Công văn 4688/UBND-KGVX

Implementing Official Dispatch No. 4995/BYT-DP dated 20/9/2020 by the Ministry of Health on temporary guidance on supervision of people entering Vietnam (attached document), the People’s Committee of Hanoi would like to request you to follow the guidelines from the Ministry of Health and pay attention to the following matters:

I. Regulated entities and scope

1) For persons who enter Vietnam to work for more than 14 days, including foreigners holding diplomatic passports or official passports, investors, highly-skilled workers, business managers, and those under cooperation agreements and their relatives; international students; foreign relatives of Vietnamese citizens (hereinafter referred to as “entrants”) from countries where the pandemic is under control (according to notifications from the Government and Ministry of Health).

2) Compliance with quarantine requirements from Vietnamese citizens and persons entering Vietnam from other countries shall be supervised as per existing regulations.

II. Implementation

1. Before entry

- Regulatory bodies and organizations inviting entrants to Vietnam and representatives of foreign relatives in Vietnam shall carry out procedures for entrants according to the guidelines in Official Dispatch No. 2205/UBND-KGVX dated 04/6/2020 by the People’s Committee of Hanoi on receipt and quarantine of foreign experts for COVID-19 prevention and control. Register a concentrated quarantine facility, which has been approved by the People's Committee of Hanoi, for the entrants to undergo quarantine and each entrant’s specific work schedule in Vietnam

- Entrants shall prepare a certificate confirming negative SARS-CoV-2 result (in English) tested by the viral RNA (RT-PCR/RT-LAMP, etc.) detection from a competent health authority 3-5 days before entry.

2. Upon arrival at Noi Bai international airport

The Department of Health shall direct Hanoi CDC to perform the following tasks:

a) Check the certificate confirming negative SARS-CoV-2 result.

b) Take body temperature and perform medical examination to detect suspected cases. Upon detection of a suspected case, take mandatory handling measures. Instruct the entrants on how to complete electronic health declaration, and install and use tracing applications.

c) Cooperate with Northern Airports Authority in streamlining and handing the entrants over to management boards of concentrated quarantine facilities, which will receive and transport the entrants to their facilities, according to regulations on COVID-19 prevention and control in the guidelines promulgated together with Decision No. 1246/QD-BYT dated 20/3/2020 by the Ministry of Health.

d) Conduct quick testing at the airport when all conditions are satisfied according to the decision from the Hanoi steering committee for epidemic prevention and control and guidelines of the Ministry of Health.

3. In concentrated quarantine facilities

The People’s Committees of the districts where concentrated quarantine facilities are located have the power to direct management boards of concentrated facilities to perform the following tasks:

- Receive entrants and place them under quarantine according to regulations in Decision No. 1246/QD-BYT dated 20/3/2020 by the Ministry of Health.

- Collect samples from entrants to test for SARS-COV-2 by RT-PCR/RT-LAMP or other methods and collect testing fees. To be specific:

+ Collect the first sample immediately upon arrival at the concentrated facility. If the result is positive, transport the entrant to the designated treatment facility. Otherwise, continue to place the entrant under quarantine and medical supervision until it is time to collect the second sample.

+ The second sample from all entrants shall be collected on the sixth day after the date of entry or immediately upon appearance of a suggestive symptom. If the test result is positive, transport the entrant to the designated treatment facility. Close contact of the entrant shall undergo quarantine for the next 14 days.

Otherwise, the entrant may move to their lodging (house, official residence or workplace) to self-quarantine until they have been under quarantine for a total of 14 days according to regulations in Decision No. 879/QD-BYT dated 12/3/2020 and take measures against COVID-19 according to applicable guidelines from the Ministry of Health.

- Management boards of concentrated facilities shall cooperate with regulatory bodies and organizations inviting entrants to Vietnam in transporting entrants from concentrated facilities to their lodgings (on separate vehicles according to regulations of the Ministry of Health); notifying and handing entrants over to the local government (together with the handover record) for management and guidance on quarantine in lodgings.

4. At lodgings

The People’s Committees of district where entrants’ lodgings are located shall direct the following tasks:

- For the People’s Committees of communes where entrants’ lodgings are located: receive the entrants and supervise their quarantine process; immediately notify the health authority upon appearance of any suggestive symptom; and give instructions on provision of full name, address and phone number of persons having contact with the entrants (if any) during the 14-day period to the entrants.

- For district-level health centers: collect samples for SARS-COV-2 testing by RT-PCR/RT-LAMP or other methods from entrants who develop suggestive symptoms and before end of the quarantine period according to guidelines from the Ministry of Health. Transfer any entrant testing positive for SARS-COV-2 or suspected to have contracted the disease to the isolation and treatment facility as per regulations. For entrants testing negative for the virus, the People's Committees of communes where the entrants’ lodgings are located shall issue the decision on end of quarantine.

III. Task assignment

1. Department of Health

Direct Hanoi CDC and district-level health centers to comply with temporary guidance on supervision of entrants according to regulations from the Ministry of Health and People’s Committee of Hanoi.

Cooperate with other provincial departments, regulatory bodies and district-level People’s Committees in inspecting and supervising quarantine of entrants as per regulations.

2. Department of Tourism

Take charge and cooperate with the Department of Health and district-level People’s Committees in directing hotels permitted to receive entrants for quarantine by the People's Committee of Hanoi to strictly adhere to regulations on COVID-19 prevention and control according to temporary guidance on supervision of entrants in Hanoi.

3. Hanoi police

Take charge and cooperate with the Department of Health, Department of Tourism and relevant units in ensuring public order and social security and supervising COVID-19 prevention and control measures imposed upon entrants as per regulations.

4. District-level People’s Committees

(1) People’s Committees of districts where concentrated quarantine facilities approved by the People’s Committee of Hanoi are located shall direct the management boards of these facilities to comply with guidelines for COVID-19 prevention and control applicable to entrants promulgated together with Decision No. 1246/QD-BYT and temporary guidance on supervision of entrants in Hanoi.

 (2) People’s Committees of districts where entrants’ lodgings are located shall direct the commune-level People’s Committees to receive entrants and carry out medical supervision according to regulations.

The People’s Committee of Hanoi would like to request you and relevant regulatory bodies, units, organizations and individuals to perform the abovementioned tasks seriously; and report to the People’s Committee of Hanoi and Ministry of Health as per regulations (reports shall be sent to the Department of Health for consolidation)./.