ANNOUNCEMENT

CONCLUSION OF THE PRIME MINISTER NGUYEN XUAN PHUC IN THE MEETING OF THE STANDING GOVERNMENT PERTAINING TO COVID-19 CONTROL

On August 27, 2020, the Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc led the meeting of the Standing Government pertaining to COVID-19 control. Attendees also include Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam; Minister, Chairperson of the Office of the Government Mai Tien Dung, Acting Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long, Head of the National Assembly’s Committee for Culture, Education, Adolescents and Children Phan Thanh Binh, Vice representative of the Communist Party of Vietnam’s Central Committee’s Publicity and Education Commission, Committee for Ethnic Affairs; members of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 control; representatives of heads of People’s Committees of Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, Da Nang, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Dak Lak, Quang Tri, Khanh Hoa, Dong Nai, Thanh Hoa, Ha Nam, Thai Binh, Hai Duong, Bac Giang, Lang Son (attending online via meeting halls of People’s Committees of provinces and cities).

Upon listening to report of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Control and remarks of Deputy Prime Ministers and meeting attendees, the Prime Minister directs as follows:

1. In recent times, ministries, central departments, and local governments have coordinated epidemic control via synchronous, appropriate, and timely measures (such as mandatory facemasks, localization and isolation, large-scale tracking and testing, taking of actions against violations, etc.), and especially social distancing on a suitable scale. So far, we have successfully controlled the epidemic on a nationwide scale and the results show nothing short of greatness, tremendous efforts, and responsibilities of governments of all levels and the general public, especially those in Da Nang City, Quang Nam Province, Hai Duong Province, Dak Lak Province, Hanoi City, Ho Chi Minh City, and provinces with confirmed cases in their community. In the past epidemic, the health sector has created frontline forces and assigned health workers to assist in controlling the epidemic in Da Nang City and other provinces and cities. The Prime Minister praises and appreciates efforts of health workers, officials, officers, and especially those working on the frontline to successfully control the epidemic.

2. During epidemic control, duo-goals were essentially properly implemented in order to promote public investment, import, export, agriculture production, and industrial manufacturing and to prevent disruption to socio-economic activities. In the time to come, ministries, central departments, and local governments shall promote the implementation of major policies in order to execute duo-goals, stay ready for epidemic control, prevent inaction in mindset and practical actions, and boost socio-economic development. Chairpersons of People’s Committees of provinces and central-affiliated cities must fully and adequately exercise their powers while flexibly and actively making decisions on issues that arise during the execution of duo-goals in their provinces and cities.

3. For the foreseeable future, the risk of the epidemic still looms and there will still confirmed cases in the community. Central departments and governments of all levels must stay on guard, not downplay the epidemic, be ready for controlling the epidemic in an extended period of time, and slowly form appropriate lifestyle and behavior in time of epidemic. In which:

- Continue to adopt basic epidemic control measures during the “new normal” such as: wearing facemasks when going outdoors, in public places, on public transport, washing hands regularly using soap or sanitizer, not gathering outside of offices, schools, or hospitals, and maintaining safety distance. Chairpersons of People’s Committees of provinces and central-affiliated cities shall promulgate and improve regulations on actions against violations in epidemic control.

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- When a confirmed case is found, all epidemic control procedures must be initiated at once in order to localize, quarantine, and prevent the epidemic from spreading to the community. At the same time, solutions for maintaining and promoting business activities must be devised.

4. Chairpersons of People’s Committees of provinces and central-affiliated cities shall fully exercise their responsibilities, powers, stay vigilant, and be more decisive and flexible when applying epidemic control measures in their provinces instead of waiting for or depending on decisions on central government authorities. Continue to emphasize the role and responsibility of the leaders, utilize the role of health sector in determining and deciding on epidemic control solutions to sufficiently respond to epidemic risk level. Do not temporarily or permanently suspend operation of manufacturing facilities, business facilities, and service venues unnecessarily; minimize negative impacts of epidemic control measures on socio-economic activities and people’s lives.

5. People’s Committees of provinces and central-affiliated cities, especially those of border provinces shall cooperate with Ministry of National Defense in closely monitoring immigration activities in border areas; preventing illegal entry.

