Quyết định 1053/QD-BYT

DECISION

ON ISSUANCE OF GUIDELINES FOR WEARING MASKS IN THE PUBLIC FOR COVID-19 PREVENTION AND CONTROL

THE MINISTER OF HEALTH

Implementation of the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases 2007;

Pursuant to Government's Decree No. 75/2017/ND-CP dated June 20, 2017 on functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of the Ministry of Health;

Pursuant to Notice No. 367/TB-VPCP dated October 21, 2020 of the Government Office announcing the conclusion of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the Standing meeting of the Government on COVID-19 prevention and control;

At the request of Director of Department of Preventive Medicine affiliated to the Ministry of Health,

HEREBY DECIDES:

Article 1. Promulgate together with this Decision "Guidelines for wearing masks in the public for COVID-19 prevention and control".

Article 2. This Decision comes into force as of the date of signing.

Article 3. The Chief of the Ministry Office; the Ministerial Chief Inspector; Directors, Director General of Departments, General Departments affiliated to the Ministry of Health; Directors of hospitals affiliated to the Ministry of Health; Directors of Institutes affiliated to the Ministry of Health; Directors of Departments of Health of provinces or central-affiliated cities; Heads of health ministries and central authorities; Heads of relevant units shall implement this Decision.

GUIDELINES

FOR WEARING MASKS IN THE PUBLIC FOR COVID-19 PREVENTION AND CONTROL
(Issued together with Decision No.   /QD-BYT dated February 6, 2021 of the Ministry of Health)

I. PURPOSE

1. Prevent and control the spread of COVID-19 pandemic in the community in order to coexist safely with the pandemic in a new normal state (when no outbreak of COVID-19 has been detected in the community).

2. Specific provisions on the place, time, and who wear the mask in public.

II. RULES

1. Guidelines for wearing masks in public places for COVID-19 prevention and control are set based on the droplet transmission in direct human-to-human contact and the risk of COVID-19 spread:

a) Places at risk of exposure to infectious agents.

b) Places with confined spaces.

c) Places with mass gatherings.

d) Places with close contact less than 2 meters.

2. Wear a mask when leaving the house.

3. People with manifestations of acute respiratory infections, people returning from the pandemic area during quarantine period, when in close contact with other people, must wear masks.

4. Persons becoming aware of the risk for COVID-19 infection must wear masks.

5. This guide does not apply to areas or locations where COVID-19 outbreaks are present; people who are performing daily living activities, personal hygiene (sleeping, eating, brushing teeth, bathing, etc.).

III. SCOPE

Applicable to public places or places with mass gatherings, including:

1. Places at risk of exposure to infectious agents: Health facilities; concentrated medical isolation facilities; households and places of residence where someone is under home-based isolation or is under medical supervision 14 days from the date of issuance of the decision on completion of concentrated isolation; places where someone has returned from the pandemic zone.

2. Places with confined spaces: Bars; dance clubs; karaoke; massage parlors, beauty salons; gym and fitness centers; headquarters; industrial parks, factories, enterprises, production and business establishments; establishments serving food and beverages to the customers on-premise; meetings, conferences, seminars, training (according to regulations of the organizing board or the person authorized to convene).

3. Places with mass gatherings: Apartment buildings; schools; train stations, bus stations, ports, lounges and on public transport; shopping malls, supermarkets; wholesale markets, local markets, shops providing essential services; funerals, weddings; places of sightseeing, tourism, pleasure and entertainment; spiritual areas; indoor and outdoor events with mass gatherings; outdoor areas for playing, physical training, and activities; traffic stop signs, signals, markings.

4. Places with close contact less than 2 meters.

IV. CONTENTS

1. Places at risk of exposure to infectious agents

a) At health facilities, concentrated medical isolation facilities

- Patients, caregivers, health workers, managers, employees, people coming to health facilities, people suspected of having diseases required to wear medical masks.

