Decision No. 1246/QD-BYT 2020 Interim Guidance on pay to stay Covid-19 quarantine at hotels

DECISION

On promulgating the “Interim Guidance on concentrated quarantine at paid quarantine hotels in the prevention and control of COVID-19 epidemic”

____________

THE MINISTER OF HEALTH

Pursuant to the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases dated November 21, 2007;

Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 101/2010/ND-CP dated September 30, 2010 on detailing the implementation of a number of articles of the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases on Measures for Quarantine, Involuntary Quarantine, Typical Epidemic Prevention;

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

Pursuant to the Decision No. 173/QD-TTg dated February 01, 2020 of the Prime Minister on the announcement of epidemic of acute respiratory infections caused by new strains of Coronavirus;

Pursuant to the Decision No. 878/QD-BYT dated March 12, 2020 of the Ministry of Health on promulgating the “Guidance on the health quarantine at concentrated quarantine establishments for the prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic”;

At the request of the Director of the Health Environment Management Agency, the Ministry of Health,

DECIDES

Article 1.To promulgate together with this Decision the “Interim Guidance on concentrated quarantine at paid quarantine hotels in the prevention and control of COVID-19 epidemic”.

Article 2.The Interim Guidance on concentrated quarantine at paid quarantine hotels in the prevention and control of COVID-19 epidemic shall be applied to hotels and resorts established by the People’s Committees of provinces and centrally run cities or the Steering Committee on COVID-19 prevention and control of provinces and centrally run cities.

Article 3.This Decision takes effect on the date of its signing.

Article 4.Mr./Ms.: The Chief of Ministry office; the Chief of Inspectorate of Ministry; Directors and General Directors of Departments and Directorates of the Ministry of Health; heads of public non-business units of the Ministry of Health; Directors of Health Departments of provinces and centrally run cities; heads of medical units of ministries and branches; heads of relevant units shall be responsible for the implementation of this Decision./.

INTERIM GUIDANCE

ON CONCENTRATED QUARANTINE AT PAID QUARANTINE HOTELS IN THE PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF COVID-19 EPIDEMIC
(Attached to the Decision No. 1246/QD-BYT dated March 20, 2020 of the Minister of Health)

I. OBJECTIVES

To quarantine peoples at risks of COVID-19 infection to prevent the spread of the pandemic to the community.

II. FORMS OF QUARANTINE

Concentrated quarantine at hotels and resorts (hereinafter collectively referred to as hotels).

III. QUARANTINE SUBJECTS

1. Persons under medical quarantine at concentrated quarantine establishments who wish to be quarantined at hotels in the same area and are willing to pay costs for staying and using related services of such hotels.

2. Persons who are separated for concentrated quarantine at border gates and airports, wish to be quarantined at hotels and are willing to pay costs for staying and using related services of such hotels.

IV. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR HOTELS

- Only for purpose of quarantine for the COVID-19 prevention and control, not for other purposes.

- To ensure to provide essential living conditions: Electricity, water, toilet, and bathroom.

- To satisfying requirements on ventilation.

- To satisfying requirements on security and safety.

- To satisfying requirements on fire prevention.

- To be convenient for traveling, transporting quarantined people, providing logistics and transporting waste.

- Each room in a quarantine establishment should be equipped with Television and Internet.

V. QUARANTINE PERIOD

Quarantine for 14 days from the day of entry or from the day of last contacting with the suspected cases of infection (including the time of quarantine in the concentrated quarantine establishment).

VI. ESTABLISHING THE CONCENTRATED QUARANTINE ESTABLISHMENT AT A HOTEL

1. Decision on establishing the concentrated quarantine establishment at a hotel

On the basis of voluntary registration by the hotel and if the hotel satisfies all requirements provided in this Guidance, the People’s Committee of province or city or the Steering Committee on COVID-19 prevention and control of province or city shall issue a decision on establishing the concentrated quarantine establishment at such hotel.

2. Requirements for arrangement of quarantine service areas at a hotel

2.1. The watch-house

- To locate watch-houses in gate and entryway and exit way of the hotel. The quarantine service area must arrange guards at the watch-house 24 hours a day (such guards shall be local police and civil defense forces); strictly prohibit unauthorized people to enter the hotel.

