The Office of Insurance Commission (OIC) has issued two notifications, dated April 7, 2020, regarding the method of offering for sale and issuing of insurance policies, and the conduct of agents, brokers, and banks, as part of the OIC and the Ministry of Finance’s relief measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. The measures are temporary and are intended to address the disruption caused by the necessary suspension of face-to-face distribution channels, to avoid physical contact, and to promote social distancing.Key provisions include:

Cross-Border Transportation of GoodsThe National Taskforce Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control has issued Guideline No. 020, Regarding Prime Minister’s Order No.02/PM, dated April 2, 2020, which includes directives aimed at the freight sector. The transportation of goods is one of the few operations that is still permitted to cross the Lao border, although this is subject to the following regulations:

On March 31, 2020, Vietnam issued Directive No. 16/CT-TTg of the Prime Minister of Vietnam, setting out a wide range of social distancing measures, which we covered in an earlier client alert (click here for details). Following this nationwide announcement, local authorities in various provinces and cities have released their own guidance on implementation of measures for preventing and controlling the COVID-19 outbreak.