- The isolator in a single room, the patient undergoing medical procedures as indicated by the doctor, is not required to wear a mask.

b) In households with individuals isolated at home

- The individual isolated at home and people living in the same house must wear medical masks.

- Any guest on arrival, departure and during the time visiting or working in the household with an individual isolated at home must wear a mask.

2. Places with confined spaces

a) At bars; dance clubs; karaoke; massage parlors, beauty salons; gym and fitness centers.

- Customers arriving and leaving bars and dance clubs; karaoke; massage parlors, beauty salons; gym and fitness centers must wear masks.

- Recommend customers to wear masks during times that do not interfere with their service usage and their performances that do not affect their health.

- Service staff, managers, workers at bars; dance clubs; karaoke; massage parlors, beauty salons; gym and fitness centers must wear masks upon arrival, departure and during work hours.

b) At offices, industrial parks, factories, enterprises, production and business establishments.

- Officials and public employees, workers must wear masks when arriving, leaving and when in contact with visitors for visiting or working purposes.

- Visitors on arrival, departure and during the process of working at offices, industrial parks, factories, enterprises, production and business establishments must wear masks.

c) At establishments serving food and beverages to the customers on-premise (including street food).

- Customers who arrive, leave and while waiting in line for service must wear masks.

- Service staff, sellers, managers, and workers on arrival, departure and during their time working at establishments must wear masks .

d) At meetings, conferences, seminars or training sessions.

- Attendees and organizers of meetings, conferences, seminars and training sessions must wear masks during the meeting.

- The person who presents or gives opinions is not required to wear a mask.

- For high-level meetings of ceremonial and diplomatic nature, internal meetings of agencies and units that may control the attendees’ risk of infection, the wearing mask requirement shall be decided by the organizing board.

3. Places with mass gatherings

a) At apartment buildings

- All residents must wear masks when leaving their apartments.

- Guests visiting, leaving and working must wear masks in the space outside of the apartments.

- Service staff, managers and workers in the apartment building must wear masks during their working time.

b) At schools

At preschools, kindergartens

- People who drop off or pick up the kids (parents, guardians) must wear masks for themselves and for the kids.

- Teachers, service staff, administrators, and workers at the school must wear masks when arriving, leaving and interacting with visitors and with people who drop off and pick up kids.

- Visitors must wear masks during the school visit and work.

At primary schools

- People who drop off or pick up the students (parents, guardians) must wear masks for themselves and remind the students to wear masks.

- Students must wear masks while going to school and when leaving.

- Teachers, service staff, administrators, and workers at the school must wear masks when arriving, leaving and interacting with visitors and with people who drop off and pick up the students.

- Visitors must wear masks during the school visit and work.

At lower secondary schools, upper secondary schools, and centralized educational institutions

- Students must wear masks when coming to school, when leaving and when in contact with visitors.

- Teachers, service staff, administrators, and workers at the school must wear masks when arriving, leaving and interacting with visitors.

- Visitors must wear masks during the school visit and work.

c) At train stations, bus stations, ports, lounges and on public transport and for shippers

- Passengers on arrival, departure and during the process of waiting and checking in at the train station, bus station, port, waiting room and on public transport must wear masks.

- The operator and the attendant on a public transport must wear masks during work.

- The shippers must wear masks when dealing with customers.

- Service staff, managers and workers must wear masks on arrival, departure and during their time working at train stations, bus stations, ports and lounges.

d) At shopping malls, supermarkets, transaction places

- Customers on arrival, departure and during the time at shopping malls, supermarkets or transaction places must wear masks.

- Service staff, managers and workers on arrival, departure and during their time working at shopping malls, supermarkets, and transaction places must wear masks.

dd) At wholesale markets, local markets, shops providing essential services (selling, repairing, etc.)

- Buyers who come to, leave, and while shopping in markets or shops providing essential services must wear masks.

- Sellers, managers, and employees on arrival, departure and during the sale, working at markets, shops providing essential services must wear masks.

e) At funerals, death anniversaries, weddings, engagement parties, celebrations

- All attendees on arrival, departure and during funerals, death anniversaries, weddings, engagement parties, and celebrations must wear masks except for those who are speaking or performing.

