On 31 July 2021, Vietnam’s Vice Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam issued a new circular extending the social distancing in Ho Chi Minh City and other hard hit localities for 14 more days. This continue social distancing will be governed by Directive No. 16 until at least 14 August. In addition, Ho Chi Minh City will continue to impose a curfew between 18:00 and 6:00 in which only emergency vehicles will be allowed on the streets, and even during the day travel between districts and wards within the city will be restricted. This is the second month of some form of social distancing for Ho Chi Minh City. On 24 July, Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi, began a 15-day lockdown under Directive No. 16 which is still in effect. Indochine Counsel continues to curtail our in-person activities though we are still available for remote services as outlined previously.
At Indochine Counsel we have been closely following the developments of the Covid-19 virus, as the fourth outbreak has hit Vietnam and particularly Ho Chi Minh City and nearby provinces. On 8 July, the leaders of the City instructed all localities to implement the Prime Minister’s Directive No. 16/CT-TTg dated 31 March 2020 on implementation of urgent measures for prevention and control of Covid-19 calling for individual and organizational responsibility in dealing with the outbreak. Accordingly, Ho Chi Minh City been in a citywide lockdown since 0:00 AM, 9 July 2021.
Directive No. 16 is the strictest social distancing protocol in Vietnam. It requires all residents to remain at home and only to go out in case of necessities such as to obtain food or medicines. Travel between localities is restricted. Only essential workers will be allowed to travel to their places of work. Public transportation is temporarily suspended reaching even ride hailing and motorbike taxi drivers. Distances of two meters must be kept between people in public and gatherings greater than two people are prohibited. While this social distancing is strict, the city’s government has also put in place measures to ensure the supply chain to the city is preserved and that no one goes hungry or lacks necessary supplies.
For over two months now, Indochine Counsel has gone to a flexible work from home mode. The majority of our staff is working from home while a small skeleton crew is stationed at our office to handle correspondence and other tasks that require in-person actions. We are doing everything in our power to limit those possibilities and to protect every one of our stakeholders from infection.
That said, though we may not be working in our office, we are still working, and our efforts to build your business and your investments in Vietnam remain as critical to our frame of mind as ever. Please feel free to remain in contact with the partner in charge of your matter or with any of the lawyers you usually work with. We will be regularly responding to email and striving to, once again, earn your recognition of us as one of the most responsive firms in Vietnam.
We appreciate your patience in this volatile situation, and hope we can work through this with you and for you. We remain committed to delivering quality legal services despite these trying times and look forward to helping you to grow your business here in Vietnam.
We wish you and your beloved ones good health in these uncertain times !
