Directive 16/CT-TTg 2020 implementation of urgent measures for prevention and control of Covid-19

• Official number: 16/CT-TTg
• Legislation Type: Directive
• Organization: The Prime Minister of Government
• Signer: Nguyen Xuan Phuc
• Issued Date: 31/03/2020

THE PRIME MINISTER -------	SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM Independence - Freedom - Happiness ---------------
No. 16/CT-TTg	Hanoi, March 31, 2020

DIRECTIVE

IMPLEMENTATION OF URGENT MEASURES FOR PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF COVID-19

Covid-19 pandemic has been spreading globally, infected more than 720.000 people, killed nearly 35.000 people in more than 200 territories with no sign it will end soon. In Vietnam, the number of confirmed cases is increasing everyday and threatening to cause community transmission. It is expected that the disease will spread widely, seriously threatening people’s health and life and causing significant economic loss.

Heeding the General Secretary cum President Nguyen Phu Trong’s call, aiming to protect people’s health and life, prevent and control the epidemic, the Prime Minister hereby requests the Ministries, Ministerial Agencies, Governmental Agencies, The People’s Committees of provinces to fully concentrate on implementation of the epidemic prevention and control measures set out, especially those specified in the Prime Minister’s Directive no. 15/CT-TTg dated March 27, 2020; follow instructions of the National Steering Committee for Prevention and Control of Covid-19; and implement the following urgent measures:

1. Carry out nationwide quarantine for 15 days from 12 am of April 01, 2020 between families, neighborhoods/villages, communes, districts, provinces. Workers in factories shall keep a safety distance, wear facemasks, and sanitize the workplace as prescribed. The people are advised to stay at home and only go outside when strictly necessary such as buying food or medicines, providing emergency treatment, going to work at facilities that are allowed to maintain operation to provides essential goods or services, and in other urgent circumstances; maintain a safety distance of 2 m during communication. Do not form groups of more than 2 people outside office buildings, schools, hospitals and in public places.

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. Heads of enterprises, factories and businesses are responsible for implementation of epidemic prevention and control in their facilities, and protection of their workers’ health and safety.

2. The Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Public Security, the People’s Committees of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City shall concentrate all effort and resources on elimination of the coronavirus clusters at Bach Mai Hospital (Hanoi) and Buddha Bar & Grill (Ho Chi Minh City); find the people who have had contacts with confirmed cases or have visited the clusters; request people who have visited the clusters to make health declaration and contact health authorities for testing. The Ministry of Public Security shall cooperate with health authorities in compiling a list of people who are involved in activities of Truong Sinh Company, who will be monitored, quarantined and treated to eliminate all infection sources.

The People’s Committees of relevant provinces shall cooperate with the Ministries and the People’s Committees of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in fulfillment of these tasks; demand home quarantine and health declaration to classify, test and quarantine people who have visited Bach Mai Hospital from March 12, 2020. Local authorities shall supervise the home quarantine process.

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3. 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. Online meetings are recommended. The heads of these agencies and units shall be responsible for transmission of the disease among their personnel due to failure to comply with regulations on epidemic prevention and control in offices.

4. The Ministry of Transport, the People’s Committees of provinces shall order shutdown of public transportation; restrict movement from one area to another; stop movement from affected areas to other areas except for performance of official tasks, provision of food and essential consumables, transport of workers and specialists of enterprises, transport of raw materials for production.

5. The Ministry of Health shall:

a) 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.

b) Propose specific policies on assistance for domestic manufacturers of medical devices, especially ventilators, patient monitors, infusion pumps, blood filtering systems; submit a report to Deputy PM Trinh Dinh Dung.

c) Submit a report to the PM on the scenarios and plans for response to epidemic emergencies in the afternoon of March 31, 2020.

d) Organize the continued examination and treatment of patients at Bach Mai Hospital (Hanoi) as requested by National Steering Committee and the Ministry of Health, provided health workers, other employees and the people are protected.

dd) Consider and respond to proposals of the People’s Committee of Hanoi; assist Hanoi in epidemic control.

6. The Ministry of Health shall announce new confirmed cases of Covid-19 nationwide twice a day; make sure the results are accurate.

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8. The Ministry of National Defense shall preside over the arrangement and extension of quarantine zones; separate waves of quarantined people to avoid secondary transmission; intensify monitoring of trails and crossings along the borderline.

9. The Ministry of Public Security shall preside over assurance of security and order, especially in rural areas.

10. The Ministry of Finance shall instruct the General Department of Customs to resolve difficulties in export of cloth facemasks; request insurers not to introduce and provide insurance against Covid-19.

11. Ministries, sector management authorities, local governments and press agencies shall enhance communication of policies on protection of the people health; issue warning against the use of headlines that may cause confusion or spread panic. The persons in charge of epidemic prevention and control shall not make announcements that may cause social panic.

12. The Ministry of Industry and Trade and the People’s Committees shall ensure adequate supply of food and essential consumables for the people./.

THE PRIME MINISTER




Nguyen Xuan Phuc