Circular No. 46/2014/TT-BYT dated December 05, 2014 of the Ministry of Health guiding the health quarantine process

CIRCULAR

Guiding the health quarantine process[1]

Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 103/2010/ND-CP of October 1, 2010, detailing a number of articles of the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases regarding border health quarantine;

Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 63/2012/ND-CP of August 31, 2012, defining the functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of the Ministry of Health;

At the proposal of the Director of the Department of Preventive Medicine;

The Minister of Health promulgates the Circular guiding the health quarantine process.

Chapter I

HEALTH QUARANTINE PROCESS AT ROAD
AND RAILWAY BORDER GATES

Section 1

HEALTH QUARANTINE PROCESS FOR VEHICLES
ON ENTRY AND EXIT OR IN TRANSIT

Article 1.Receipt and processing of information

Health quarantine officers shall receive information about road and railway vehicles (below referred to as vehicles) on entry or exit or in transit from vehicle owners or related agencies, organizations and individuals, process the information and classify vehicles as follows:

1. Vehicles with risky elements include:

a/ Vehicles departing from or traveling through epidemic areas;

b/ Vehicles transporting persons suffering from, or suspected of being infected with, or carrying pathogens of, infectious diseases;

c/ Vehicles transporting cargo carrying or suspected of carrying pathogens of infectious diseases;

d/ Vehicles transporting persons departing from or traveling through epidemic areas or areas being affected with radioactive, chemical or biological elements or other elements which may give rise to a state of emergency in community health (below referred to as risky health elements);

dd/ Vehicles transporting cargo originating from or being transported through epidemic areas or areas being affected with risky elements;

e/ Vehicles carrying disease vectors.

2. Vehicles without risky elements are vehicles which do fall into any of the cases specified in Clause 1 of this Article. Health quarantine officers shall monitor these vehicles according to Article 2 of this Circular, pending the clearance of entry, exit or transit procedures.

3. For vehicles with risky elements, health quarantine officers shall conduct inspection according to Article 3 of this Circular.

Article 2.Monitoring of vehicles without risky elements

1. Contents of monitoring:

a/ Monitoring infectious disease vectors which may penetrate into vehicles;

b/ Monitoring the risk of contamination with risky health elements;

c/ Monitoring cargo unloading and loading;

d/ Monitoring the supply of food for persons on board vehicles.

2. In monitoring a vehicle, health quarantine officers shall apply health inspection measures prescribed in Article 3 of this Circular if detecting that such vehicle falls into any of the following cases:

a/ Having a risky element as prescribed in Clause 1, Article 1 of this Circular;

b/ Failing to meet general sanitary conditions.

3. For vehicles not falling into any of the cases specified in Clause 2 of this Article, health quarantine officers shall finish the quarantine process.

Article 3.Health inspection of vehicles with risky elements

1. Health quarantine officers shall instruct vehicles to enter places of inspection for isolation and carry out the following inspection activities:

a/ Checking the health declarations of vehicles;

b/ Inspecting the general sanitation state of vehicles;

c/ Inspecting infectious disease vectors;

d/ Inspecting risky health elements;

dd/ Assessing the effectiveness of health control measures already applied;

e/ Taking samples for testing, for vehicles suspected of carrying pathogens of group-A infectious diseases or risky health elements.

2. Health quarantine officers shall conduct health control according to Article 4 of this Circular in case inspected vehicles fall into any of the following cases:

a/ Vehicles departing from or traveling through group-A infectious epidemic areas but not yet applied with health control measures;

b/ Vehicles carrying or showing signs of carrying pathogens of group-A infectious diseases, including vehicles transporting persons suffering from, or carrying pathogens of, group-A infectious diseases; vehicles transporting cargo carrying pathogens of group-A infectious diseases, and vehicles carrying or showing signs of carrying pathogens of group-A infectious diseases in other cases;

c/ Vehicles contaminated with risky health elements.

