Ha Tinh Customs develops response plan to Covid-19 pandemic

To proactively prevent and be ready to respond to the complex developments of the Covid-19 pandemic, ensure the safety of customs officers and facilitate firms engaging in import-export activities, Ha Tinh Customs Department has developed a response plan to the pandemic.

Ha Tinh Customs Department has proposed two situations to develop scenarios to cope with Covid-19 pandemic.

If the area is under social distancing, the department's leaders will deploy an online working plan; the units proactively assign and rotate officers with limited numbers to work directly at the headquarters to maintain customs procedures and regular tasks, while the remaining customs officer are arranged to work remotely.

Ha Tinh Customs arranged staff to work online. Photo: Khánh Chi

In another situation, Ha Tinh Customs Department develops scenarios for cases where the unit has Covid-19 patient (F0) as customs officer. At that time, the unit will work with the health agency to assess the risk, review, trace and classify primary and secondary contact (F1, F2, F3) to carry out testing and isolation per the regulations of the Ministry of Health; disinfectant spray the office, temporarily blockade and await test results.

On the other hand, depending on the actual situation, the leader of the unit will organise and assign appropriate tasks to customs officers and employees, ensures the task performance at the unit, and arrange a group to work at the office (the group of officer who are primary contact - F1 is performed concentrated isolation at the headquarters), and arranged a remote working group (number of officer who are secondary contact F2 and F3 working via the internet).

In the event of an outbreak and complex developments of the pandemic, the head of the unit can arrange customs officers to work in shifts or divide into the separate division to perform assigned tasks to fulfill social distancing.

The plan also mentioned the case of having a Covid-19 patient at the headquarters of affiliated customs branches. The branches will also perform sequentially the steps of classification, isolation, disinfection, etc. of the office. At the same time deploy the next tasks appropriate with each unit and in line with the regulations of the Ministry of Health.

Members of the Covid-19 prevention and control team of Ha Tinh Customs Department are responsible for supporting and guiding the unit to ensure task performance and smooth operation of import and export activities.

Units under the department should base on the plan to develop specific measures to concretise the plan to be suitable with the actual situation, ensuring the implementation of State management of customs in the locality, as well as paying attention to prevent cross-infection between customs officer and employees of the unit during the temporary blockade following the regulations and guidelines of health authorities.

According to Dinh Van Hoa, Deputy Director of Ha Tinh Customs Department, the unit considers the prevention of Covid-19 pandemic as a top task. The unit has developed plans to respond when the situation occurs at the headquarters and branches. At the same time, the unit has been working with the Health Quarantine and Border Defence forces to supervise all passengers, means of transport, luggage of passengers entering and leaving the border gate, ensuring prevention of the risk of disease transmission.