue communication of Covid-19 prevention and control tasks through mass media, including social networks, to ensure social stability; focus on information about positive outcomes, good models, cooperation of the people in epidemic prevention and control; provide information about treatment and good and bad developments of  the cases to avoid causing social panic; increase provision of information about prevention of Covid-19; avoid publishing of information that may cause pessimism, fear or discrimination against people with confirmed or suspected infection of Covid-19. Cooperate with universities and research institutes in provision of scientific information for communities.

5. Authorities and local governments shall take all necessary measures prevent and minimize community transmission of the disease and focus on performance of the following tasks:

a) Suspend entry of all foreigners into Vietnam from 12 a.m. of March 2020. The Ministry of National Defense or the Ministry of Public Security shall take charge and cooperate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Health and relevant authority in granting visas for entry of foreigners for diplomatic or official purposes and in special situations (foreigners participating in or serving important diplomatic activities; experts, enterprise managers, highly skilled workers, etc.), enforce mandatory health declaration in a separate area and home quarantine as per regulations. Diplomatic missions in Vietnam shall make commitment to maintain health monitoring of their citizens during their stay in Vietnam.

Pandemic-related entry of people of Vietnamese origin and their families holding visa exemption certificates shall be suspended from 12 a.m. March 22, 2020. The Ministry of Health shall implement this.

Competent authorities shall maintain strict control of inbound travelers by sea, waterway, road and air.

b) Maintain restriction and long interval of inbound flights, including those of foreign airlines (to avoid overloading quarantine facilities). The Ministry of Transport shall request the aviation industry to immediately implement this and facilitate outbound flights carrying foreigners from Vietnam.

c) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall request Vietnam’s diplomatic missions to recommend overseas Vietnamese nationals (students, workers, residents, etc.) to avoid returning to Vietnam and implement epidemic prevention and control measures in the host countries. People who need to return to Vietnam shall register with the diplomatic mission, which will cooperate with the Ministry of Transport in requesting airliners to organize commercial flights, accept the flight arrangement and strictly comply with regulations on health declaration and quarantine.

Vietnamese people holding diplomatic or official passports shall comply with applicable regulations on quarantine and health declaration at the border checkpoint when returning to Vietnam, and accept to be put in mandatory quarantine.

d) All inbound travelers shall be quarantined at quarantine facilities, except entry of foreigners for diplomatic or official purposes, Vietnamese holders of diplomatic or official passports returning to Vietnam, and in other special cases specified in paragraph 5.a of this document. Any person who avoids quarantine, health declaration or assist in avoidance of quarantine shall be severely punished.

The Ministry of National Defense shall continue management and coordination of quarantine facilities. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the People’s Committees of province shall keep preparing quarantine facilities and hand them over to the Ministry of National Defense for organization and coordination of quarantine therein. Before March 25, 2020, the People’s Committee of Hanoi shall prepare additional facilities capable of quarantining 20.000 people. These facilities should be located near airports and away from populated areas. Other provinces shall prepare their own plans for organization of quarantine facilities.

Foreigners who are experts, enterprise managers, highly skilled workers, etc. having the certificate indicating a negative test result for Covid-19 issued by their home countries and accepted by Vietnam may be granted entry and shall be put in home quarantine with all necessary measures taken for epidemic prevention and control. The Ministry of Public Security shall request relevant units to issue or renew visas in these cases (including people who cannot return to their home countries due to the pandemic and thus have to stay and work in Vietnam). The Ministry of Labor, War Invalid and Social Affairs shall promptly grant work permits to these people.

The People’s Committees of relevant provinces and health authorities shall closely monitor these people while they are working in Vietnam.

dd) Local authorities and police shall be watchful of the risks in the community, especially people who enter Vietnam within the last 14 days, to quickly identify infect sources and suspected cases and take timely actions.

e) The National Steering Committee and the Ministry of Health shall keep reviewing and updating the scenarios; prepare adequate personnel, vehicles, equipment and supplies for prevention and control of infection and treatment of patients; submit a report to the PM before March 25, 2020; have a plan for mobilizing physicians, nurses and health workers, including retired ones, and medical students to participate in epidemic prevention and control; keep improving testing capacity and standardization of testing laboratories and testing processes.

National Steering Committee and the Ministry of Health shall prepare a plan for collection of quarantine fees and submit it to the PM at the next meeting.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade shall preside over the manufacture of facemasks to meet domestic demand and export part of the production under the Government’s Resolution No. 20/NQ-CP dated February 28, 2020; cooperate with other authorities and local governments in resolving difficulties in business operation.

g) Continue seeking international cooperation in epidemic prevention and control. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Health shall consider and propose purchase and provision of facemasks as emergency aid for countries in need with the PM’s consent.

6. Regarding proposals of the National Steering Committee:

a) The Ministry of National Defense may purchase 10 mobile testing vehicles as proposed by the National Steering Committee.

b) Ministries, especially the Ministry of Health and members of the National Steering Committee, shall be responsible for timely resolution of the issues that arise. Deputy PM cum Chief of the National Steering Committee Vu Duc Dam shall decide specific and practical epidemic prevention and control solutions and promptly report major issues to the PM for decision. National Steering Committee shall provide benefits for health workers, servicemen and servicewomen performing quarantine tasks as soon as possible.

Ministries, authorities, National Steering Committee, the People’s Committees of provinces shall implement this document./.

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