HCMC suggests commuter list for five neighboring provinces

In a draft plan sent to its neighboring provinces of Dong Nai, Binh Duong, Long An, Tay Ninh and Ba Ria-Vung Tau for feedback, Ho Chi Minh City said each proposed group of commuters would be subjected to certain regulations for traveling between HCMC and their home provinces.

In particular, businesses must provide a specific transportation plan to obtain the required papers from the city Transport Department to recognize vehicles to be used to transport experts and workers into HCMC.

The vehicles in use must be passenger cars of over 10 seats for transporting workers and those under nine seats for carrying experts.

All workers, experts and drivers must have either received at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose for at least 14 days or recovered from the disease within the past six months. Workers and experts entering HCMC must also test negative for the novel coronavirus.

The transport departments in the five provinces, as proposed by HCMC, would do the same task of issuing papers to recognize vehicles allowed to enter their localities from the city.

All vehicles to transport workers and experts from the five provinces to HCMC and vice versa must not stop anywhere halfway except for "emergency situations."

People from the five provinces coming to HCMC for medical examination and treatment, except for emergency cases, must have a valid certificate of negative test results, which means a test conducted within 72 hours, and ensure one of two conditions: hospital transfer letter or appointment letter of the hospitals in the city, or a certificate of local authorities that allows them to travel to the city for healthcare purposes.

The certificate should comprise indentification information of the person that needs the medical help, the driver, and vehicle.

Those going to HCMC’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport to fly abroad must follow instructions of the Ministry of Transport.

Each vehicle carrying people to the airport must include no more than four people, while passengers must show tickets proving they are on the same flight.

State workers of socio-political organizations and departments of provinces participating in public service activities in HCMC and vice versa must travel by car and meet three conditions: having at least one Covid-19 jab at least 14 days ago, recovered from Covid-19 in the past six months, tested negative before the trip aside from an invitation or recommendation letter from their offices.

HCMC, the epicenter of Vietnam's latest Covid-19 wave, will start easing all Covid-19 restrictions and resume a series of socio-economic activities from Oct. 1 after four months of social distancing at various levels.