ANNOUNCEMENT

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

In the afternoon of October 19, 2020, the Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc chaired an online Standing Government meeting about COVID-19 prevention and control. The meeting were attended by Deputy Prime Ministers: Vu Duc Dam, Trinh Dinh Dung, Acting Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long, Deputy Minister of National Defense Tran Don, Chairman of the Committee for Culture, Education, Youth, Adolescents and Children of the National Assembly Phan Thanh Binh, Deputy Chief of Central Office Nguyen Dac Vinh, members of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 prevention and control; representatives of the People's Committees of cities including Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh and Can Tho.

After hearing the report of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 prevention and control and opinions of the Prime Ministers and attending delegates, the Prime Minister expressed the following opinions:

1. The Prime Minister of Vietnam praised and highly appreciated the efforts of ministries, central authorities and local authorities, especially the health authorities, the army, the police and relevant agencies and units, which have well controlled COVID-19. Vietnam has recorded no new COVID-19 cases in the community for nearly 50 days.

2. The risk of Covid-19 outbreak is still always present, especially when the winter is coming, the Covid-19 epidemic in many countries is breaking out again. The Prime Minister of Vietnam requests central authorities, authorities at all levels as well as all the people to avoid complacency in all cases. They must strictly and responsibly implement anti-covid measures and be determined to prevent Covid-19 from spreading and breaking out again in Vietnam, especially in schools, hospitals, major urban areas, etc., continue to strictly control entrants into Vietnam, effectively implement dual goals.

3. The Prime Minister requests ministries, central and local authorities to focus on effective implementation of the following measures:

a) Continue to direct the full implementation of anti-covid measures in the new situation according to the guidance of the Ministry of Health, well implement 5K rule, first of all, wear masks and disinfect hands; strictly handle cases of violations against regulations on Covid-19 prevention and control.

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c) Continue to strictly control immigration at border checkpoints, promptly prevent and strictly handle illegal entry, cases of organizing illegal entry, accommodation establishments, hotels receiving illegal entrants, enterprises receiving workers who are illegal entrants.

d) Request entrants into Vietnam for a short-time to limit participation and use of karaoke services, bars, and dance venues.

dd) Ministry of Health:

- Regularly inspect and supervise performance of Covid-19 prevention and control tasks in hospitals and health facilities; complete and publish procedures for Covid-19 prevention and control for entry into Vietnam;

- Propose models for managing entrants and ensuring medical flexibility and safety. Have periodic Covid-19 supervision mechanism through testing for employees at border checkpoints, customs areas, airport areas who have contact with foreigners entering Vietnam.

- Continue to expand the coverage of telemedicine; improve the capacity of health staffs at all levels, focus on preventive medicine; complete treatment regimens, cooperate in research and development of vaccines against COVID-19; improve the capacity of rapid testing in accordance with the capacity of extensive testing to serve contact tracing.

- Direct the assurance of sufficient stockpiles of essential medical supplies and devices for Covid-19 prevention and control in local hospitals and centers for disease control.

- Do not neglect other epidemics, avoid occurrences of twin epidemics, especially communicable diseases (such as cholera) that are likely to occur after floods in some areas.

e) Authorities from provincial to commune levels must prepare scenarios for responding to COVID-19 cases in the community, including plans to quickly locate and trace COVID-19 cases when detecting any Covid-19 cases in their areas.

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The People's Committees of provinces and central-affiliated cities shall direct each agency and unit such as hospitals, schools, production facilities, crowded places (such as supermarkets, markets, railway stations, airports, etc.) to have Covid-19 prevention and control plans meeting the requirements and equip by themselves with necessary Covid-19 prevention and control facilities and materials, regularly carry out self-evaluation of safety of such agencies, units and facilities. Hospitals must prepare detailed plans to prevent the epidemic from spreading. Anyone who has cough or fever must be checked promptly.

g) Local authorities shall continue to select pay-to-stay quarantine facilities. The Ministry of National Defense shall continue to prepare concentrated quarantine facilities, fully comply with the epidemic prevention and control guidelines of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 prevention and control and the Ministry of Health.

h) Concerned ministries and agencies shall review and urgently complete the tasks assigned by the Prime Minister such as: Quickly handle procedures for welcoming experts and investors to enter Vietnam; complete the application of information technology for epidemic prevention; set up a multilingual automatic hotline system to guide epidemic prevention and control; make a list of Vietnamese stranded in other countries and a plan to repatriate them; do researches on drugs, vaccines and treatment regimens. Proactively implement and take responsibility for the procurement of biological for epidemic prevention and control in accordance with the conclusions of the Prime Minister.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Transport shall cooperate in preparing clear, unified and convenient procedures in reopening international commercial routes and report them to the Deputy Prime Ministers Pham Binh Minh and Vu Duc Dam for consideration and decision. Not yet open tourism to welcome international tourists.

i) Continue to strongly communicate to raise the sense of vigilance and self-protection against the risk of epidemics among the people. Socio-political organizations and associations must encourage their members and union members to strictly implement epidemic prevention and control measures, avoid overconfidence.

k) The Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs and the Government Office shall urgently complete the resolution of difficulties in provision of support packages for social security and enterprises with simpler and more convenient procedures and submit it to the Prime Minister before opening the National Assembly session.

For your knowledge and compliance./.

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Thông báo 367/TB-VPCP năm 2020 về kết luận của Thủ tướng Chính phủ Nguyễn Xuân Phúc tại cuộc họp Thường trực Chính phủ về phòng, chống dịch COVID-19 do Văn phòng Chính phủ ban hành