This test result must be confirmed by the competent authority in the host country, except for children under two years old.

The program 'People ask, the Government answers' is held on the first Sunday of every month. (Photo: SGGP)

On January 9, the Standing Committee of the People's Council of HCMC in collaboration with the HCMC Television Station and the HCMC Department of Information and Communications organized the program "People ask - the Government answers". The program is held on the first Sunday of every month.

At the program, Deputy Director of HCMC Department of Health Nguyen Huu Hung noted that for people who are about to enter HCMC through Tan Son Nhat International Airport, they need to have a negative RT-PCR test result within 72 hours before arrival in Vietnam. This test result must be confirmed by the competent authority in the host country, except for children under two years old.

People entering the country need to have a medical declaration in their home country before boarding the plane. At the same time, they need to have a vaccination status certificate or confirmation that they have recovered from the disease within six months. "Those are the documents that need to be prepared in advance," said Mr. Nguyen Huu Hung.

Then, upon entry, people entering the country must follow a five-step process. First, as soon as getting off the plane, they need to use the PC-Covid application to create a personal QR code. If they cannot use the PC-Covid application, they can access the HCMC Covid-19 Safety Portal at https://antoan-covid.tphcm.gov.vn to generate the code. 

Step 2: a quick test to screen for SARS-CoV-2 virus for people right after arriving at the airport will be carried out. “Previously, people were taken to concentrated isolation and tested, but now they will go through a quick test at the airport. If the result is positive, they will be taken samples for RT-PCR testing for confirmation and transferred to a field hospital for isolation and treatment. If the result is negative, they will leave the airport and return to their places of residence," said Mr. Nguyen Huu Hung.

Step 3: moving to the place of residence. The Deputy Director of the HCMC Department of Health noted that when moving to the place of residence, people need to limit stopping along the road and must follow the 5K regulations during this process.

Step 4: daily health monitoring and medical declaration. Once they have returned to their accommodation, the locality will receive, supervise and monitor their compliance with pandemic prevention and control during the quarantine period. If they have received a full dose of Covid-19 vaccines or have recovered from Covid-19, they must self-monitor their health within three days. People who have not been vaccinated or have not received enough doses of Covid-19 vaccines shall be isolated at their places of residence for seven days.

Step 5: local health authorities take samples for RT-PCR testing on the third day (or the seventh day for those who have not had enough vaccine dose). If the result is negative, they will continue to monitor health until the end of 14 days from the date of entry. If the test result is positive, they will be moved to the treatment facility.

Abundant goods, stable prices

Deputy Director of the HCMC Department of Industry and Trade Nguyen Nguyen Phuong said that enterprises had prepared a source of goods with a scale of nearly VND19.9 trillion. Of which, market-stabilized goods accounted for more than VND7.2 trillion.

Mr. Nguyen Nguyen Phuong assessed that market-stabilized products, accounting for 20-54 percent of the market share, would be able to fully and promptly supply and regulate the market. Enterprises commit to keeping their selling prices stable within one month before and one month after Tet, especially essential items, poultry meat, and poultry eggs. 

Besides nailing prices, enterprises and distributors also run many discount programs - especially in the 2-3 days before Tet - helping workers and laborers shop for Tet goods at reasonable prices. The distribution system also extends the service time, opening earlier and closing later for consumers to shop conveniently. 

Mr. Nguyen Anh Duc, General Director of Saigon Co.op, informed that this unit had prepared a volume of goods worth over VND5 trillion to serve the Tet market. The stockpiled volume of market-stabilized goods is 2-3 times higher than usual, especially essential goods. "The supply of goods is plentiful, ensuring the demand of people during the Tet holiday, so people can feel assured," said Mr. Nguyen Anh Duc.

Apologizing for late Covid-19 financial support

Deputy Director of HCMC Department of Labor, War Invalids, and Social Affairs Huynh Thanh Khiet said that the city had specific Tet gifts for policy groups, poor and near-poor households, medical facilities, and field hospitals, with a total cost of about VND900 billion. As for the third support package, Thu Duc City and districts have been urgently distributing and will complete spending before January 15.

Vice-Chairman of the HCMC Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee Pham Minh Tuan said that the Fatherland Front at all levels and the HCMC Social Welfare Center plan to give more than 200,000 gifts, worth more than VND200 billion to underprivileged people. The Fatherland Front would also continue to take care of union members, members, and laborers; support bus tickets for workers and students with difficult circumstances to return to their hometowns to celebrate Tet; give Tet gifts to disabled people and children on social protection; support people in projects with land recovery; coordinate to care for more than 2,100 orphans and more than 380 lonely old people because of Covid-19.

Moreover, the city continues to care for low-income freelance workers living in poor boarding houses by organizing a chain of zero-dong mini supermarkets in 22 districts and Thu Duc City. When visiting these zero-dong mini supermarkets, laborers can choose Tet products of their choice with a value of VND400,000 per package.

Vice-Chairman of HCMC People's Committee Duong Anh Duc said that the Covid-19 pandemic situation in the city had been changing positively, and the pandemic alert of the city reached level 1, becoming a green zone. However, the Covid-19 pandemic remains complicated with the new variant of Omicron, requiring all levels, sectors, and people not to be subjective or neglected.

During the Tet holiday, HCMC would focus on fully implementing policies, especially for frontline forces in pandemic prevention and control, Mr. Duong Anh Duc said.

Vice-Chairman of HCMC People's Committee Duong Anh Duc apologized to the frontline forces that have not received support so far due to the city's shortcomings and thoughtlessness. "The leader of HCMC has directed the Department of Health, the HCMC Command, and the units that mobilized forces to participate in pandemic prevention and control to complete the payment of financial support before the 2022 Lunar New Year,” Mr. Duong Anh Duc emphasized.

Along with that, HCMC will take care of medical facilities, field hospitals, medical stations, mobile medical stations, and all units participating in pandemic prevention and control for the Tet holiday. 

Stocking up on medicines, medical supplies, and equipment for Tet holiday

Vice-Chairman of the People's Committee of HCMC Duong Anh Duc requested the Department of Health to strengthen disease prevention, especially the Covid-19 pandemic with the new variant Omicron, absolutely ensure safety for festival activities that gather a large number of people, and make plans and scenarios for pandemic response and prevention. At the same time, the health sector must proactively detect and promptly handle arising outbreaks, preventing the pandemic from spreading; stockpile medicines, medical supplies, and equipment to be ready to receive and treat Covid-19 patients.

Mr. Duong Anh Duc also assigned the HCMC Department of Labor, War Invalids, and Social Affairs to promptly and fully implement the regimes and policies on caring for underprivileged people affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, ensuring every household and everyone celebrate a happy Lunar New Year.

Departments, agencies, and local authorities strengthen supervision and grasp the situation of salary and bonus payment for workers and laborers, and take care of workers and students who cannot return to their hometowns to celebrate Tet.

Source: Sai Gon Giai Phong

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