On April 15, 2020, Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc agreed to a proposal to extend the country’s social distancing measures under Directive 16 for at least one more week in risk-categorized provinces and cities. These measures, including a prohibition on public gatherings of more than two people and a suspension of public transportation services, were originally put in place for the period from April 1 to April 15.

Specifically, according to the official website of the Government:

• The measures under Directive 16 will extend until at least April 22 or April 30, depending on the situation, for high-risk areas including the cities of Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang, and the provinces of Lao Cai, Quang Ninh, Bac Ninh, Ninh Binh, Quang Nam, Binh Thuan, Khanh Hoa, Tay Ninh, and Ha Tinh.
• A mix of the measures under Directive 16 and the looser social distancing measures issued under the earlier Directive 15 will extend until April 22 for at-risk areas including An Giang, Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc, Can Tho, Dong Nai, Dong Thap, Ha Nam, Hai Phong, Kien Giang, Lang Son Nam Dinh, Nghe An, Soc Trang, Thai Nguyen, and Thua Thien-Hue. For these areas, extensions may be considered on April 22.
• In other (lower-risk) areas, the measures under Directive 15 (for example, no gatherings of more than 20 people) will continue to remain in effect until further notice.

Depending on the relevant circumstances, a provincial people’s committee will decide on the specific implementation of social distancing measures in its locality.

Relief Measures

The government recently announced some new relief measures to support workers who have lost income as well as companies who have lost business due to COVID-19.

Decree No. 41/2020/ND-CP, issued and taking effect on April 8, 2020, extends the deadline for tax and land rental payment for a number of taxpayers, including companies in many sectors, small and extra-small enterprises, and credit institutions providing supporting services for clients affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. For more details on Decree 41, please click here.

Resolution No. 42/NQ-CP, issued on April 9, 2020, sets out a number of financial relief measures applicable to individuals and companies facing hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes payments to workers who have lost their jobs or incomes as a result of the pandemic, and collateral-free, zero-interest loans to companies who are struggling to meet payroll requirements. For more details on Resolution 42, please click here.

For further details on Vietnam’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, please visit our COVID-19 Resource Center or contact us at [email protected].