Acording to the Ministry of Health, mandatory centralised quarantine for entries into Vietnam and direct contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases will be extended from the current 14 days to 21 days.
The decision is made after consultation with epidemiologists and virologists in light of new variants of the virus prompting revisions to our knowledge of disease incubation time.
The new protocol aims to “protect the community from the spread of coronavirus” amid recent cases found positive following the completion of 14-day quarantine.
The Ministry of Health also requests local health departments and centres for disease control to strictly comply with centralised quarantine protocols to avoid cross-infection within quarantine facilities and transfer people who have completed centralised quarantine to the authorities in their residence.
The follow-up medical observation period at home for those who have completed centralised quarantine will be cut from two weeks to seven days.
All localities are requested to review cases of foreigners entering Vietnam and screen high-risks groups of people like those in service sectors like at discotheques, bars, karaoke bars, and massage parlours for COVID-19.
The general public are asked for strict observance of basic prevention and control measures like 5K – Khẩu trang (face mask), Khử khuẩn (disinfection), Khoảng cách (distance), Không tụ tập (no large gatherings), and Khai báo y tế (health declaration).
By Phuong Loan
