This was reported by Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affair (MoLISA) Dao Ngoc Dung during a videoconference held by the Government's Standing Board on August 15 to review a month of COVID-19 prevention and control work in localities implementing social distancing in accordance with the Prime Minister’s Directive 16.

The MoLISA Minister hailed that localities nationwide have been actively working to implement the Resolution in a timely manner.

Relevant agencies have created the best possible conditions and simplified procedures for people, particularly informal workers, to get the aid, he added.

He lauded that many practical and effective initiatives have been launched in localities to help needy people amidst COVID-19, including the “rice ATM” machines, “Zero-VND” minimarkets, and the “social welfare pack” programme.

In addition, the entire society and benefactors have enthusiastically joined hands to support people facing difficulties due to the pandemic.

He asked localities to take more proactive moves to implement aid packages so that the aid can reach the pandemic-hit people as soon as possible, while priority should be focused on employees who lost their jobs or stopped working due to COVID-19 as well as national contributors, policy beneficiaries, poor household, and disadvantaged children.

On July 1, the Government issued Resolution 68/NQ-CP on several policies supporting employees and employers hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. The resolution on 12 policies to support pandemic-hit employees and employers was issued in the context of the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic having spread on a large scale, affecting many industries and fields.