Deputy PM urges proper organisation of social distancing in Ho Chi Minh City

Yesterday afternoon, Dam worked with leaders of District 6, District 7 and Binh Chanh District on the preparations for the application of the order.

Local authorities have earmarked the 15 day period as a "golden” opportunity to screen for infections still in the community. The city has developed specific plans to ensure an adequate supply of goods and necessities for local residents during the social distancing period.

Deputy PM Dam urged Ho Chi Minh City to strive to establish epidemic-free zones after 15 days by the strict implementation of the social distancing order under Directive 16/CT-TTg of the Prime Minister.

The focus should be on urgently implementing tracing, testing, and isolation measures to localise and clean up outbreaks completely to firmly establish safe zones, Dam asked, requiring effective measures to prevent and control the epidemic while paying attention to implementing synchronous solutions and policies to ensure people's lives and activities.

The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee on the same day issued a document guiding pilot quarantine of F1 cases at home amid the rapid and complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic in the southern hub. F1 cases comprise those who have had close contact with COVID-19 patients and wore medical masks, have rapid negative results to coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 while waiting for PCR tests, or have already finished two-week quarantine at concentrated facilities and tested negative for the virus on the 14th day of quarantine.

Also on July 8, several other localities also applied strict social distancing orders, with the southern province of Dong Nai deciding to apply social distancing measures within 15 days from 0:00 on July 9 in accordance with PM Directive No.16.

Vinh Long province has instructed its four localities including Vinh Long city, Binh Tan district, Long Ho district and Tam Binh district to apply a social distancing order from 12:00 today to 12:00 on July 23.

Khanh Hoa province has instructed Nha Trang City, Ninh Hoa town and Van Ninh district to implement social distancing in accordance with Directive No. 16 for 14 days, from 0:00 on July 9, while the districts of Dien Khanh, Cam Lam, Khanh Son and Khanh Vinh as well as Cam Ranh city will apply the order according to Directive 15 for 14 days, also from 0:00 today.

On July 8, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) issued an urgent notice requesting a reduction of seats available for sales on flights between HCM City and Hanoi.

Air passengers are required to present a valid negative coronavirus test result before travelling from/to Ho Chi Minh City, according to a new directive by the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) on intensifying its COVID-19 response.

Accordingly, national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines must sell no more than 700 seats on its flights between the two major cities in each direction daily while the limit for Pacific Airlines, Bamboo Airways and Vietjet Air will range from 200-400 seats per day.

The CAAV has requested all airport employees, especially those working at Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport, to get at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine or have proof of a negative COVID-19 test conducted no more than 72 hours earlier. The same policy is applicable to aircrew serving on flights from/to HCM City, who are also advised to refrain from leaving the airport to travel to the city.

On July 8, the Ministry of Transport agreed to suspend passenger flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Lam Dong province and vice versa, from 0:00 on July 9 until further notice.

On the afternoon of July 8, the Office of the People's Committee of Hanoi issued a document on postponing the return of students to school to prevent and control the COVID-19 epidemic.

As of this morning, an additional 425 COVID-19 cases were added to the national tally, raising the caseload to 24,810.

Among the new infections, two were imported. Up to 350 cases were recorded in Ho Chi Minh City, while the remainder were found in Long An, Dong Nai, Phu Yen, An Giang, Khanh Hoa, Bac Ninh, Vinh Phuc, Gia Lai and Bac Lieu.

The number of infections since the fourth wave of the pandemic broke out in late April amounts to 21,340, of whom 6,176 have been given the all-clear.

The ministry’s Medical Examination and Treatment Department said 8,950 patients have recovered, and the national COVID-19 death toll has reached 105.

Another 22,647 people were vaccinated on July 8. As of 4 pm on July 8, nearly 4 million vaccine doses had been administered. A total of 249,532 people have received two shots.

According to the Management Board of the COVID-19 Vaccine Fund, as of 5 pm on July 8, the fund has received over VND8 trillion from 409,872 organisations and individuals.