- To prepare warning signs in red background and yellow letters as follows:“AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY”

- To arrange the place for washing hands with soap and clean water. In case there is no place for washing hands, the hand sanitizer is required.

- Having waste bins with lids and foot pedals.

2.2. Areas for disinfecting transport vehicles

- To be arranged near gate of the hotel.

- All transport vehicles entering or exiting the hotel shall be disinfected by spraying disinfecting liquid containing 0.1% active chlorine.

2.3. Organization of quarantine area in a hotel

2.3.1. Quarantine zone/floor for quarantined people (hereinafter referred to as the quarantine zone)

a) Selecting location:

- The quarantine zone should be located at a separate area, easy to observe and approach.

- Far from functional areas of the hotel, such as: Reception area, using area of hotel and health staff, laundry area, kitchen and canteen, etc.

- Convenient for the disinfection, environmental sanitation, collection and treatment of waste.

b) Localizing the quarantine zone:

- To localize the quarantine zone by soft or hard fences, depending on its conditions.

- To place warning signs in red background and yellow letters as follows:“AREA FOR QUARANTINED PERSONS - AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY”.

c) Entryway and exit way of the quarantine zone:

- To make a way for exit and entry into the quarantine zone by soft fences.

- At the entryway and exit way of the quarantine zone, to prepare:

+ Desk for receiving supplies from outside.

+ Place/spot for washing hands with soap and clean water. In case there is no place for washing hands, the hand sanitizer containing 60% alcohol or more is required.

+ A yellow bin with lid and foot pedal and lined with infectious waste bag (disposal protective clothing, medical masks, glasses and gloves, etc.), labeled “SARS-CoV-2 HAZARDOUS WASTE”.

+ A bin for domestic wastes with lid, foot pedal and lined with a waste bag.

d) Area for receiving people subject to quarantine:

- The reception area in the quarantine area must be convenient, wide enough and ventilation for receiving the quarantined people.

- To be equipped with adequate desks and chairs for the reception of quarantined people.

- To arrange place/spot for washing hands with soap and clean water. In case there is no place for washing hands, the hand sanitizer containing 60% alcohol or more is required.

- To be equipped with yellow bins with lids and foot pedals and lined with bags, labeled “SARS-CoV-2 HAZARDOUS WASTE” to store waste.

dd) Rooms for the quarantined people:

- Each person should be quarantined in one room, not more than 02 people in a room if the quarantined people are relatives or wish to share a room.

- Rooms must be ventilation, the doors should be opened regularly (if any), limit to use air conditioners (in case of using an air conditioner, the temperature should be above 260C and increase ventilation).

- There must be adequate clean water and soap or hand sanitizer containing 60% alcohol or more; adequate tools and disinfectant liquid to clean the surface and yellow bags to store waste and leftovers and bags to store fabrics to be washed.

- To be equipped with the rules on medical quarantine at hotels according to the form provided in Appendix 1.

- To be equip with yellow bins with lids and foot pedals and lined with bags, labeled “SARS-CoV-2 HAZARDOUS WASTE” to store waste at the corridor, in front of each room and equip a separate basket to store clean clothes and daily personal hygiene items (toothpaste, toothbrush, soap and toilet-paper, etc.).

e) Rooms for emergency cases: To arrange at least 02 rooms: One for carrying out the medical examination; the other for the quarantined person suffering incidents or fever or cough and shortness of breath (if necessary).

g) Rooms/areas for changing protection clothes for employees:

- Such rooms/areas must be located right at the beginning of the entryway to the quarantine zone so that employees can change their protection clothes when enter or exit the quarantine zone.

- Such rooms/areas must be prepared wardrobes for personal protection clothes, hand sanitizer, chairs for wearing clothes, a yellow bin with lid and foot pedal and lined with an infectious waste bag, labeled“SARS-CoV-2 HAZARDOUS WASTE”; a bin for domestic wastes with lid, foot pedal and lined with a waste bag.

