CAN THO – The Can Tho government has issued a three-stage plan allowing production and business facilities to resume in a safe manner after September 18.
Under the plan signed by Nguyen Van Hong, vice chairman of the Mekong Delta city, firms which have suspended operations since the city began social distancing can resume work, while other businesses which are adopting the stay-at-work mode can shift to more sustainable and proactive modes.
To safely resume operations, firms must regularly conduct Covid tests for their employees, while the workers must get at least one shot of the Covid-19 vaccine, follow anti-virus safety protocols and only travel between their accommodation and workplace, according to the plan.
In the first phase of the plan, firms which meet anti-virus requirements will be approved for resumption. Specifically, the Export Processing and Industrial Zones Authority will give approval to firms in industrial parks, while the municipal Department of Industry and Trade will approve the resumption of firms outside industrial zones with over 100 workers. The governments of districts will give approval to the rest.
Those providing necessities and export firms will be prioritized for the reopening, while 100% of firms active in the agriculture and construction sectors will be allowed to resume business if they meet all the Covid safety requirements.
The second phase will allow the reopening of services and activities, except for entertainment centers, bars and some non-essential services if the Covid situation improves.
Meanwhile, the city will allow all services and activities to resume in the third phase if the city brings the pandemic under control, with the number of daily Covid-19 infections being reduced to only one or two for 14 consecutive days.
As of August 16, among the total of 1,090 firms in the city, as many as 970 companies had suspended their operations due to the impact of the pandemic. Over 65,532 workers lost their jobs due to Covid.
Between July 8 and September 16, Can Tho City reported 5,082 Covid-19 infections and 74 Covid fatalities, according to the municipal Department of Health.
By Trung Chanh
