Yesterday, the Ministry of Health sent an official dispatch to ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government agencies, People's Committees of provinces and cities on the prevention of the Covid-19 epidemic for the arrival of people from foreign countries.

In the official dispatch, the Ministry of Health stated that in implementing the Government's Resolution No. 128/NQ-CP on safe adaptation and effective control of the Covid-19 epidemic and other documents, the Ministry of Health issued its guidelines for carrying out measures to prevent the Covid-19 epidemic for people entering Vietnam by air.

Accordingly, regarding the general requirements of epidemic prevention, the Ministry of Health stated that all passengers on domestic flights must present a negative Covid-test (quick test or RTPCR) taken no longer than 72 hours before boarding time, except for children under 2 years old.

Moreover, they ought to make a medical declaration before entry. When entering Vietnam, passengers necessarily install and use the medical declaration application (PC-COVID) to make medical declarations and monitor health according to Vietnam's regulations.

If an overseas Vietnamese and his/her relatives including spouse and children who have not been vaccinated or have not received enough doses of the Covid-19 vaccine enter Vietnam, they will get the free-of-charge vaccine during the quarantine time. They have to pay for testing costs, medical isolation, medical examination and treatment, and other related expenses in the prevention and control of the Covid-19 epidemic according to the Government’s provisions of Resolution No. 16 on the cost of medical isolation, medical examination, and treatment and some specific regimes in the prevention of the Covid-19 epidemic.

Under the Ministry of Health’s regulation, in the first three days after entry date, people must self-monitor their health at the residence including houses, hotels, motels, resorts, headquarters of representative missions, dormitories, clinics, guest houses of production and business establishments. Overseas Vietnamese people are not allowed to contact people around and to leave their residence.

Additionally, they must undergo a test for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR method on the first and third day from entry day. If the test result is negative for SARS-CoV-2, they ought to continue monitoring their health condition until the end of 14 days from the date of entry.

Not fully vaccinated visitors to Vietnam with negative Covid-19 test results may be permitted to shorten their period of quarantine on entry at an assigned facility to seven days after entering the Southeast Asian country. Last but not least, they must undergo a test for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR method on the first and seventh day from entry day.

For those under 18 years of age, senior people aged 65 or older, pregnant women, and people with underlying medical conditions (but not being monitored or treated at medical facilities) are kept isolated with their parents or caregivers. Caregivers are asked to receive a full dose of the Covid-19 vaccine or have recovered from Covid-19 and must sign a commitment to voluntary isolation because they are at risk of infection arising from contact with these people above-mentioned.

The Ministry of Health also requires that during health monitoring, people on entry always fully comply with 5K regulations. If they have experienced cough, fever, difficulty breathing, sore throat, they should immediately notify the local health department for monitoring.

Source: Sai Gon Giai Phong

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