PM orders strict nationwide social distancing rules, starting April 1
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has issued a range of stringent social distancing measures, including restricting people from leaving their homes and banning gatherings of more than two people in public.
PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc orders strict nationwide social distancing rules, starting April 1 (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) - Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has issued a range ofstringent social distancing measures, including restricting people from leavingtheir homes and banning gatherings of more than two people in public.
The order will apply nationwide for 15 days, starting April 1 in order to limitthe spread of COVID-19 that has showed no signs of abating.
“The principle is that each family isolates itself from other families, onevillage from other villages, one commune from other communes, one province fromother provinces," the directive said.
Only factories, businesses and service establishments producing and providingessential goods and services are allowed to open and asked to ensure workersfollow strict health guidelines. This includes ensuring they wear face masks,keep a safe distance from each other and make sure areas are properlydisinfected and sterilised.
All people are ordered to stay at home and only go out in case of emergencies,buying food or medicine, or going to work at factories and essential servicesthat are not closed down or halt operations. If leaving the house, people areto keep a minimum distance of two metres from others. Any gathering of morethan two people in public outside of offices, schools and hospitals isprohibited.
The Prime Minister requested all citizens to obey and strictly followpreventative measures, declare their health status, protect their own familiesand cooperate with authorities to fight COVID-19.
The Ministry of Health (MoH), Ministry of Public Security (MPS), and people’scommittees of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are urged to pull out all the stops tocontain outbreaks at Bach Mai Hospital and Buddha Bar, respectively, includingtracking high-risk cases and those in contact with patients.
The Government called on all people who entered the two areas mentioned aboveto declare their health condition and contact medical facilities for tests. TheMPS will collaborate with the healthcare sector to make a list of peopleclosely connected to Truong Sinh Company which caters Bach Mai Hospital’scanteen and quarantine any as necessary. The company has 22 workers infectedwith SARS-CoV-2.
Provincial people’s committees are asked to work closely with ministries andauthorities of Hanoi and HCM City to perform these tasks, including imposinghome quarantine, health declaration and tests to classify anyone forcentralised isolation if necessary. This includes anyone who visited Bach MaiHospital from March 12.
The Ministry of Public Security and provincial people’s committees were urgedto inspect and update health conditions of people entering Vietnam from March 8who have not been quarantined, list people in contact with them to conductsuitable isolation measures.
State agencies are encouraged to let employees work from home, except fornecessary shifts, military duties, the production of essential goods orclassified jobs that require working at the office.
To stop the spread of coronavirus, health officials have instructed the public to practice social distancing -- staying home, avoiding crowds and refraining from touching one another.
Two of the country’s biggest cities, Hanoi and HCM City, on March 27 issued a number of recommendations on social distancing for its citizens to follow amid growing concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic, effective March 28 until at least April 15.
The most important task at this crucial time is promoting the unity, solidarity and cooperation of all people throughout the country to cope with any pandemic situation, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said at a teleconference with five centrally-run cities – Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong, Can Tho and Da Nang on March 29.
Chairman of the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City Nguyen Thanh Phong has agreed to a proposal from the municipal Transport Department on suspending all public bus services in the locality from April 1 to the end of April 15.
The Hanoi Department of Education and Training has issued guidelines for schools and vocational education centres to extend online and television-based teaching amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade has been cracking down on profiteers for selling face masks, hand sanitisers and other items for inflating prices due to the high demand caused by the ravaging COVID-19 epidemic.
State President Luong Cuong’s trip once again reaffirmed the Party and State’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralisation of relations. It also reflected the strong trend of enhanced cooperation among countries of the Global South in shaping a new, more multipolar, fair and equitable world order.
The outcomes of Party General Secretary To Lam's visit will serve as a driving force and source of inspiration for the two countries to inherit, promote, and elevate their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, contributing to the national construction and development cause in each country, and to peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 9 inspected the construction site of the new Phong Chau bridge, and surveyed a planned route for the Lao Cai – Hanoi – Hai Phong railway section running through the northern province of Phu Tho.
Across print, broadcast, and online platforms, Angolan media portrayed State President Luong Cuong's visit as a warm and historic occasion, strengthening bilateral ties and boosting Vietnam’s presence in Africa through the AU.
The 500kV Lao Cai – Vinh Yen power transmission line has a total investment of over 7.41 trillion VND (282.5 million USD), and a total length of 229.5 km, passing through 31 communes in the two provinces, and comprising 468 transmission tower foundations.
The visits reflected the elevated position of Vietnam’s foreign policy in the new era—aimed at not only advancing ties with key regional partners like Egypt and Angola but also delivering a strategic message about Vietnam’s commitment to deepening relations with African nations as a whole.
At their talks and meetings, President Cuong and Angola’s top leaders affirmed that the close brotherhood and traditional friendship are a valuable shared asset and a solid foundation for the two nations to advance into a new phase of development.
The ruling People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) attaches great importance to the friendship, solidarity, and comradeship with the Communist Party of Vietnam, and voiced her Party’s wish to further deepen and expand relations between the two sides for the benefit of the Vietnamese and Angolan people.
Vietnam pledges to do its utmost to build an ASEAN of solidarity, consensus, and unity in diversity, and to foster a fast and sustainable development path for ASEAN, grounded in science, technology, and innovation, said Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
Party General Secretary To Lam called on the criminal police force to accelerate the application of science, technology, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation in criminal investigation tasks such as crime prevention, detection, tracking and verification, ensuring that no area remains out of their reach.
Many Koreans living, studying, and working in Hanoi see the upcoming state visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK) by Party General Secretary To Lam as an opportunity to generate strong synergy in economic cooperation, people-to-people exchanges, and cultural understanding.
The achievements of the five decades of Vietnam–Angola cooperation provide a strong and enduring foundation, as well as momentum for the two sides to consolidate, expand, and bring their partnership into a new phase of development.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stressed that the emulation and commendation work is a vital driver, fostering patriotism, dedication, and collective momentum in the run-up to the 11th National Patriotic Emulation Congress, Party congresses at all levels, and the 14th National Party Congress.
Emphasising the need for sustainable, long-term collaboration, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man called on Japanese investors not only to bring in capital but also to share expertise and modern technology, especially in areas such as green transformation, the circular economy, and advanced corporate governance.
President Luong Cuong's activities during his state visit to Angola, the celebration of the financial sector's 80th traditional day, and the Foreign Ministry's flag-hoisting ceremony marking the 58th founding anniversary of ASEAN are among news highlights on August 8.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Pham Viet Hung praised the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ meaningful initiative, noting that the ASEAN Family Run was not only a sporting activity but also an opportunity for diplomats and their families to show unity, connection, and solidarity within the ASEAN family.
Politburo member, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 8 attended the first congress of the Party Organisation of Tay Ho ward of Hanoi for the 2025–2030 term, during which he called for fresh momentum to turn the ward into a model that takes the lead in all fields.
The size of the economy increased from over 5 billion USD in 1986 to over 476 billion USD by 2024, making Vietnam the fourth-largest economy in Southeast Asia and the 34th largest in the world.
The ASEAN flag-hoisting ceremony is observed by the 10 ASEAN member countries on August 8 every year, aiming to spread and promote the ASEAN identity and affirm the determination to unite and cooperate for the common aspiration of long-term peace and prosperity of Southeast Asian countries under the common roof of the ASEAN Community.
Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Manh Cuong highlighted ASEAN’s nearly six decades of development, during which the region transformed from division to harmony, from confrontation to cooperation, and from poverty to dynamic growth, becoming a global bright spot for regional cooperation.