- The organizers, service staff, managers, workers on arrival and departure and during the time working at funerals, death anniversaries, weddings, engagement parties, and celebrations must wear masks.

g) At places of sightseeing, tourism and entertainment; spiritual areas

- All participants on arrival, departure and during the stay at the place of sightseeing, tourism or entertainment; spiritual areas must wear masks except for those who are speaking or performing.

- Service staff, managers, workers on arrival, departure and during the time working at the place of sightseeing, tourism, and entertainment; the spiritual areas must wear masks.

h) At indoor events with mass gatherings (movie theaters, theaters, circuses, sport venue, studios, etc.)

- All attendees on arrival, departure and during the event must wear masks except for those who are performing, competing or speaking.

- The event organizers, service staff, managers, and workers on arrival, departure and during the time of working at the indoor event with mass gatherings must wear masks.

i) At outdoor events with mass gatherings (sport, music, rally, etc.)

- All attendees on arrival, departure and during the event must wear masks except for those who are performing, competing or speaking and events that ensure a minimum distance of 2 meters for attendees.

- The event organizers, service staff, managers, and workers on arrival, departure and during the time of working at the outdoor event with mass gatherings must wear masks.

k) At outdoor areas for playing, physical training, activities (flower gardens, parks, squares, etc.); traffic stop signs, signals, markings

- All participants are required to wear masks when in close contact less than 2 meters with people who are not in regular contact.

- Service staff, managers and workers on arrival, departure and during their working time in the outdoor areas for playing, physical training, and activities must wear masks.

V. IMPLEMENTATION

1. People’s Committees of provinces and central-affiliated cities

- Direct and organize the strict implementation of wearing masks in public places, and impose penalties on cases of not wearing masks according to regulations on the basis of the COVID-19 situation and actual circumstances in localities.

- Decide on areas and locations where COVID-19 outbreaks are occurring on the basis of the consultation of the Department of Health to strictly apply appropriate anti-pandemic measures without applying this guidance.

2. The ministries, departments and branches, according to their competence and scope of management, shall intensify, urge, remind and inspect the implementation of this guidance.

3. Department of Health, relevant departments, agencies, local authorities in the assigned sectors shall directly manage, guide and organize the implementation, inspection, supervision and strictly take actions against violations in the management areas.

4. The Department of Health shall act as the focal point responsible for consolidating and reporting the implementation results to the People's Committees of provinces and cities and the Ministry of Health according to regulations.

5. Heads of organizations, facilities, locations and areas assigned for management within the scope of application of the guidelines are responsible for organizing the implementation, urging, reminding, regularly checking and enabling everyone to strictly follow this guide.

APPENDIX:

GUIDELINES FOR WEARING MASKS FOR PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC

1. How to wear a mask properly

- Step 1: Wash your hands properly with soap or antibacterial hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol before wearing a mask.

- Step 2: Identify the upper and lower parts of the mask.

- Step 3: Identify the inside and outside by seam or the darker side on the outside.

- Step 4: Wear and adjust to cover the nose and mouth to ensure that there is no gap between the face and the mask.

Note: Do not touch the outside of the mask during use. If touched, wash hands properly with soap and antibacterial hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol.

2. Dispose of the mask

- Step 1: When removing the mask, only hold the strap behind the ear (do not touch the outside of the mask).

- Step 2: Put the mask in a sealed bag (if any) and/or put in the dustbin with a tight lid for a disposable mask.

- Step 3: Wash your hands properly with soap or antiseptic hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol.

Note: Change or discard the following mask:  each use or when soiled. Absolutely no reuse for disposable masks.

3. Reuse of the 870 mask (anti-droplet antibacterial fabric mask)

- Wash by hand.

- Wash separately.

- Air-dry, machine-dry or iron.

- The number of times of reuse: Carefully read the manufacturer's instructions and recommendations printed on the product's packaging or labels.