3. In case inspected vehicles do not fall into any of the cases specified in Clause 2 of this Article, health quarantine officers shall finish the health quarantine process and notify border gate management agencies thereof for clearance of entry, exit or transit procedures for the vehicles.

Article 4.Health control

1. Vehicles falling into any of the cases specified at Points a and b, Clause 2, Article 3 of this Circular are subject to measures for disinfecting and annihilating infectious disease pathogens and vectors.

2. Vehicles specified at Point c, Clause 2, Article 3 of this Circular are subject to measures for eliminating risky elements.

3. After completing health control as prescribed in Clause 1 or 2 of this Article, health quarantine officers shall grant health control certificates and finish the quarantine process.

Section 2

HEALTH QUARANTINE PROCESS FOR PERSONS
ON ENTRY OR EXIT OR IN TRANSIT

Article 5.Receipt and processing of information

Health quarantine officers shall receive health information of persons on board vehicles from vehicle owners or related agencies, organizations or individuals, process the information and classify such persons as follows:

1. Persons with risky elements include:

a/ Persons departing from or traveling through epidemic areas;

b/ Persons departing from or traveling through areas affected with risky health elements;

c/ Persons on board vehicles with risky elements specified in Clause 1, Article 1 or escorting goods with risky elements specified in Clause 1, Article 9 of this Circular;

d/ Persons suspected of being infected with, or carrying pathogens of, infectious diseases;

dd/ Persons showing signs of being exposed to risky health elements.

2. Persons without risky elements are those who do not fall into any of the cases specified in Clause 1 of this Article. Health quarantine officers shall monitor these persons according to Article 6 of this Circular.

3. For persons with risky elements, health quarantine officers shall:

a/ Collect information about:

- The health conditions of persons suffering from, or suspected of being affected with, infectious diseases and their companions;

- Health measures already applied to persons suffering from, or suspected of being affected with, infectious diseases;

- The number of persons in close contact with persons suffering from, or suspected of being affected with, infectious diseases, and the number of persons on board vehicles;

- Health measures to be applied.

b/ Make reports to heads of border gate quarantine units;

c/ Conduct health inspection of persons with risky elements according to Article 7 of this Circular.

Article 6.Monitoring of persons without risky elements

1. Health quarantine officers shall monitor persons without risky elements as follows:

a/ Observing the physical status;

b/ Supervising the body temperature.

2. In monitoring a person, if detecting that such person has a risky element as prescribed in Clause 1, Article 5 of this Circular, health quarantine officers shall conduct health inspection according to Article 7 of this Circular.

3. In case persons on entry and exit or in transit do not fall into any of the cases specified in Clause 1 of Article 5, health quarantine officers shall finish the quarantine process.

Article 7.Health inspection of persons with risky elements

1. Health quarantine officers shall apply the following measures:

a/ Inspecting health declarations according to Circular No. 32/2012/TT-BYT of December 24, 2012, promulgating regulations on health declaration by persons on entry and exit or in transit at Vietnamese border gates (below referred to as Circular No. 32/2012/TT-BYT);

b/ Checking the international certificates of vaccination or prophylaxis (if any);

c/ Observing the physical status;

d/ Measuring the body temperature;

dd/ Conducting clinical examination, for persons suspected of being infected with, or carrying pathogens of, infectious diseases;

e/ Assessing the effectiveness of health control measures already taken;

g/ Taking samples for testing, for persons suspected of being infected with group-A infectious diseases.

2. Health quarantine officers shall conduct health control according to Article 8 of this Circular if inspected persons fall into any of the following cases:

a/ Being suspected of suffering from, or carrying pathogens of, group-A infectious diseases;

b/ Being exposed to risky health elements;

c/ Being in contact with persons on entry who fall into the case specified at Point a or b of this Clause;

d/ Having no international certificate of vaccination or prophylaxis or having an expired certificate, for persons departing from or arriving to areas being hit by epidemics requiring vaccination or prophylaxis.

