HCMC releases Covid-19 safety assessment criteria set for businesses

The People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City has just introduced the criteria set for safety assessment in Covid-19 prevention and control for manufacturing, trading businesses sited here.

HCMC has just released a criteria set for safety assessment in Covid-19 prevention and control for manufacturing, trading enterprises.


This safety assessment criteria set consists of a sub-set for (mini) supermarkets, convenience stores, and department stores, food retail stores; one for traditional markets; one for wholesale markets; one for manufacturing, trading enterprises; and one for offices of production, commercial units, and service providers.

These sub-sets apply to employees and employers of the above organizations, supply partners, clients using provided goods and services.

Accordingly, the common regulation requests besides strictly observing the 5K rules, all concerned people possess a ‘Covid green card’, meaning a negative Covid-19 test results for occupations asked to perform regular tests; being injected with Covid-19 vaccine or having recovered from this disease; no close contact with F0 cases within 14 days.

While in operation, all mentioned groups must meet criteria for safe working during the Covid-19 pandemic. Trading activities and shipping services must follow the contactless method. In the case of cash payment, there must be two trays to receive money and return change. Merchandise must be delivered via intermediate means to avoid direct contact.

Working organizations must implement the corresponding sub-sets, self-assess themselves frequently, and be responsible for these assessment results as well as report preparation for post-evaluation of functional agencies.

Regarding (mini) supermarkets, department stores, convenience stores, food retail stores, both customers and sales assistants must own a Covid-19 green card to enter these locations. Employees coming back to work for the first time must possess a valid negative Covid-19 test result. Shippers and truck drivers for these organizations must also have a green card and valid negative test result.

These locations have to monitor the density of crowds to meet the requirement of 4m2 per person and a distance of at least 2 meters between two people. Traditional and wholesale markets must follow this rule as well.

As to manufacturing plants, employees must own a green card and display a valid negative test result when entering their workplaces. Employers must have their workers undergo either a quick test or a PCR test every 7 days for normal groups and every 3 days for highly risky groups.

These plants must monitor the density of crowds to meet the requirement of 4m2 per person and a distance of at least 2 meters between two workers. If that cannot be met, there must be a partition between two workers or a face shield for each worker. Besides, employers must control the circulation and accommodation of their own employees.

As regards offices of manufacturers, trading units, and service providers, any employees having direct contact with outsiders must have a green card. Other staff must own a ‘Covid-19 green card with limited activity scope’. A similar rule applies to employees first coming back to work, along with a valid negative test result.

Meanwhile, the distance between two seats in an office, a meeting room, or a reception room must be 2 meters at least, or a partition to separate two seats. The room temperature must not be lower than 25oC.

HCMC People’s Committee issued a safety assessment criteria set in Covid-19 prevention and control for tourism activities in green areas, consisting of a sub-set for tourist accommodation facilities, one for travel enterprises, and one for outdoor tourist attractions.

Accordingly, all the staff of tourist accommodation facilities and travel enterprises who have direct contact with visitors and hotel guests must be fully vaccinated at lease 14 days before returning to work or recover from Covid-19 disease. Other staff members must be injected with at least 1 vaccine dose 14 days before coming back to work, along with a valid negative test result. Anyone with no vaccine injection can only work online.

Employees who directly serve hotel guests in the reception or restaurant departments, or serve tourists like guides or drivers must undergo periodic quick tests every 3 days.

Tourists or hotel guests from 18 years old must be fully vaccinated at least 14 days before receiving the service, or fully recovered from the disease. Those under 18 must possess a valid negative Covid-19 test result within 48 hours before joining in a tour.

In addition, all tourist accommodation facilities must have a specific quarantine room and a waiting room compliant with regulations of the healthcare sector, with sufficient protective gears for their staff to use when in need. The quarantine room must be equipped with minimum accommodation facilities and medical items like face masks, disinfectant solutions, an SPO2 device, basic medicine.

Outdoor tourist attractions can only welcome no more than 30 percent of its normal capacity. All employees, visitors must wear a face mask all the time and have their temperature checked. These locations must ensure a 2-meter distance between visitor groups who do not have the same epidemiological factors. There must be a reserved area to be a quarantine site when necessary.

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