Ministry of Public Security shall investigate and press charge against cases of illegal entry, individuals, organizations, and accommodations sheltering or facilitating illegal entry into Vietnam.

6. The Ministry of Health is requested to:

- Update, finalize, and promulgate safety guidelines for use in hospitals, schools, workplace, public transport, etc. while keeping the guidelines concise and comprehensive in order to facilitate implementation by governments of all levels and the general public.

- Continue to strictly implement epidemic control in medical establishments; set up passages and treatment levels starting from patient reception, prevent infection, improve bacterial contamination control in hospitals; test and detect all suspected cases among patients, patients’ family members, especially those with coughing or fever in the community.

- Speed up vaccine and drug research progress and increase international cooperation, especially with countries that came up with original vaccine research results. Invest in epidemiology, individual, and herd immunity research. Improve COVID-19 genetic research capacity in order to facilitate infection prevention and drug research. Pay close attention to and research reinfection cases and human immunity.

7. Communication and information affairs must be implemented better in order to keep the general public informed about the epidemic without being anxious. Prioritize basic information on epidemic prevention, solutions for boosting nutrition, lessons pertaining to detecting infection clusters, localization and elimination of infection, and treatment; basic knowledge on preventive healthcare. Strongly recommend Bluezone application for the purpose of tracking suspected COVID-19 cases.

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8. Assign Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh to cooperate with Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Transport, etc. in:

a) organizing and coordinating returning flights for Vietnamese nationals to return to Vietnam and enable experts, investors, highly skilled workers to enter Vietnam. Each flight must be subject to a specific epidemic control solution and an appropriate isolation solution for every inbound passenger.

b) reviewing, simplifying administrative procedures, ensuring convenience and integrity, reducing unnecessary stages, minimizing procedures processing time (including papers related to flights and illness verification documents, etc.)

c) promulgating procedures for medical inspection and examination that create favorable conditions and ensure epidemic control for entry cases for short-term visit (less than 14 days) before August 31, 2020.

9. Concur with proposition of the Ministry of Planning and Investment pertaining to policy in which high-ranking personnel of Korean enterprises (according to the list proposed by the Korea Consulate) is granted entry for short-term business trips in Vietnam and granting entry into Vietnam for other investors if necessary.

10. The Ministry of Transport shall take charge and cooperate with Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Labor - War Invalids and Social Affairs in immediately dealing with reopening of commercial airways between Vietnam and Japan, Korea, countries with high level of safety, etc., report to the Prime Minister before August 31, 2020; first and foremost, coordinate flights taking Vietnamese guest workers to work in Japan and Korea.

11. Request local governments to prepare quarantine facilities that are up to the needs of inbound passengers regardless of nationality:

Expand the implementation of paid quarantine facilities. Hereby assign Ministry of Public Security, local governments, and health sector to closely monitor quarantine at accommodations and compliance with epidemic control.

Hereby assign Ministry of Finance to take charge and cooperate with Ministry of Health in providing immediate guidelines on: Charging all inbound passengers for entering Vietnam through provinces with quarantine facilities from September 1, 2020. Medical examination and treatment costs shall still be covered by the state budget in accordance with Clause 2 Article 48 of the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases.

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13. Ministry of Education and Training shall coordinate the rest of the high school final exam while ensuring safety for the exam.

14. Hereby assign the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Control to immediately deal with difficulties in procuring medical equipment and apparatus for the purpose of epidemic control and prevention; research and request the Prime Minister to reopen international commercial flights to areas with high level of safety for the time being.

During this time, the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Control must thoroughly grasp the “duo-goals” of the Government in order to prevent both infection spread and disruption of economic activities.

15. Ministry of Finance requested the Government at the regular Government meeting in August of 2020 to resolve 2.000 Eliciae MV20 ventilators and tax policies imposed on humanitarian goods.

16. The Ministry of Health shall request the Prime Minister to review and promulgate Directive of the Prime Minister pertaining to epidemic prevention and control and socio-economic development in the new normal, then report to the Prime Minister about distribution, management, use, and finalization of expenditure on COVID-19 prevention and control in order to finalize all expenses as per the law.

For your implementation./.

MINISTER, DIRECTOR




Mai Tien Dung

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