HANOI – The prime minister has assigned the competent agencies to consider HCMC’s proposal to allow the city to apply its own guidelines for reopening the economy.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh tasked Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long with working with Deputy Minister of National Defense Vo Minh Luong to study the proposal, make recommendations and send a report to Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam.
Earlier on September 24, the HCMC government wrote to the prime minister seeking approval to allow the city to apply its own guidelines for reopening the economy. The city will work with the competent agencies to draw up the plan and send it to the prime minister for consideration.
If HCMC applies the draft guidelines on “safely and flexibly adapting to and effectively controlling Covid-19” from the national anti-virus steering committee, the city will not be able to reopen the economy, according to the municipal government.
Many firms in HCMC said it is hard for the city to fulfill the target of getting 80% of adults aged over 50 fully vaccinated against Covid-19 in accordance with the draft guidelines.
Eight business associations said in a dispatch to the prime minister that the draft guidelines are leaning toward the “zero Covid” strategy rather than the “living with Covid” one.
By Van Ly
