HCMC relaxes social distancing measures, gradually restarts economic activities

Regarding the COVID-19 fight, the city will gradually and cautiously ease social distancing measures in accordance with the COVID-19 pandemic situation and evaluation from the Ministry of Health under the solan “safety first”.

The city will continue with a three-tiered treatment model which has proved effective during the past weeks, in order to limit severely-ill COVID-19 patients and reduce the fatality rate.

Both public and private hospitals are required to enhance the capacity of COVID-19 treatment, while general hospitals will consider establishing their own COVID-19 department in future.

The city will continue to speed up vaccination, giving priority to frontline workers and local people in risky areas such as markets, bus stations, hospitals and schools. In addition, businesses and organisations are encouraged to self-test workers periodically following the instructions of the Health Ministry.

More mobile healthcare units for COVID-19 treatment will also be set up to take care of F0 cases at home. 

Easing restrictions

Heads of public agencies and organizations shall decide themselves the number of employees who are allowed to travel to workplace.

Foreign consular offices, international organizations, foreign economic-cultural offices based in Ho Chi Minh shall decide their own working methods.

Commuters are allowed to visit museums with the maximum of 10 visitors at each visiting area.

Cultural, art, sports are allowed but limited to 70 participants and provided that all of them are fully vaccinated or have recovered from COVID-19.

Weddings and funerals are allowed with no more than 20 attendees for each event.

Residents are allowed to visit religious sites with the maximum number 10 visitors

Dwellers are not allowed to travel to other cities and provinces, except for emergency cases.

Non-essential services and businesses, such as beauty salons, karaoke venues, discotheques, pubs, bars and massage parlors, and ware and lottery ticket peddling remain closed.

The city will keep 12 checkpoints at its gateways and 39 other checkpoints at the entrances to other localities.

Authorities also require people to use a QR code during travels for checking by relevant agencies.

Without a QR code, people must have documents proving their recovery from COVID-19 for less than 180 days or have been injected with at least one shot no less than 14 days before travels.

Reopening of economic activities

The city allows reopening of production and trading establishments in industrial zones, processing and exporting zones, high-tech parks, as well as in districts and Thu Duc City; construction sites; take-away food and drink, traditional markets, wholesale markets, shopping centers, and convenience.

Barbershops and hair salons are allowed to run at up to 50 percent of their capacity.

Also being allowed are medical service providers, pharmacies, public utility services, post and telecommunications, construction works, and warehouses.

Public transport service providers are permitted to reopen under the regulations of transport and health authorities.

Tourist sites and resorts are allowed to operate at up to 50 percent of their capacity while weddings or funerals are limited to a maximum of 20 attendees each./.

By Thuy Dung