A resident in HCM City has a COVID-19 testing sample taken. The city will allow employees with green cards to return to work in State-owned companies' offices in October. Only 50 per cent of staff with green cards, however, will be allowed to return to the office. VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — State-owned companies in HCM City will be allowed to reopen in October with employees who have been granted green cards and with no more than 50 per cent of their staff in the office.

The city plans to increase the number to 100 per cent of the staff with green cards by mid-January next year.

From October 1 to 31, state-owned agencies will arrange for staff with COVID green cards to work in the office, with the remaining staff working from home.

Any state agency that needs a higher number of staff to work in the office must seek approval from the city government. 

All members of the armed forces and staff at state-owned health and medical care facilities involved in frontline forces must continue pandemic prevention and control work. However, employees living in locked-down areas or very high-risk (red zone) areas must continue to work from home.

From November 1 to January 15, two-thirds of the total number of employees with green cards can work in state offices. After January 15, all employees with green cards will be able to work directly in offices. 

Phan Văn Mãi, chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee, said that State agencies must follow pandemic prevention measures according to the guidelines of the Health Ministry, as well as criteria for pandemic prevention in the workplace. 

The management board of the HCM City Export Processing Zones and Industrial Parks Authority on Monday piloted a programme to allow enterprises to resume operation in export processing zones and industrial parks in District 7 and Củ Chi District, considered “safe” districts.

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

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 antibody protection is sufficient.

Once the green cards are issued, the employee will have a QR code on a mobile app called “HCM City Health”. 

As of September 19, the city had administered more than 8.7 million doses. More than 6.7 million people have received the first dose and nearly 2 million people have received two doses. 

The rate of first-shot coverage for adults aged 18 and above has reached nearly 95 per cent, and the fully vaccinated rate more than 20 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 ordered people to “stay where they are” except for emergencies.

The country’s pandemic epicentre has recorded more than 341,000 infections since late April when the fourth wave began. — VNS