HCMC – HCMC must carefully consider and decide the activities to be resumed in the coming days, said Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, suggesting large factories in industrial parks and export processing zones should be reopened first, followed by some services.

On September 27, Deputy PM Dam worked with the HCMC Party Committee on its draft directive adjusting measures to adapt safely to Covid-19 and help the economy recover after September 30, the local media reported. Accordingly, from 0 a.m. on October 1, the city may ease restrictions step-by-step. Specifically, bars, spas, karaoke and massage parlors, discos, beauty centers, on-site catering services, cinemas as well as cultural, artistic and religious events will continue to remain suspended. The fight against the pandemic in the city has shown positive results with the number of new cases and deaths declining. Over 95% of residents aged from 18 have received the first vaccine shot and over 33% have got both shots. Some activities have been resumed in safe areas. Deputy PM Dam stressed that the pandemic had reached every corner of HCMC, so the city must enhance anti-pandemic measures while gradually resuming production and business activities. He asked HCMC to draw up a Covid-19 map detailing the pandemic situation in each residential area, and assess the monitoring capability of each ward, including its capability to test, trace and treat Covid-19 cases. The city should follow the State’s recommendations and take the initiative to come up with solutions. The deputy prime minister also threw his support behind the city’s decision to assign enterprises to work out solutions to ensure safe production and business. The city must also act to bring the pandemic under control to protect the health and lives of residents, firstly minimizing the number of new Covid-19 cases and deaths so that residents can return to a new normal life and the city’s socioeconomy can recover and develop. Despite hailing the city’s initiative in drawing up the draft directive adjusting measures to adapt safely to Covid-19 and help the economy recover, many officials were concerned about the risks of the pandemic developing more complicatedly as residents will return to their hometowns from the city, posing a high risk of pandemic transmission in their hometowns. Meanwhile, many people will return to the city from other localities and many of them have yet to be vaccinated. The city’s reopening may cause congestion in its gateway areas as well. Deputy PM Dam said the city must seek to work with the Mekong Delta localities on solutions to reduce traffic jams at gateways. The city should ensure jobs, accommodation, social welfare policies and vaccines for laborers to retain them. In addition, HCMC should maintain pop-up healthcare stations, enhance control at checkpoints, and gradually ease restrictions to bring the pandemic under control, help the economy recover and educate residents to comply with anti-pandemic regulations.