3. In case inspected persons do not fall into any of the cases specified in Clause 2 of this Article, health quarantine officers shall finish the health quarantine process and notify border gate management agencies thereof for clearance of entry, exit or transit procedures for such persons.

Article 8.Health control

1. For persons suspected of suffering from, or carrying pathogens of, group-A infectious diseases, health quarantine officers shall:

a/ Apply prophylactic measures;

b/ Transfer these persons to isolation rooms in border-gate areas;

c/ Conduct primary health examination and initial treatment or transfer such persons to medical establishments according to regulations.

2. For persons exposed to risky health elements, in addition to the measures specified in Clause 1 of this Article, depending on the practical situation, health quarantine officers may further apply disinfection and sterilization measures so as to eliminate risky health elements.

3. For persons in contact with persons on entry who fall into the case specified in Clause 1 or 2 of this Article, health quarantine officers shall make a list of their full names, telephone numbers and addresses for reporting to competent agencies according to regulations and, at the same time, apply one or more than one of the following measures:

a/ Applying prophylactic measures;

b/ Using vaccines or medical biologicals;

c/ Providing counseling on disease prevention and control.

4. For persons having no international certificate of vaccination or prophylaxis or having an expired certificate, health quarantine officers shall administer vaccines or medical biologicals or apply prophylatic measures in conformity with regulations on infectious disease prevention and control.

5. After completing health control as prescribed in Clause 1, 2 or 3 of this Article, health quarantine officers shall grant international certificates of vaccination or prophylaxis and finish the quarantine process.

Section 3

HEALTH QUARANTINE PROCESS FOR IMPORTED, EXPORTED
AND TRANSITED GOODS

Article 9.Receipt and processing of information

Health quarantine officers shall receive information about goods from their owners or related agencies, organizations and individuals, process the information and classify such goods as follows:

1. Goods with risky elements include:

a/ Goods originating from or being transported through epidemic areas or areas affected with risky health elements;

b/ Goods carrying or showing sign of carrying infectious disease pathogens or vectors;

c/ Goods transported by vehicles with risky elements;

d/ Goods accompanying persons with risky elements;

dd/ Goods posing danger of spreading epidemics as announced by competent agencies.

2. Goods without risky elements are goods which do not fall into any of the cases specified in Clause 1 of this Article. For goods without risky elements, health quarantine officers shall conduct health monitoring and inspect health-related papers according to Article 10 of this Circular.

3. For goods with risky elements, health quarantine officers shall:

a/ Further collect information about health control measures already applied and supposed to be applied;

b/ Conduct health inspection of goods according to Article 11 of this Circular.

Article 10.Monitoring and inspection of health-related papers of goods without risky elements

1. Pending the clearance of import, export or transit procedures for goods, health quarantine officers shall:

a/ Check health declarations, except transited goods not unloaded from transporting vehicles.

b/ Monitor infectious disease vectors which may penetrate into goods;

c/ Monitor other risky health elements which may contaminate goods.

2. In monitoring goods, health quarantine officers shall conduct health inspection according to Article 11 of this Circular if detecting that such goods fall into any of the following cases:

a/ Involving a risky element as prescribed in Clause 1, Article 9 of this Circular;

b/ Failing to meet general sanitary conditions.

3. In case goods do not fall into any of the cases specified in Clause 2 of this Article, health quarantine officers shall grant inspection certificates and finish the quarantine process.

Article 11.Inspection of goods with risky elements

1. For goods specified in Clause 1, Article 9, and Clause 2, Article 10 of this Circular, health quarantine officers shall guide concerned persons to carry goods to places of inspection and:

a/ Check health declarations, except cases in which documentary inspection has been conducted under Point a, Clause 1, Article 10 of this Circular;

b/ Compare declaration contents with the physical state of goods;

c/ Inspect the general sanitation situation;

d/ Inspect infectious disease vectors or risky health elements;

dd/ Inspect the observance of requirements on goods packages and containers shown on goods labels and transportation conditions applicable to such goods;

e/ Assess the effectiveness of health control measures already applied;

g/ Take samples for testing, for the cases specified in Clause 3, Article 13 of the Government’s Decree No. 103/2010/ND-CP of October 1, 2010, detailing a number of articles of the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases regarding border health quarantine.

