To:

- Southern Airports Authority;
- Maritime Administration of Ho Chi Minh City;
- Departments and provincial authorities;
- The People's Committees of districts and Thu Duc City
- Center for Disease Control of Ho Chi Minh City;
- Medical Centers of districts and Thu Duc City
- Public and private health facilities;

Pursuant to Official Dispatch No.10688/BYT-MT dated December 16, 2021 of the Ministry of Health on COVID-19 prevention and control associated with entrants;

Pursuant to the direction of Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City according to Official Dispatch No.9952/VP-VX dated December 22, 2021 of the People's Committee on COVID-19 prevention and control associated with entrants.

To ensure the full implementation of COVID-19 prevention and control measures associated with entrants according to current regulations, the Department of Health requests the agencies and units to cooperate in implementation of the following tasks:

1. Apply the requirements for monitoring COVID-19 prevention and control to entrant who resides and stays in the City (except for the entrant entering for short-term work and other entry cases according to regulations of National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, the Ministry of Health or bilateral cooperation agreement)

1.1 General requirements for COVID-19 prevention and control:

- The entrant must obtain proof of negative SARS-CoV-2 test result (by RT-PCR/RT-LAMP method) within 72 hours prior to entry into Vietnam and be issued with certificate by the competent authority of the country where the entrant was tested (except for children under 2 years of age).

...

...

...

- Within 24 hours after entering Vietnam, the entrant shall notify the health station and local authority of his/her entry and residence or accommodation for monitoring in accordance with regulations.

- The entrant shall strictly comply with 5K Rules throughout the process of moving from the border checkpoint to the place of residence or accommodation in Vietnam and the period of monitoring health, especially when the entrant goes out for testing or vaccination according to regulations.

1.2 Requirements for medical supervision:

- If the entrant has been fully vaccinated against or recovered from COVID-19:

o During the first three days upon entry: self monitor their health at the place of residence or accommodation (house, hotel, hostel, resort, office building of representative body, dormitory, guest house of business establishment, etc.); and must not make direct contact with people around or leave the place of residence or accommodation.

o Take a RT-PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 on the third day of stay upon entry.

o If the result returns negative, continue to self-monitor health until the end of the 14-day period from the date of entry; if the result shows positive, notify the local health station for instructions.

- If the entrant has not been vaccinated or fully vaccinated

o Stay in quarantine at the place of residence or accommodation for 7 days from the date of entry.

...

...

...

o Take a RT-PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 on the third day and seventh day of stay upon entry.

o If the result returns negative, continue to self-monitor health until the end of the 14-day period from the date of entry; if the result shows positive, notify the local health station for instructions.

- Entrants who are under 18 years old or above 65 years old, pregnant women or people having underlying health conditions may stay in quarantine along with their parents or caregivers (hereinafter referred to as “caregivers”). The caregivers must be fully vaccinated or have recovered from COVID-19 and sign written commitment to voluntarily stay in quarantine with the entrant after having been informed of the risks of infection. They will also be subject to the same stringent testing regimes and COVID-19 prevention and control measures as those applicable to entrants.

1.3 Requirements for transport of entrant from the border checkpoint to his/her place of residence or accommodation

The driver of vehicle that transports entrant shall avoid stopping and parking during the trip; in special/emergency cases where the vehicle has to be stopped or parked during the trip, safety measures must be taken to ensure Covid-19 safety.

1.4 Requirements for SARS-CoV-2 test:

- The entrant shall contact the local public or private healthcare facility in order to take RT-PCR test; pay for testing cost as prescribed in Resolution No. 16/NQ-CP dated February 8, 2021 of the Government on quarantine and healthcare expenses and particular regimes in COVID-19 prevention and control

- In addition to the RT-PCR test while self-monitoring health or during quarantine, the entrant is recommended to self-perform a rapid antigen test on the first day of stay upon entry; if the result shows positive, the entrant shall notify the local health station for instructions.

2. The People's Committees of districts and Thu Duc City shall:

...

...

...

- Assign specific units and departments to be responsible for receiving information about entrants and their places of residence or accommodation from Center for Disease Control, agencies, units and businesses that have entrants or their local places of residence or accommodation; publicly announce agencies that are responsible for receiving by many forms so that units and organization actively contact.

- Direct the management and monitoring of quarantine at places of residence or accommodation and comply with regulations on COVID-19 prevention and control associated with entrants in order to prevent from cross-inspection and disease spread to the community; strictly handle violation cases that cause disease spread.

- Strengthen the management of the places of residence or accommodation, promptly receive information about entrants in order to implement COVID-19 prevention and control measures according to regulations; monitor the local places of residence or accommodation under their management and report information about entrants to the local authorities.

- Direct relevant units to cooperate with the health sector in carrying out inspecting home quarantine associated with entrants who have not been vaccinated or fully vaccinated after the entrants go to their places of residence/accommodation.

