Daily COVID-19 Update 8 July 2021

Vietnam: Authorities continue to enforce COVID-19 and update the restrictions nationwide as of 8 July 2021.

1. HCMC is given priority for vaccination

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has accepted to give Ho Chi Minh City priority for vaccine distribution as well as the southern city will go into lockdown under Government Directive 16 for 15 days starting July 9 to curb the coronavirus spread.

• Ho Chi Minh City has actively coordinated with relevant ministries, branches and localities to work on the plan of synchronous mobility solutions that are helping to reduce traffic congestion and facilitate freight transport between the southern metropolis and localities, especially provinces and cities in the region.
• The city should encourage and create favorable conditions to effectively mobilize all legal resources in the society for epidemic prevention and control, especially the purchase of equipment and vaccines.
• The establishments which can meet the safety requirements for epidemic prevention and control will be allowed to be operated. Moreover, companies in industrial parks and export processing zones should cook and provide accommodation for workers in parks’ premises.

2. All HCMC arrivals must self-isolate for seven days

• Everyone coming from HCMC to other localities must self-isolate for seven days and monitor their own health for succeeding week, the Health Ministry said Wednesday 7 July 2021.
• The returnees must also be tested for Covid-19 three times during their self-isolation: on the first day, the third day and the sixth day.
• They must restrict interaction with others after their self-isolation period, and not participate in events with large crowds. If symptoms like fever, cough, throat pain, breathing difficulty or loss of sense of taste are present, they must report themselves to the nearest medical facility.

3. HCMC imposes another 15-day social distancing - imposed under Directive 16

• HCMC will impose its second 15-day citywide social distancing order starting Friday as the current epicenter seeks to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.
• Residents to stay at home and only go out for basic necessities such as buying food or medicines or to work at factories or businesses that are allowed to open.
• People must keep a distance of at least two meters. No more than two people can gather at public places apart from workplaces, schools or hospitals.
• The majority of public transportation will be shut down and there will be no travel to other localities.

4. HCMC set to test 1.3 million people daily for Covid HCMC will deploy 2,000 medical teams to collect 1.3 million samples daily to test for Covid-19 so that possible cases in the community are quickly detected. Now it carries out 400,000 tests a day. The city has not revealed in details how it can afford to triple its testing capacity.

Source: https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/hcmc-set-to-test-1-3-million-people-daily-for-covid-4305949.html

5. Hanoi requested citizens to refrain from traveling to existing coronavirus hotspots including HCMC

Those who do so must be employees of companies and other organizations travelling for official business based in the said areas and their travel must be approved by relevant authorities.