2. For goods falling into any of the following cases, health quarantine officers shall conduct health control according to Article 12 of this Circular:

a/ Carrying or showing signs of carrying pathogens of group-A infectious diseases;

b/ Being contaminated with risky health elements.

3. For goods not falling into any of the cases specified in Clause 2 of this Article, health quarantine officers shall grant health examination certificates and finish the quarantine process.

Article 12.Health control of goods

1. Goods carrying or showing signs of carrying gems of group-A infectious diseases are subject to the following health control measures:

a/ Disinfection and annihilation of infectious disease pathogens and vectors;

b/ Destruction or re-export, in case of impossibility to annihilate infectious disease pathogens and vectors.

2. For goods contaminated with risky health elements:

a/ Elimination of risky health elements;

b/ Destruction or re-export, in case of impossibility to eliminate risky health elements.

3. After completing health control as prescribed in Clause 1 or 2 of this Article, health quarantine officers shall grant health control certificates for goods and finish the quarantine process.

Section 4

HEALTH QUARANTINE PROCESS FOR HUMAN CORPSES, REMAINS AND ASHES ON ENTRY OR EXIT OR IN TRANSIT

Article 13.Health inspection

1. Health quarantine officers shall apply the following health inspection measures:

a/ Checking health declarations;

b/ Checking health control certificates granted by health organizations of countries of departure;

c/ Comparing health declaration contents with the actual state of human corpses, remains or ashes in accordance with law.

2. For human corpses or remains which have health control certificates and meet all encoffining sanitation requirements and transportation conditions prescribed by the Minister of Health’s Circular No. 02/2009/TT-BYT of May 26, 2009, guiding sanitation in burial and incineration activities (below referred to as Circular No. 02/2009/TT-BYT) and human ashes which meet all preservation and transportation conditions, health quarantine officers shall grant heath quarantine certificates and finish the quarantine process.

3. For human corpses and remains which have no health control certificate or fail to meet encoffining sanitation requirements and transportation conditions prescribed Circular No. 02/2009/TT-BYT and human ashes which fail to meet all preservation and transportation conditions, health quarantine officers shall proceed with health control according to Article 14 of this Circular.

Article 14.Health control

1. Health quarantine officers shall base themselves on physical inspection results to apply the following health control measures:

a/ Requesting transporters to apply sanitation measures according to Circular No. 02/2009/TT-BYT before permitting the cross-border transportation of human copses and remains;

b/ Requesting transporters to comply with preservation and transportation conditions according to regulations before permitting the cross-border transportation of human ashes.

2. After completing health control as prescribed in Clause 1 of this Article, heath quarantine officers shall grant health quarantine certificates for human corpses, remains or ashes.

Section 5

HEALTH QUARANTINE PROCESS FOR BIOMEDICAL MICROORGANISM SAMPLES, BIO-PRODUCTS, HUMAN TISSUES AND BODY ORGANS ON ENTRY OR EXIT OR IN TRANSIT

Article 15.Health inspection

1. Health quarantine officers shall apply the following health inspection measures:

a/ Checking health declarations;

b/ Checking the Minister of Health’s transportation permit;

c/ Comparing declaration contents with preservation and transportation conditions according to the Minister of Health’s regulations.

2. In case biomedical microorganism samples, bio-products, human tissues and body organs have a cross-border transportation permit issued by the Minister of Health and meet all preservation and transportation conditions, health quarantine officers shall grant health quarantine certificates and finish the quarantine process.

3. In case biomedical microorganism samples, bio-products, human tissues and body organs fail to meet preservation and transportation conditions, health quarantine officers shall proceed with health control according to Article 16 of this Circular.

