A person receives a COVID-19 vaccine shot in HCM City in July. The city plans to issue green cards to people who have been vaccinated or are immune after recovering from the disease to enable them to take part in public activities.  — VNA Photo Hồng Giang

HCM CITY — HCM City is set to implement a ‘COVID-19 green card’ system that will allow partly and fully vaccinated people to undertake certain activities like shopping and working in offices.

It has announced COVID-19 preventive measures for places such as traditional markets, wholesale markets, manufacturing facilities, and service businesses as it prepares to gradually reopen while ensuring safety.

The measures include issuing green cards to people who have developed antibodies against COVID due to being vaccinated or contracting the disease and recovering.

People who have received both shots or have fully recovered from the virus will get the card provided they also test negative for the virus and have not come into contact with a patient for at least two weeks.

A ‘COVID-19 green card for limited activity range’ will be issued to those who have got one shot. 

At traditional markets, both vendors and customers have to have green cards, while management staff and workers who do not frequently come into contact with customers have to at least have the limited card.

The markets have to ensure social distancing between people, manage the flow of people and keep out those with symptoms such as fever, cough and shortness of breath.

They need to install equipment necessary for identifying green cards, scanning QR codes and collecting online health declarations.

Supermarkets and other retailers have similar requirements for customers and staff.

At wholesale markets, customers only need the limited cards, but vendors and workers coming into contact with people need the full green card.

The latter have been instructed to encourage non-cash transactions and use technologies to reduce onsite staff numbers.

Production facilities have to ensure safety measures are in place, and all employees need to be vaccinated at least once. 

People returning to work after a long gap need to furnish negative COVID-19 test results.

Employers need to have workers tested every three days if considered high risk and every seven days otherwise.

Workplaces have to ensure adequate distancing between staff and set up barriers or have workers wearing face shields if space is limited.

Food and accommodation also have to strictly conform to preventive measures.

Staff at service businesses who work directly with customers need green cards as do people who want to use sports facilities and gyms. 

At government offices, workers need green cards while visitors only need to furnish negative test results. 

Supermarkets, malls and food and beverage shops who want to open need to fully meet safety criteria.

All their staff must have green cards and furnish negative test results when they resume work, while drivers and delivery men need both.

Supermarkets and malls must ensure a two-metre gap between staff and customers and that entrances and exits are one-way, and set up check-points, temperature screening and hand sanitisation machines and QR code scanners at all entrances.

They need to have emergency response teams standing by.

Staffs and customers must make electronic health declarations, have their temperatures checked, wear masks, and wash their hands.

Food and beverage businesses must set up a separate takeout place, and ensure social distancing between delivery people who come to pick up stuff.

Constructions

Construction works for pandemic control, key national and city projects and national defense projects in progress are among those that can resume in green zones if their workers have green cards, comply with the 5K safety requirements and are regularly tested.

The list also includes construction works to serve industrial production, transportation and agriculture and facilities and technical infrastructure in suburban areas.

Works that were 80 per cent complete before the lockdown and those in industrial parks and clusters, export processing zones and high-tech zones, and repair and renovation of factories are also allowed to go ahead.

However, no work is allowed yet in yellow (risk), orange (high risk) and red (extremely high risk) zones unless they are meant for pandemic control.

On August 17 the city administration approved some urgent works like the metro line No 1, Thủ Thiêm 2 Bridge and flyover at the new Miền Đông (Eastern) Bus Station in Thủ Đức City and the underpass at the Nguyễn Văn Linh - Nguyễn Hữu Thọ intersection in District 7 to continue. — VNS