Workers at the seafood processing area of APT company in HCM City. The HCM City Export Processing Zones and Industrial Parks Authority has approved a pilot programme to allow enterprises in EZs and IPs in District 7 and Củ Chi District, where the outbreak is under control, to resume operation. VNA/VNS Photo Xuân Anh

HCM CITY — The Management Board of HCM City Export Processing Zones and Industrial Parks Authority (HEPZA) has approved a pilot programme to allow enterprises in export processing zones and industrial parks in District 7 and Củ Chi District, considered ‘safe’ districts, to resume operation beginning Monday.

Enterprises must ensure pandemic prevention measures according to the guidelines of the Health Ministry, as well as meet the set of criteria for safe production. The number of employees must not exceed 50 per cent of the enterprises’ total number.

Enterprises must ensure that only employees granted Covid “green cards” are allowed to work. The employees must reside in areas classified as green zones as announced by agencies. Safe green zones are those with no COVID cases detected within seven days. Employees must also show a negative test result before resuming work.

Customers or partners who directly transact with businesses must also have a COVID green card. Otherwise, they will need to have a negative test result within the previous 72 hours from a medical facility. 

Every five days, enterprises must organise testing for workers and send the results to health centres in the districts where the export processing zones and industrial parks are located.

COVID green, yellow cards

According to Hepza, a COVID green card will be issued to individuals who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with a vaccine licensed by the Ministry of Health. The employee must have had the second dose at least 14 days prior to resuming work. 

A green card will also be issued to people who have recovered from a COVID-19 infection certified by a medical authority. If they were in home quarantine, they must take an antibody test as prescribed by the health sector to determine if their level of protection is sufficient.

The yellow card will be issued to individuals who have received at least one dose (of a vaccine that requires two doses) from a vaccine licensed by the Ministry of Health. They must have had the shot at least 14 days before resuming work.

They must also show negative test results certified by the Department of Health and updated into the electronic database system for yellow card issuance and renewal.

According to Hepza, enterprises whose employees are issued yellow cards must continue to implement the “3 on-site” model. Launched a few months ago, the “model, which involves eating, sleeping and working without leaving the site, aims to keep production going while ensuring that prevention measures are met.

Hepza said that enterprises should arrange production locations exclusively for employees with green cards and yellow cards to ensure safety. Enterprises should arrange separate dining and resting areas for workers in green and yellow production areas.

Based on the enterprises’ registered list of employees, Hepza will issue either a green or yellow card to employees. Once the cards are issued, the employee will have a QR code on a mobile app called “HCM City Health”. 

For those who do not use a smartphone, enterprises will need to print the QR code on the electronic medical declaration page for their employees.

A number of businesses have had to close temporarily due to the impact of lockdown measures, seriously disrupting supply chains, while others have reported labour shortages and limited production capability, causing output to drop dramatically.

Speaking at a recent meeting with economic and medical experts, Nguyễn Văn Nên, secretary of the city Party Committee, said the city was under huge pressure to reopen the economy and that the city would develop a roadmap for reopening so that it can adapt to and live safely with the virus.

The rate of first-shot coverage in the city has reached more than 93 per cent. The city has set a target to vaccinate all adults aged 18 and above by the end of the year.

The city has imposed various levels of social distancing restrictions since late May. On August 23, the city was placed under the toughest measures, ordering people to “stay where they are” except for emergencies.

HCM City has recorded more than 336,000 cases since late April when the fourth wave began. — VNS