4. Biomedical microorganism samples, bio-products, human tissues and body organs are not allowed for cross-border transportation unless there is a written permit issued by the Minister of Health.

Article 16.Health control

1. Health quarantine officers shall base themselves on physical inspection results to apply appropriate preservation and transportation measures to biomedical microorganism samples, bio-products, human tissues and body organs before allowing their cross-border transportation.

2. After completing health control, health quarantine officers shall grant health quarantine certificates for biomedical microorganism samples, bio-products, human tissues and body organs.

3. After health control measures are applied, if biomedical microorganism samples, bio-products, human tissues and body organs still fail to meet preservation and transportation conditions, they will be prohibited from cross-border transportation.

Chapter II

HEALTH QUARANTINE PROCESS AT INTERNATIONAL AIRPORTS

Section 1

HEALTH QUARANTINE PROCESS FOR AIRCRAFT

Article 17.Receipt and processing of information about aircraft on entry

Before aircraft land, health quarantine officers shall receive information about the flights from airport authorities, cabin crew managers, captains, air traffic control units or airline representatives, process the information and classify the aircraft as follows:

1. Aircraft with risky elements include:

a/ Aircraft departing from or flying through epidemic areas;

b/ Aircraft transporting persons suffering from, or suspected of being infected with, or carrying pathogens of, infectious diseases;

c/ Aircraft transporting cargo carrying or suspected of carrying pathogens of infectious diseases;

d/ Aircraft transporting persons departing from or traveling through epidemic areas or areas affected with risky health elements;

dd/ Aircraft transporting cargo originating from or being transported through epidemic areas or areas affected with risky health elements;

e/ Aircraft carrying disease vectors.

2. Aircraft without risky elements are aircraft which do not fall into any of the cases specified in Clause 1 of this Article. For such aircraft, health quarantine officers shall conduct health monitoring and check health-related papers according to Article 18 of this Circular.

3. For aircraft with risky elements, health quarantine officers shall:

a/ Further collect information on health measures already applied and supposed to be applied;

b/ Conduct health inspection according to Article 19 of this Circular.

Article 18.Monitoring and inspection of health-related papers of aircraft without risky elements

1. After aircraft are led to parking stands, health quarantine officers shall:

a/ Inspect general aviation declarations according to regulations;

b/ Monitor the general sanitation state on board the aircraft;

c/ Monitor infectious disease vectors and other heath risky elements on board the aircraft.

2. In monitoring, health quarantine officers shall apply health inspection measures prescribed in Article 19 of this Circular if detecting an aircraft falling into one of the following cases:

a/ Involving a risky element as prescribed in Clause 1, Article 17 of this Circular;

b/ Failing to meet general sanitary conditions.

3. In case aircraft do not fall into any of the cases specified in Clause 2 of this Article, health quarantine officers shall finish the quarantine process.

Article 19.Health inspection of aircraft with risky elements

1. While aircraft are in parking stands, health quarantine officers shall:

a/ Check health declarations;

b/ Inspect the general sanitation state on board aircraft;

c/ Inspect infectious disease vectors;

d/ Inspect risky health elements;

dd/ Take samples for testing, for aircraft suspected of carrying pathogens of group-A infectious diseases or risky health elements.

2. After conducting inspection as prescribed in Clause 1 of this Article, health quarantine officers shall take health control measures as prescribed in Article 20 of this Circular, if detecting an aircraft falling into one of the following cases:

a/ Aircraft departing from or flying through areas hit by group-A infectious disease epidemics but not yet applied with health control measures;

b/ Aircraft carrying or showing signs of carrying gems of group-A infectious diseases, including aircraft transporting persons suffering from, or carrying pathogens of, group-A infectious diseases, aircraft transporting cargo carrying pathogens of group-A infectious diseases; or aircraft carrying or showing signs of carrying gems of group-A infectious diseases in other cases;

c/ Aircraft contaminated with risky health elements.

