HCMC – People returning to their hometowns from HCMC, Binh Duong, Dong Nai and Long An, which are the coronavirus hotspots in southern Vietnam, will not be sent to a state-run isolation facility if they have received two Covid-19 vaccine shots or have recovered from the disease within the past six months, according to the Ministry of Health.
Under an urgent dispatch issued by the ministry today, October 6, these fully vaccinated returnees will just monitor their health for seven days and take a Covid test on the first day of their arrival, the local media reported.
Meanwhile, partially vaccinated people will have to self-quarantine at home for seven days and monitor their health for another week. They will be tested on the first and seventh days after their arrival.
The unvaccinated will be sent to a state-run quarantine center for 14 days, and then spend two more weeks monitoring their health at home. They will be tested on the first, 7th and 14th days.
As for those who have been vaccinated or treated for Covid-19 abroad, their vaccination and recovery certificates will be checked and recognized in line with the instructions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
According to the Ministry of Health, the pandemic has been brought under control in HCMC and other southern provinces but the trajectory of the pandemic remains unpredictable.
The ministry asked the governments of HCMC, Binh Duong, Dong Nai and Long An to closely coordinate with other provinces to ensure safety for those wanting to get back to their hometowns and reach a consensus on testing.
Local public health authorities must conduct Covid-19 testing for all people returning from the four Covid-hit southern localities on their date of arrival.
They must also direct the Departments of Health and the governments of districts and communes to receive, manage and monitor the returnees.
Based on their conditions, the Departments of Health can establish pop-up healthcare stations to take care of people under quarantine.
Localities will ensure anti-Covid measures, create the most favorable conditions for residents and prevent overload and cross infection at centralized quarantine centers.
