Thông báo 164/TB-VPCP

NOTICE

CONCLUSION OF THE PRIME MINISTER NGUYEN XUAN PHUC AFTER THE GOVERNMENT MEETING ON COVID-19 CONTROL MEASURES

On April 20 and 22, 2020, the Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc chaired the meetings with the Government on Covid-19 prevention and control, reopening of schools and high school graduation examination plan. The meetings were participated by Deputy Prime Ministers Truong Hoa Binh, Pham Binh Minh, Vu Duc Dam, Trinh Dinh Dung, Minister and Chairperson of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung, the Minister of Information And Communications Nguyen Manh Hung, the Minister of Education and Training Phung Xuan Nha, Chief of Culture, Education, Youth and Children Committee of National Assembly Phan Thanh Binh, Deputy Chief of Office Nguyen Dac Vinh, Deputy Minister of Defense Tran Don, representative of Central Propaganda Committee; the President of the People’s Committee of Hanoi Nguyen Duc Chung, the President of the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City Nguyen Thanh Phong, and members of the National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control (hereinafter referred to as “National Steering Committee”)

After listening to the reports of National Steering Committee, the Government Office, the Deputy PMs and other participants in the meetings, the PM has expressed the following opinions:

1. Recently, the authorities and local governments (especially Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City) have well implemented Covid-19 control measures, especially nationwide quarantine specified in the Prime Minister’s Directive No. 16/CT-TTg .

The PM appreciates the effort of National Steering Committee, Ministries, local governments and the people in serious and uniform implementation of epidemic prevention and control as mandated by the Government and the PM; the cooperation of State Bank of Vietnam, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Transport and enterprises with the Government in the response to Covid-19 pandemic.

Vietnam has successfully restricted community transmission and had the disease under control; the measures for prevention, detection, containment and elimination of infection have been thoroughly implemented and are supported by the people. It has been 6 continuous days without new cases. 223 patients have recovered and there are no deaths.  This demonstrates the increased capacity of response to epidemic at all levels, and that the health sector has significantly developed and is able to provide an effective treatment regimen. This is very positive.

Vietnam has entered a new stage of epidemic control. This stage will last longer, is more fundamental and associated with socio-economic development; ensures that the people are adaptive when Covid-19 is well under control.

However, the epidemic situation is still very unpredictable and with high risk of infection. All authorities, forces and people must stay alert instead of being complacent. Prevent, detect and eliminate infection; protect the people’s health and life. Do not let the pandemic cause severe consequences in such a way that it has done to other countries.

2. In this new stage, we need to keep preventing increase in the number of imported and domestic cases. Quarantine all inbound travelers, infected people and people having high risk of infection. Quarantine methods may be flexible but have to be seriously and strictly implemented. Frequently investigate to detect, isolate and treat infected cases; apply information technology to contact tracing to contain infection; maintain social distancing while facilitating goods circulation, business operation, employment and people’s life.

Temporary stop receiving foreign tourists. Local governments shall decide whether to receive domestic tourists as long as epidemic prevention and control measures are fully implemented as instructed.

Before a vaccine and specific treatment for Covid-19 are available, “adapt” to the pandemic and gradually return to the normal state while the pandemic is yet to be eliminated.

3. Social quarantine needs to be maintained in high-risk provinces; recommend the people to frequently wash hands, wear facemasks and keep a distance from other people in public places, including on public transportation, avoid going outside unless necessary, avoid forming crowds in public places, especially in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City; people who have fever or sickness are recommended to stay at home, avoid going to work or school and public places, and contact a hospital or a physician for consultation.

4. From April 23, 2020, in addition of the measures mentioned in (3), Presidents of the People’s Committees of provinces shall organize epidemic prevention and control measures that correspond to their risk of infection. To be specific:

a) High-risk areas shall keep implementing epidemic prevention and control measures specified in the Prime Minister’s Directive No. 16/CT-TTg .

b) Hanoi city,  Me Linh district, Thuong Tin district of Hanoi, Dong Van district of Ha Giang province, Yen Phong district of Bac Ninh province are high-risk areas.