3. For aircraft which do not fall into any of the cases specified in Clause 2 of this Article, health quarantine officers shall grant health inspection certificates and finish the quarantine process.

Article 20.Health control of aircraft

1. Aircraft falling into any of the cases specified at Point a or b, Clause 2, Article 19 of this Circular are subject to measures for disinfecting and annihilating infectious disease pathogens and vectors.

2. Aircraft specified at Point c, Clause 2, Article 19 of this Circular are subject to measures for eliminating risky elements.

3. After completing health control as prescribed in Clause 1 or 2 of this Article, health quarantine officers shall grant health control certificates and finish the quarantine process.

Article 21.Health quarantine of aircraft on exit, in transit or border-gate transfer

1. While aircraft park at airports pending the clearance of exit, transit or border-gate transfer procedures, health quarantine officers shall:

a/ Monitor infectious disease vectors or other risky elements which may penetrate into the aircraft;

b/ Monitor the supply of food, unloading or loading of cargo from/to aircraft.

2. In monitoring, if detecting an aircraft falling into any of the case specified in Clause 2, Article 19 of this Circular or conducting cargo loading or unloading activities, health quarantine officers shall take health inspection or health control measures as applicable to aircraft on entry.

3. For aircraft which do not fall into any of the cases specified in Clause 2 of this Article, health quarantine officers shall finish the quarantine process.

Section 2

QUARANTINE PROCESS FOR PERSONS ON ENTRY
OR EXIT OR IN TRANSIT

Article 22.Receipt and processing of information about aviation passengers on entry or exit or in transit

Before aircraft land or pending the clearance of entry, exit or transit procedures, health quarantine officers shall receive health information of passengers and crew members provided by airport authorities, cabin crew managers, captains, air traffic control units or airline representatives, process the information and classify aviation passengers on entry or exit or in transit according to Article 5 of this Circular.

Article 23.Monitoring, health inspection and health control of aviation passengers on entry or exit or in transit

1. The monitoring and health inspection of aviation passengers on entry or exit or in transit must comply with Articles 6 and 7 of this Circular.

2. Health control of aviation passengers on entry or exit or in transit other than those specified in Clause 2, Article 7 of this Circular must comply with Article 8 of this Circular.

Section 3

HEALTH QUARANTINE PROCESS FOR GOODS, HUMAN CORPSES, REMAINS AND ASHES, BIOMEDICAL MICROORGANISM SAMPLES, BIO-PRODUCTS, HUMAN TISSUES AND BODY ORGANS

Article 24.Health quarantine of imported, exported and transited goods at international airports

Health quarantine of imported, exported and transited goods at international airports must comply with Section 3, Chapter I of this Circular.

Article 25.Health quarantine of goods, human corpses, remains and ashes, biomedical microorganism samples, bio-products, human tissues and body organs at international airports

Health quarantine of goods, human corpses, remains, ashes, biomedical microorganism samples, bio-products, human tissues and body organs at international airports must comply with Sections 4 and 5, Chapter I of this Circular.

Chapter III

HEALTH QUARANTINE PROCESS AT WATERWAY
BORDER GATES

Section 1

QUARANTINE PROCESS FOR SHIPS ON ENTRY

Article 26.Receipt and processing of information about ships on entry

Before ships arrive at ports, health quarantine officers shall receive information about the ships from port authorities, shipmasters, shipping agents or ship owners, process the information and classify ships as follows:

1. Ships with risky elements include:

a/ Ships departing from or traveling through epidemic areas;

b/ Ships transporting persons suffering from, or suspected of being infected with, or carrying pathogens of, infectious diseases;

c/ Ships transporting cargo carrying or suspected of carrying pathogens of infectious diseases;

d/ Ships transporting persons departing from or traveling through epidemic areas or areas affected with risky health elements;

dd/ Ships transporting cargo originating from or being transported through epidemic areas or areas affected with risky health elements;

e/ Ships carrying disease vectors.

