The Da Nang Department of Industry and Trade has just issued guidelines on safe adaptation to the COVID-19 pandemic at wet markets, commercial centres and supermarkets citywide.

Specifically, staff at trade centres, supermarkets and markets, along with patrons, must strictly practice the 5K recommendations of the Vietnamese Health Ministry, and have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days or have recovered from COVID-19 in the past 6 months.

At the same time, they must make medical declarations on the national PC-COVID app (their declared data will be then synchronised into the city's medical declaration management system), and regularly use QR codes when visiting the aforementioned venues (QR code entry cards are no longer used).

Commercial centres, supermarkets and markets must develop their detailed operation plans to ensure a safe and flexible adaption to COVID-19 pandemic in line with guidelines of the National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control.

In addition, such venues must be equipped with QR code control devices so as to manage visitors’ information, as well as arrange market stall within suitable distance. The emphasis will be on installing plastic partitions to separate stallholders and patrons in a normally tight space in a bid to maximize their protection against coronavirus, and markings on the ground to require patrons to ensure there is a 2m distance between them.

Drinking and eating stalls are required to operate at 50% capacity with proper precautions in place.

Trade centres and supermarkets conduct random testing for SARS-CoV-2 if any employee shows one of suspected symptoms of COVID-19 such as cough, fever, fatigue, sore throat, loss of taste and smell and breathing difficulties.

The district-level authorities will take responsibility for ensuring safe and flexible approaches for the effective response to the COVID-19 pandemic at affiliated markets, commercial centres and supermarkets.

Reporting by QUYNH TRANG – Translating by M.D