Traffic in HCM City increased again after the Government's Directive No 16 on strict social distancing measures was lifted nationwide on April 22. — VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Vũ

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc on Saturday issued a new set of guidelines on measures to keep the country clear of COVID-19 while its economy restarts after strict social distancing measures were relaxed.

Directive No 19 is meant to replace Directive No 16, which required people to stay at home unless for justified reasons and all non-essential businesses to close down for three weeks since April 1, but has expired on April 22.

PM Phúc noted that during the implementation of Directive 16, the country has identified and dealt with the local outbreaks and contained the spread of community transmission, while most confirmed patients – 270 as of Saturday morning – had been successfully treated and no deaths had been recorded so far.

However, “the pandemic continues to show complicated developments and the risks of new outbreaks remain at a high level, having adverse impacts on Việt Nam’s socio-economic situation and people’s livelihoods,” the decree reads.

To ensure the effectiveness of pandemic prevention measures while maintaining the growth of the economy, social welfare and all levels of the administration are to act on the motto “fighting the pandemic like fighting against the enemy,” mobilising the engagement of both the political system and the public.

The Vietnamese Government leader stressed that Việt Nam would continue to implement preventive and combative measures as before, with absolutely “no negligence and complacence” – preventing outbreaks, identifying, quarantining, and suppressing outbreaks while effectively carrying out treatment activities to minimise the number of possible deaths.

The governments of centrally-directed provinces and cities can decide to lift certain restrictions meant to curb the pandemic depending on their situation, but must make sure that they keep the situation under control, especially in major cities like Hà Nội and HCM City.

People are told to frequently wash hands with soap or other disinfectants, wear masks when going out and maintain a reasonable distance in making contact with others, not to gather in large crowds in public places or outside workplaces, schools or hospitals.

All festivals, religious gatherings, sporting events or any event that involves a large crowd in public places, stadiums or other “unnecessary major events” will continue to be banned.

Non-essential service businesses such as entertainment venues, beauty salons, karaoke bars, massage parlours, bars, pubs and discos, etc. – including other forms of service businesses that the cities and provinces’ authorities might supplement in their decisions – will remain closed.

Businesses such as retail and wholesale stores, lottery, hotels, accommodation businesses, restaurants and eateries, sport centres, historical relics and tourist sites can resume operations, keeping in mind preventive measures such as providing their employees with necessary protective gear, recording temperatures of all arrivals or customers, complying with hand washing and disinfection guidelines and ensuring safe distance between customers.

Public transport – including inter-provincial transport – are allowed to resume, with observation of the transport ministry’s guidelines on preventive measures such as passengers and drivers must wear masks and soap and hand disinfectants must be fully supplied. Air transport authorities can issue additional measures in line with their industry’s safety standard.

Schools can start to re-open after months off since the outbreak began in the country in early February, but the school administration must reduce the number of students in each class to maintain proper safe distance, alternate schedules to reduce crowds in classes or canteens, frequently disinfect classrooms, and continue to incorporate online lessons if available.

Factories and manufacturing businesses can start operations, while making sure that their workers are protected.

Leaders of public agencies, organisations and businesses have the responsibility to develop working frameworks to ensure safety and hygiene for their staff or employees, refrain from holding large meetings or events if not necessary, and make sure that all affairs of time-sensitive nature must be done on time.

Local governments can decide to hold important social, political, or economic events, but measures are required, like ordering wearing of masks and sterilising hands, arranging seating for participants in a way that safe distance could still be upheld.

The Prime Minister reserves the authority to decide the level of COVID-19 risks for each centrally-directed province and city, in line with recommendations from the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.

If placed under a high-risk category, the city or province will carry out strict social distancing measures as stated in Decree 16 issued on March 31.

For cities or provinces in the medium-risk category – which Hà Nội, Đà Nẵng and HCM City currently belong to – people are still recommended to not go out unless necessary and practice preventive measures. No gatherings of more than 20 people in public places or outside the office, schools or hospitals are allowed, and a safe distance of 1m must be maintained.

For cities and provinces in the low-risk category, gatherings of 30 people are not allowed, the safe distance remains at 1m, and people should not go out unless necessary.

Kickstarting economy

To boost the economy, the Ministry of Industry and Trade and other relevant agencies must expedite export contracts with member countries under the Europe-Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), make sure that all necessary protocols and goods are in sufficient supply – especially goods that Việt Nam has comparative strength in – to get ready for when European countries start to lift lockdown measures and open their economies.

Measures must be sought to develop the domestic market – including stimulus measures and measures to boost consumption – especially e-commerce and retail system. Essential goods must be in fully supply for the people in all circumstances, while domestic tourism can start to take steps to resume.

The ministry and other agencies must continue to review supply and transport of raw materials to ensure sufficient input for production and exports.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, and local governments must urgently carry out social welfare measures and distribute the COVID-19 relief aid to the right people, ensuring transparency and in a timely manner.

The Ministry of Health continues to boost information technology in tracing contacts and identifying ones that stand at elevated risks of infection, while dealing with local outbreaks. The ministry was also tasked with developing guidelines on COVID-19 safety measures for manufacturers, service industry and transport businesses.

Also according to the Decree, the Ministry of National Defence, the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs continue to carry out entry restrictions and strictly manage all cases of entries, making sure that all arrivals will be held in quarantine for 14 days as per guidelines.

The Ministry of National Defence, the Ministry of Health and people’s committtes of localities continue to “implement quarantine protocols and focusing on improving the conditions of concentrated quarantine sites.”

The Ministry of Information and Communications, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Education and Training, the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Government Office direct efforts to further step up information technology in medical examination and treatment, office matters, teaching and learning, trade, cashless payments and public services and administrative procedures in line with e-Government and digital economy plans. VNS