2. Ships without risky elements are ships which do not fall into any of the cases specified in Clause 1 of this Article. For these ships, health quarantine officers shall conduct health monitoring and check health-related papers according to Article 27 of this Circular.

3. For ships with risky elements, health quarantine officers shall:

a/ Further collect information on health measures already applied and supposed to be applied;

b/ Conduct health inspection according to Article 28 of this Circular.

Article 27.Monitoring and inspection of health-related papers of ships without risky elements

1. After ships are led to places of inspection, health quarantine officers shall:

a/ Check maritime declarations of health and ship sanitation control exemption certificates or ship sanitation control certificates;

b/ Monitor infectious disease vectors;

c/ Monitor the danger of being contaminated with risky heath elements;

d/ Monitor cargo loading and unloading;

dd/ Monitor water and food supplied for persons on board ships.

2. After applying the measures specified in Clause 1 of this Article, health quarantine officers shall apply health inspection measures prescribed in Article 28 of this Circular if detecting ships falling into one of the following cases:

a/ Involving a risky element as prescribed in Clause 1, Article 26 of this Circular;

b/ Failing to meet general sanitary conditions.

3. For ships which do not fall into any of the cases specified in Clause 2 of this Article, health quarantine officers shall grant health inspection certificates for goods and ships on entry or exit, made according to the form provided in Appendix 1 to this Circular, and finish the quarantine process.

Article 28.Health inspection of ships with risky elements

1. After ship are led to places of inspection, health quarantine officers shall:

a/ Inspect maritime declarations of health and ship sanitation control exemption certificates or ship sanitations control certificates, except cases in which documentary inspection has been carried out under Point a, Clause 1, Article 27 of this Circular.

b/ Inspect ships’ general sanitary conditions;

c/ Inspect the sanitary condition of ballast water;

d/ Inspect and monitor infectious disease vectors and other risky health elements on board ships;

dd/ Assess the effectiveness of health measures already applied;

e/ Take samples for testing, for ships suspected of carrying pathogens of group-A infectious diseases or other risky health elements;

g/ Make health inspection minutes according to the form provided Appendix 2 to this Circular.

2. Health quarantine officers shall conduct health control according to Article 29 of this Circular if detecting ships falling into one of the following cases:

a/ Ships departing from or traveling through areas affected wih group-A infectious disease epidemics but not yet applied with health control measures;

b/ Ships carrying or showing signs of carrying gems of group-A infectious diseases, including ships transporting persons suffering from, or carrying pathogens of, group-A infectious diseases, ships transporting cargo carrying pathogens of group-A infectious diseases; and ships carrying or showing signs of carrying gems of group-A infectious diseases in other cases;

c/ Ships contaminated with risky health elements.

3. For ships which do not fall into any of the cases specified in Clause 2 of this Article, health quarantine officers shall:

a/ Grant ship sanitation control exemption certificates or ship sanitation control certificates, for ships which have no ship sanitation control exemption certificate or have an expired ship sanitation control exemption certificate.

b/ Grant certificates of health inspection of cargo and ships on entry or exit.

Article 29.Health control of ships

1. Based on health inspection results, ships may be subject to one or more than one of the following health control measures:

a/ Ship sanitation control measures;

b/ Measures for annihilating infectious disease pathogens or vectors;

c/ Measures for eliminating risky health elements;

d/ Instruction on the disposal or destruction of solid wastes, human and animal excreta;

dd/ Treatment of daily-life water and ballast water.

2. After completing health control as prescribed in Clause 1 of this Article, health quarantine officers shall grant ship sanitation control certificates and finish the quarantine process.

Article 30.Health quarantine of ships on exit, in transit or border-gate transfer

1. While ships anchor at ports, health quarantine officers shall:

a/ Monitor infectious disease vectors or other risky health elements which may penetrate into ships;

b/ Monitor the discharge of ballast water and wastes which may cause infectious diseases;

c/ Monitor the supply of water and food as well as the loading and unloading of cargo to/from ships.

