On 30 September 2021, the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City (“HCMC”) issued a Directive No. 18/CT-UBND on continuing to control and adjust measures to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19 pandemic and gradually restore the City’s economy and society (“Directive 18”). Accordingly, there are notable matters under Directive 18 as follows:

1.  CONDITIONS FOR RESIDENT TO TRAVEL
1.1     Residents shall use the QR code to declare their movement in VNEID mobile app, or the QR code showing vaccination history in Y Te HCM mobile app (until the PC-COVID mobile app is officially put into operation). In case of not having QR code, residents can present the documents having the following information: (1) Being a COVID-19 patient who has been recovered for less than 06 months; or (2) Being vaccinated (at least 01 dose for vaccines that requires 02 doses and after 14 days) when being required by the competent authority.

1.2     Private vehicles are only allowed to travel inside the city.

1.3    Traveling interprovince, cities of priority objects (public servants, workers, experts, people traveling for medical examination and treatment), organizing the transport for employees back to HCMC, or urgent cases must be per the Department of Traffic and Transport’s instructions.

1.4    Foreigners entering HCMC must declare their health conditions at the border gate and use the QR code or other equivalent documents to participate in activities in the City.

2.  ACTIVITIES OF STATE AGENCIES, UNITS, ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS
Pursuant to Directive 18, activities of state agencies, units, organizations, and individuals can be classified into 03 following groups (Details as to the attached Appendix 01, Appendix 02, and Appendix 03 Directive 18):

2.1   Group 1 – Allowed activities:

(a)    State agencies, units, political organizations, socio-political organizations, socio-professional organizations, central state agencies, and units located in HCMC.

(b)    Consular offices, international organizations, and foreign economic-cultural offices are headquartered in HCMC.

(c)   Medical examination and treatment establishments; medical service facilities; establishments trading in public and non-public pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, biological products, medical supplies and equipment.

(d)     Production enterprises inside industrial zones, export processing zones, hi-tech zones in all districts and Thu Duc City as well as the Quang Trung Software City.

(e)    Enterprises, business households, cooperatives, cooperative groups, households engaged in agricultural, forestry, salty and fisheries production; agricultural production support services, and veterinary establishments, subjects of veterinary practice.

(f)     Traffic and construction work.

(g)   Supply of food, foodstuffs; medicine; petrol, oil; electricity; water; fuel, repair; waste collection, transportation, and treatment; services of buying, selling, repairing and maintaining vehicles, machinery, civil and industrial equipment; real estate investment and business activities; management, operation, maintenance, repair and rescue services for infrastructure systems and equipment of agencies, buildings and apartments.

(h)   Public service; security service; toll stations for road use; construction consulting services; environmental sanitation services; environmental monitoring and treatment services; Job placement services; car wash service; utility service.

(i)   Post and telecommunication; printing, publishing, press; e-commerce business activities, services using online delivery; enterprise in calendar business; bookstore, office equipment; book street; libraries, galleries, art exhibitions, photography; school supplies and tools; Information Technology; informatics equipment; electronics shop; eyewear store; fashion and apparel stores; Jewellery store.

(j)    Warehouses and facilities for stockpiling, gathering, and transiting goods, supporting services for transporting, exporting and importing goods.

(k)    Shopping malls, supermarkets, mini-marts; convenience stores, grocery stores, wholesale markets, and traditional markets.

(l)     Activities of representative offices and branches of foreign traders in HCMC.

(m)  Credit institutions, foreign bank branches, treasury, business establishments directly related to credit activities, foreign bank branch, logistics, and supporting services for business and people (i.e., notaries, lawyers, asset auction, valuation, audit, bailiffs, commercial arbitration, commercial mediation, legal advice, and other consulting activities to support business, judicial expertise, management – liquidation of assets, registration of secured transactions, land change registration, etc.), stock; pawn service.

(n)   Other activities must be permitted by a competent authority.

2.2   Group 2 – Allowed activities with conditions:

2.3   Group 3 – Activities continuing to suspend:

(a)   Business and service activities: bars, beer clubs, pubs, spas, karaoke and massage parlors, beauty care services, on-site dining services, cinemas, circuses, discos, video games.

(b)   Spontaneous markets, street vendors, lottery ticket vendors.

(c)   Other activities, except for the cases where they are allowed to operate mentioned in Sections 2.1 and 2.2 above.

• Note: All state agencies, units, production, business, and service establishments that are allowed to operate in HCMC must do the following:

(i)   Registering the QR code at http://antoan-covid.tphcm.gov.vn;

(ii)  Until 08 October 2021, they must scan QR codes (on smartphones or printed on paper) of all people who come to work, transact, use services; using the HCMCs app (or PC-COVID mobile app) to control and organize activities.

Disclaimer: The contents mentioned above are briefly summarized for reference purposes only and is not intended to address the circumstances of any particular individual or entity. The application of these guidelines in similar cases should be carefully considered and consulted by experts before implementation. Although we endeavor to provide accurate and timely information, there can be no guarantee that such information is accurate as of the date it is received or that it will continue to be accurate in the future. In case of having any specific questions or would like to receive detailed documentation related to the above summaries, please contact our Firm for more insightful consultancy.