The Presidents of the People’s Committees of relevant provinces shall identify the high-risk areas in their provinces and strictly implement the epidemic prevention and control measures specified in the Prime Minister’s Directive No. 16/CT-TTg .

c) Other low-risk district may lift certain restrictions and gradually return to normal life.

5. Presidents of the People’s Committees of provinces shall:

a) Facilitate goods circulation and business operation provided epidemic prevention and control measures are fully implemented.

b) Identify the level of risk of each administrative division (districts, communes, hamlets, villages, neighborhoods) in their provinces to implement appropriate measures.

c) Provide instructions on epidemic prevention and control on the basis of the directives of the PM, National Steering Committee, the Ministry of Health and reality.

d) Supervise the implementation of epidemic prevention and control measures at agencies, units, businesses and schools in their provinces.

6. The Ministry of Health shall:

a) Provide specific instructions on epidemic prevention and control; intensify inspection and supervision; provide medical assistance for hospitals, health facilities, industrial zones, apartment buildings and intensive-labor enterprises; make sure they has their own set of rules and regulations on epidemic prevention and control; intensive-labor enterprises, passenger transport enterprises, service enterprises, etc. shall have strict rules and regulations on epidemic prevention and control.

b) Promote the Program for instructing the people to adapt to life under Covid-19.

c) Provide instructions on what to do when infection is detected.

d) Keep researching and evaluating herd immunity level to estimate the risk of infection, immunity and transmission rate as the basis for evaluating the effectiveness of recent intervention and forecast transmission in the future.

7. The PM appreciates that the education sector has fully complied with directives of the Government and the PM regarding their effort to protect teachers and student from Covid-19 infection at school.

- The Ministry of Education and Training and local education authorities shall ensure safety when reopening schools; run education programs in a targeted manner; promote online teaching and teaching through television.  Heads of local governments are responsible for these issues.

- The PM concurs with the plan for organizing this year’s high school graduation examination proposed by the Ministry of Education and Training. Make sure the exam questions are appropriate for the actual learning programs; ensure education quality increase; enhance implementation of information technology to exam invigilation, grading of exam papers and publishing of exam results.

- The People’s Committees of provinces shall preside over the organization of high school graduation exam in their provinces and are responsible for the safety, honesty and quality; intensify supervision and inspection of honesty and safety of the examination, especially by education authorities and police authorities.

- The Ministry of Education and Training shall quickly complete and issue the regulations on high school graduation exam and university admission.

8. National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Control, the Ministry of Information and Communications and the Ministry of Health shall promptly evaluate and decide the application of Bluezone software to Covid-19 prevention and control.

9. The PM agrees that:

a) The Ministry of Health will distribute 250 billion VND of contributions to Covid-19 prevention and control through Central Committee of Vietnamese Fatherland Front and messaging to areas that are seriously affected by the pandemic; ensure transparency and prevent corruption.

b) The Ministry of Health will propose amendments to Resolution No. 20/NQ-CP on licensing export of medical masks amid Covid-19 pandemic to allow export of medical masks after domestic demand is fulfilled (including reserve).

c) A team of 4 people including Deputy Minister of Health, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Minister of Transport and Deputy Minister of National Defense shall organize repatriation flights for Vietnamese nationals that are students under 18 year of age, tourists, patients and business people who have to repatriate, with consideration taken of the pandemic situation in Vietnam and in the world, their need to repatriate, the capacity of quarantine and organization of such flights.

d) Vietnam Airlines shall be in charge of organizing these repatriation flights and sell air tickets to defray the costs.

dd) The Ministry of National Defense shall cooperate with local governments of provinces having road border in controlling and quarantining inbound travelers.

Ministries, authorities and the People’s Committees of provinces are responsible for implementation.