2. In monitoring, health quarantine officers shall take the measures specified in Articles 28 and 29 of this Circular if detecting ships falling into any of the following cases:

a/ Carrying vectors of group-A infectious diseases;

b/ Being contaminated with risky health elements;

c/ Discharging ballast water;

d/ Being supplied with unsafe water or food.

3. For ships which do not fall into any of the cases specified in Clause 2 of this Article, health quarantine officers shall grant inspection certificates, for goods and ships on entry or exit, or heath quarantine certificates, for ships in border-gate transfer. Such certificates shall be made according to the forms provided in Appendix 3 to this Circular.

Section 2

QUARANTINE PROCESS FOR PERSONS ON ENTRY OR EXIT OR IN TRANSIT OR BORDER-GATE TRANSFER

Article 31.Receipt and processing of information about persons on entry

Before ships arrive at ports or pending the clearance of exit, transit or border-gate transfer procedures, health quarantine officers shall receive health information of passengers and crew members provided by maritime port authorities, shipmasters, ship doctors or shipping agents and classify persons on board these ships according to Article 5 of this Circular.

Article 32.Health inspection of persons without risky elements and persons with risky elements

Health inspection of persons without risky elements and persons with risky elements must comply with Articles 6 and 7 of this Circular.

Section 3

HEALTH QUARANTINE PROCESS FOR GOODS, HUMAN CORPSES, REMAINS AND ASHES, BIOMEDICAL MICROORGANISM SAMPLES, BIO-PRODUCTS, HUMAN TISSUES AND BODY ORGANS AT WATERWAY BORDER GATES

Article 33.Health quarantine of imported, exported and transited goods at waterway border gates

Health quarantine of imported, exported and transited goods at waterway border gates must comply with Section 3, Chapter I of this Circular.

Article 34.Health quarantine of goods, human corpses, remains and ashes, biomedical microorganism samples, bio-products, human tissues and body organs at waterway border gates

Health quarantine of goods, human corpses, remains and ashes, biomedical microorganism samples, bio-products, human tissues and body organs at waterway border gates must comply with Sections 4 and 5, Chapter I of this Circular.

Chapter V

IMPLEMENTATION PROVISIONS

Article 35.Reference provisions

In case documents referred to in this Circular are replaced or amended, the replacing or amending documents shall apply.

Article 36.Implementation responsibilities

1. The Department of Preventive Medicine, the Ministry of Health, shall:

a/ Direct and guide the implementation of this Circular nationwide;

b/ Inspect and supervise the implementation of the health quarantine process nationwide;

c/ Organize preliminary and final reviews of the implementation of this Circular nationwide.

2. The Institutes of Hygiene and Epidemiology and Pasteur Institutes shall:

a/ Direct and guide the implementation of the health quarantine process in regions under their management;

b/ Inspect and supervise the implementation of the health quarantine process at units in regions under their management;

3. Health Departments of provinces or centrally run cities having border gates shall:

a/ Direct and guide local health units to manage the implementation of the health quarantine process;

b/ Inspect, supervise and urge the implementation of the health quarantine process.

4. International health quarantine centers and preventive medicine centers of provinces and centrally run cities which are engaged in health quarantine activities shall:

a/ Organize the implementation of the health quarantine process in their localities. Direct, guide and supervise the implementation of the health quarantine process by borer-gate health quarantine units;

b/ Disseminate, and guide the implementation of, this Circular;

c/ Coordinate with border-gate animal and plant quarantine agencies in conducting health quarantine and health control of animals and animal products or plants and plant products;

d/ Make reports on health quarantine activities according to regulations.

Article 37.Effect

This Circular takes effect on January 20, 2015.

Any problems arising in the course of implementation should be reported to the Department of Preventive Medicine of the Ministry of Health, for study and settlement.-

For the Minister of Health
Deputy Minister
NGUYEN THANH LONG