3. Department of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs shall:

- Publicize regulations of COVID-19 prevention and control associated with entrants for diplomatic missions, enterprises and units of Ho Chi Minh City in order to instruct those who want to enter the city.

- Request the agencies, enterprises and units that have entrants to provide vaccination certificates, certificates of recovery from COVID-19 (if any) and accurate information about the places of residence, accommodation or quarantine of entrants who entry Ho Chi Minh City in approval application on arrival, take responsibility for complying with COVID-19 prevention and control measures of entrants of the units according to regulations.

- Cooperate with the health sector in managing information about entrants according to their specialty (diplomatic staffs, experts, workers...) in order to organize monitoring of COVID-19 prevention and control in accordance with current regulations.

4. Department of Tourism shall:

...

...

...

- Cooperate with the health sector in directing the places of residence or accommodation to ensure good conditions according to regulations if they organize quarantine for entrants (both home quarantine and concentrated quarantine); inspect and monitor the places of residence or accommodation in accordance with regulations of COVID-19 prevention and control associated with persons who are staying during the period of monitoring health or quarantine after entering.

5. Department of Transport shall:

- Publicize the regulations and requirements for transporting entrants from the border checkpoint to the places of residence or accommodation for passenger transport units and enterprises under their management competence

- Organize inspection and supervision of complying with COVID-19 prevention and control according to regulations of passenger transport units and enterprises.

6. Southern Airports Authority, Maritime Administration of Ho Chi Minh City; Tan Son Nhat International Airport shall:

- Publicize new regulations of COVID-19 prevention and control associated with entrants for entrants who enter Ho Chi Minh City by flights and ships

- Request airlines and shipping agents to provide lists of entrants who enter Ho Chi Minh City by flights or ships according to each flight or ship to the Department of International Quarantine Service at the border checkpoint (affiliated to Center for Disease Control of Ho Chi Minh City) at least 24 hours before entry, provide information about the places of residence or accommodation in Vietnam to transfer to the local authorities where prepare for the reception and monitoring of entrants according to regulations.

- Organize the inspection of health declaration information of entrants at the border checkpoint in order to have accurate and detailed information about addresses of places of residence or accommodation.

- Cooperate with relevant units in picking up entrants at airports and seaports to ensure security and epidemic prevention and control, strictly classify and monitor to prevent passengers from having contact with other people who are not responsible for picking up the entrants.

...

...

...

Publicize new regulations of COVID-19 prevention and control associated with entrants for officials, employees, authorities and affiliated units; instruct entrants to comply with the requirements for COVID-19 prevention and control.

8. Center for Disease Control of Ho Chi Minh City shall:

- Develop a detailed process for receiving information about entrants from airlines and shipping agents and transferring them to their local places of residence or accommodation in order to cooperate in implementing measures of COVID-19 prevent and control associated with entrants and clearly stating the time and tasks of the authorities; publicize the process and contents for relevant units in order to cooperate in implementing.

- Instruct Medical Centers of districts and Thu Duc City to cooperate with public health stations and local authorities in implementing measures of COVID-19 prevention and control associated with entrants according to current regulations. Inspect and monitor COVID-19 prevention and control associated with entrants in Ho Chi Minh City.

- Cooperate with functional units at airports and seaports in receiving information about flights and entrants according to their places of residence or accommodation and transferring this information to local authorities in order to monitor COVID-19 prevention and control associated with entrants according to regulations.

- Take charge and cooperate with information and mass communication agencies in carrying out dissemination of information and publicizing regulations of COVID-19 prevention and control associated with entrants

- Cooperate with the Centers for Disease Control of the provinces in implementing measures of COVID-19 prevention and control associated with entrants who enter Ho Chi Minh City through border checkpoints and move to other provinces or entrants who enter other provinces through border checkpoints and then return to stay in the Ho Chi Minh City.

9. Medical Centers of districts and Thu Duc City shall:

- Take charge of COVID-19 prevention and control associated with entrants in the locality; cooperate with local authorities in inspection and assurance the home quarantine conditions of entrants.

...

...

...

- Organize SARS-CoV-2 tests for entrants according to current regulations or instruct entrants to contact medical facilities for testing.

- Vaccinate entrants who are Vietnamese citizens, overseas Vietnamese and their relatives (including their husband, wife and children) who have not been vaccinated and fully vaccinated (free vaccine) during the quarantine time (if possible).

10. Health facilities and laboratories shall:

Record all information and enter test results into the software (CDS) according to regulations of the Department of Health when they receive entrants who test for SARS-CoV-2. Immediately enter into the software and notify entrants if the test results are positive.

11. The measures for COVID-19 prevention and control for entrants under this Official Dispatch shall apply as of January 1, 2022 and this Official Dispatch does not apply to those who entered Vietnam and have quarantined and done health monitoring as prescribed before the date on which this Official Dispatch comes into force.

The difficulties that arise during the implementation must be reported to the Ministry of Health for consideration.

(Issued together with Official Dispatch No.10688/BYT-MT dated December 16, 2021 of the Ministry of Health)

...

...

...