HCMC – Local wet markets across Can Tho City will be allowed to reopen if they meet the safety requirements, including a vaccine mandate for vendors, according to a city trade official.
The municipal Department of Industry and Trade yesterday, October 21, issued guidelines for local markets to resume operations, said Vu Ha Son, director of the department.
At local wet markets in Level 1, 2, 3 areas, which are respectively at a low, moderate and high risk of Covid transmission, customers will have to comply with anti-Covid measures and file health declarations on the PC-Covid mobile app. All of the vendors and those working at the markets must have got at least one vaccine shot at least 14 days before reopening or have recovered from Covid within the last six months.
These markets will also have to map out Covid response plans based on the Ministry of Health’s guidelines and check and monitor compliance with anti-Covid measures.
Regarding the markets in Level 4 areas, which are still at extremely high risk of transmission, aside from following the anti-virus rules, they will have to adopt stricter measures. Among them, customers will stay at least two meters apart, all of the vendors and those working at the markets must get fully inoculated or have recovered from Covid within the last six months. The markets must also create signs and floor markers to facilitate social distancing.
Further, local markets are allowed to sell only essential items such as food, foodstuffs and vegetables. In addition, they must arrange stalls depending on the Covid situation but the figure must not be over 50% of the total, and the number of visitors to the markets should be limited.
Market management boards should review the Covid transmission risk at their markets based on the municipal anti-Covid authority’s Decision No. 2225, take responsibility for their decisions and report to the authorities.
As of now, none of the 105 local wet markets have reopened due to the low vaccination rate among vendors, Son said.
