Pursuant to the Prime Minister’s Directive No. 16/CT-TTg dated March 31, 2020 on implementation of urgent measures for prevention and control of COVID-19; In consideration of the characteristics and situation of the city, the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City hereby requests that:

1. Nationwide quarantine shall be strictly maintained in the city for 15 days from 12 am of April 01 as demanded by the Prime Minister.

- The people are advised to stay at home and only go outside when strictly necessary such as buying food or medicines, receiving emergency treatment, going to work at facilities and other cases specified by the Department of Health.

- Establishments that provide essential goods and services shall maintain operation to serve the people in the city.

- Factories may maintain their normal operation as long as the workers therein maintain a safety distance of 2 m, wear facemasks at work; sanitize the workplace, ensure ventilation, and submit a written commitment to implement epidemic prevention and control measures to the People’s Committee of the district where the factory is located. Heads of enterprises, factories, service providers are responsible for implementation of epidemic prevention and control at their premises and protection of their workers’ health.

- Strictly maintain the 2-meter safety distance during transactions and communication. Do not form a group of more than 2 people outside offices, schools, hospitals and in public places. Presidents of the People’s Committees of districts are responsible to the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City for formation of groups of more than 2 people outside offices, schools, hospital and in public places in their districts.

- All people shall implement measures for epidemic prevention and control; make voluntary health declarations; implement necessary measures to protect themselves and their family; responsibly participate in the epidemic prevention and control effort of the authorities and the community.

2. State agencies and unit shall apply information technology to enable officials and public employees to work from home, except for those whose presence at work is strictly necessary such as keeping guard, keeping watch, provision of essential goods and services, processing confidential documents and performance of other necessary tasks.

The number of people working at the office shall be decided by the head, provided it does not exceed 1/3 of the total workers. 100% personnel of the armed forces and health units shall be maintained.

Heads of agencies and units in the city shall organize task assignment to ensure fulfillment of their 2020’s objectives.

Enhance provision of level-3 and level-4 electronic public services. Temporarily stop receiving physical documents from the people and enterprises (except for special cases decided by the head of each agency and unit).

The heads of these agencies and units shall be responsible to the President of the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City for failure to fulfill their duties and for transmission of the disease among their personnel due to failure to comply with regulations on epidemic prevention and control in offices.

3. Department of Transport shall:

- Request bus stations and transport enterprises to shutdown public transportation. Restrict movement from one area to another; stop movement from affected areas to other areas except for performance of official tasks, transport of food and essential consumables, transport of workers and specialists of enterprises, transport of raw materials for production.

- Cooperate with Confederation of Labor of Ho Chi Minh City in providing instruction and supervising transport of workers to and from factories in accordance with recommendations of health authorities.

4. Department of Health shall:

- Provide specific guidance for cases other than those mentioned in (1).

- Cooperate with the Department of Justice in handing out and collecting the commitment to implement epidemic prevention and control measures at enterprises.

- Eliminate the infection cluster at Buddha Bar & Grill; implement appropriate measures to deal with suspected cases and close contacts; encourage people who visited Buddha Bar & Grill to contact health authorities for medical assistance.

- Request hospitals to strictly follow procedures for prevention of secondary transmission in hospitals; make health declaration mandatory to patients, their family and carers; allow only one carer for each patient; stop receiving visitors at the hospitals. Impose strict rules for patient admission. Do not let the operation of the entire hospital be affected by an infected person.

- Promptly purchase medical devices, especially ventilators, patient monitors, infusion pumps, blood filtering systems. Ensure health facilities have adequate medical devices serving treatment of patients.

- Develop scenarios and plans for response to epidemic emergencies; submit a report to the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City for submission to the Government.

5. Department of Information and Communications shall:

- Enhance communication of information among people in the city to raise their awareness and protect their own health.

- Instruct agencies and units to apply information technology to enable officials, public employees and other employees to work from home.

6. Department of Industry and Trade shall:

- Ensure adequate supply of essential consumables and food for the people in every situation; enable online shopping, home delivery and social distancing in supermarkets.

- Provide instructions and specifically determine the types of establishments that provide essential goods and services that can continue operating to serve the people in the city.

7. Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs shall:

- Admit homeless people to social assistance centers to assist in epidemic prevention and control.

- Implement the plan for provision of assistance for people who lose their job due to suspension of lottery companies.

8. Establish an Epidemic Prevention and Control Center within the premises of the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City. Department of Information and Communications shall publish the hotline number and assign officials to operate the hotline 24/24.

9. Police authorities and the People’s Committees of districts shall:

- Keep carrying out health inspections, updating health status of people who enter Vietnam from March 8, 2020 but are not quarantined; compile a list of people who have contact or close contact with these people for screening and applying suitable quarantine methods.

- Ensure social order and security; take actions against acts of disruption of order and security, and violations against the Government’s policies on epidemic prevention and control.

10. Military Command Center of Ho Chi Minh City shall cooperate with Department of Health in arranging and expanding quarantine facilities in the city.

Heads of Departments and agencies, Presidents of the People’s Committees of districts shall organize the implementation, and report the difficulties that arise to the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City./.

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