Illustrating picture: Truc Bach Street at the time of isolation. Photo by hanoimoi.com.vn
The Prime Minister has just issued the Directive No. 16/CT-TTg on the implementation of urgent measures to prevent and combat COVID-19 epidemic. Accordingly, the implementation of social isolation within 15 days from 0:00 on April 1, 2020, on a national scale following the principle of family-family, village-village, commune-commune, district-district and province-province isolation; a safe distance maintained at workshops and factories, together with mask wearing and regular disinfection according to regulations.
The Directive specifies as follows:
The COVID-19 epidemic broke out globally and affected over 72,000 people, nearly 3.5 million died in more than 200 countries and territories, and there was no sign of stopping. In Vietnam, the number of cases is increasing rapidly day by day, and there is a high risk of infection in the community. It is predicted that the epidemic will spread rapidly on a large scale, seriously threatening human life, human health and socio-economic of the country.
Following the call of the General Secretary and the President Nguyen Phu Trong, with the spirit of attaching great importance to human health and life above all, to continue to proactively prevent and control the epidemics, the Prime Minister requested ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-attached agencies, People’s Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities to concentrate on implementing the proposed epidemic prevention measures, especially the Directive No. 15/CT-TTg dated March 27, 2020, comply with the instructions of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 prevention and control, and effectively implement the following urgent measures:
Implement social isolation within 15 days from 00:00, April 1, 2020, on a national scale according to the principle of family-family, village-village, commune-commune, district-district, and province-province isolation, a safe distance maintained at workshops and factories together with mask wearing and regular disinfection according to regulations.
Request people to stay home and go out in case of necessity only such as buying foods, medicine, emergency, working at essential product factories, manufacturing facilities, business and service establishments which are not closed, shut down and other emergencies; strictly observe the minimum distance of 2m when communicating; not gather in groups of more than 2 people outside the workplaces, schools, hospitals and public places.
The Prime Minister asked the entire population to voluntarily abide by the requirements and measures of pandemic prevention and control, actively participate in the voluntary medical declaration, fully implement measures to protect themselves and their families and participate responsibly in the prevention and control activities of functional agencies and the community; and the heads of enterprises, production and trading and service establishments to be responsible for applying epidemic prevention and control measures at their establishments, ensuring the health and safety for laborers.
The Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Public Security, and the People’s Committees of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City must be speedy, determined and muster all resources and use all measures to thoroughly handle “outbreaks” at Bach Mai Hospital (Hanoi) and Buddha Bar (Ho Chi Minh City); enlist every hour and every minute to trace and apply appropriate measures to all cases at risk, contact patients and passersby at the “outbreaks”; continue to urge people going back and forth through these “outbreaks” to do medical reports and contact for testing requests.
Request the Ministry of Public Security to coordinate with the Health Sector to make a list of people involved in the activities of the Truong Sinh Company who are at risk of infection to monitor health, supervise, quarantine and promptly handle thoroughly source of the disease.
Relevant People’s Committees of provinces and cities closely coordinate with Ministries and 2 Cities to perform this task well. Carry out family isolation, medical declaration to classify, test and concentrated isolate if necessary for those who have been to Bach Mai Hospital since March 12, 2020; assign grassroots administrations to organize close supervision at each family.
The Ministry of Public Security and the provincial People’s Committee continues to urgently carry out medical review and examination, update the health status of people who have entered from March 8, 2020, but have not applied isolation; make a list of people who have directly interacted and closely interacted to classify, apply appropriate isolation measures (concentrated isolation, at home, accommodation establishments).
State agencies and units shall arrange for officials, public servants and public employees to use information technology to work at home; only those cases where it is absolutely necessary such as combating duty, duty of the agency, supplying essential goods and services, processing confidential documents and other necessary tasks as required to work at the office; strengthen online meeting organization. The head is responsible for the infection of officials and employees because of not strictly observing the regulations of prevention and control of epidemics at the workplace.
The Ministry of Transport and People’s Committees of provinces and cities direct basically to stop public transport activities; minimize the movement from localities to others; stop moving from epidemic areas to other localities, except for special cases due to official duties and cases of supplying food, foodstuffs, essential goods, shuttle buses for workers and experts of businesses, transporting production materials.
The Ministry of Health shall direct hospitals to implement strict procedures and management, avoid cross-infection in hospitals; strictly control, require mandatory medical declaration for patients, family members, and caregivers, with only one caregiver per patient; stop visiting patients at health facilities; apply strict rules on admitting patients, not allowing an infected individual to affect the operation of the entire hospital.
Propose specific mechanisms, policies to support domestic enterprises in manufacturing medical equipment, instruments, especially ventilators, patient monitors, infusion machines, dialysis machines; Report to the Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung.
Report to the Prime Minister options, scenarios and emergency responses for epidemic emergencies in the afternoon of March 31, 2020.
Organize and arrange continuing medical examinations and treatments at Bach Mai Hospital (Hanoi), ensuring safety for doctors, health workers, and people according to the request of the Steering Committee and the Ministry of Health.
Consider and handle proposals of the Hanoi People’s Committee, support and create conditions for Hanoi to control epidemics.
The Ministry of Health synthesizes and periodically publishes twice a day positive test results in localities, ensuring accuracy.
Ensure essential goods, food and foodstuffs for the people
Temporarily close main and auxiliary border gates for people traveling from 00:00 on April 1, 2020, on the border with Laos and Cambodia; Strictly control the entry through international border gates on road border routes; request all immigrants from Laos and Cambodia to stay in concentrated isolation areas for 14 days.
The Ministry of Defense directs, organizes and expands concentrated isolation establishments, separates new cases of quarantine and isolation and prevents cross-infection; strengthens the management of trails and openings on border routes.
The Ministry of Public Security has strengthened and directed the assurance of security and order to prevent crimes, especially in rural areas.
The Ministry of Finance directs the General Department of Customs to handle difficulties in exporting cloth masks; requires insurance businesses not to introduce and deploy insurance packages related to COVID-19 disease.
The ministries, branches, localities and the press agencies continue promoting information and propaganda in support of the people’s health protection policy, rectify a number of newspaper headlines that confuse and misunderstand. The person who in charge of prevention and control do not make improper announcements raising fears among the people.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade and the People’s Committees of localities pay attention to ensuring essential goods, food and foodstuffs for the people.
Reporter