2.3.2. Areas for executive board, hotel staff, health staff, local police and civil defense forces (administration area)

The administration area shall be located in a separate area with the quarantine zone, it must be convenient for traveling and easy to observe, at the same time, satisfy the following requirements:

- To arrange offices, and green rooms for the executive board and hotel staff.

- To arrange room for health staff, local police and civil defense forces.

- To be equipped with computers, printers and devices, supplies - stationeries.

- To provide information and communication, Internet and wireless fidelity.

- To arrange the place/spot for washing hands with soap and clean water. In case there is no place for washing hands, the hand sanitizer is required.

- To arrange restrooms for male and female; such restrooms must be fully equipped with soap and clean water for washing hands and bathing. To be equipped with common cleaning liquid.

- To be equipped with bins for domestic wastes with lids, foot pedals and lined with a waste bags.

2.3.3. Kitchens, areas for processing and packaging meal

- The kitchen must be separate from the quarantine zone.

- To provide sufficient clean water.

- To ensure food safety in processing and distributing meals.

- To have carts to transfer meals and beverage for the quarantined people.

- To save the food sample as prescribed.

- To be equipped with bins for domestic wastes with lids, foot pedals and lined with a waste bags.

2.3.4. Stairwell, elevator and lobby areas:

- To fix (stick or hang on the wall) communication documents on prevention and control of COVI-19 epidemic and the Regulation on medical quarantine at hotels.

- To be equipped with hand sanitizer.

- To be equipped with yellow bins with lids and foot pedals and lined with an infectious waste bags, labeled “SARS-CoV-2 HAZARDOUS WASTE”.

- To be equipped with bins for domestic wastes with lids, foot pedals and lined with a waste bags.

- The stairwell, elevator, control panel, lobby floor and the corridor shall be cleaned and disinfected on a daily basis.

2.3.5. Area for receiving supplies:

- To arrange 01 desk for receiving supplies sent to the quarantined people at the watch-house.

- The supplier shall register with the on-duty guard and put his/her supplies on the reception desk, clearly stating full name, age and contact number of the receiver and supplier.

- Hotel staff shall transport such supplies to the gate of the quarantine zone and notify the quarantined people for receiving such supplies.

- It is not allow to bring the quarantined people’s items that have not been disinfected yet out of the quarantine area.

2.3.6. Area for temporarily storing wastes:

- To arrange a separate area with roof, high drainage background and warning signs to temporarily store wastes for the quarantine establishment, convenient to transport wastes for treatment.

- To be equipped with yellow bins to storing infectious wastes, with lids and wheels, hard wall and labeled “SARS-CoV-2 HAZARDOUS WASTE”.

- To be equipped with bins for domestic wastes with lids, wheels and hard wall.

- To arrange the place/spot for washing hands with soap and clean water.

- To be prepared with disinfecting liquid containing 0.05% active chlorine to disinfect the used waste bins.

VII. RECEIVING PERSONS WISHING TO BE QUARANTINED AT HOTELS

1. For persons under medical quarantine at concentrated quarantine establishments

The concentrated quarantine establishment shall be responsible for the following works:

a) To notify so that the quarantined person who wishes to be quarantined at hotel can register according to the form provided in Appendix 2.

b) Based on the quarantined person’s registration letter, to coordinate with the hotel to make a consistent list of persons registering to be quarantined at hotels and their health monitoring records.

c) To transport quarantined people from concentrated quarantine establishments to hotels:

- The concentrated quarantine establishment shall be responsible for arranging, transporting and carrying out procedures for handing over quarantined people to hotels.

- To disinfect personal items of quarantined people before they leave the concentrated quarantine establishment.

- To ensure safety in the transportation, avoiding cross-contamination. To avoid stopping and parking while transporting.

- Quarantined people must wear masks, avoid talking and eating while transporting.

d) To hand over quarantined people to hotels with correct and sufficient quantity according to the list, enclosed with health monitoring records.

2. For persons separated for medical quarantine at border gates and airports

Medical quarantine units at border gates and airports shall be responsible for carrying out the following works:

a) To notify so that the quarantined person who wishes to be quarantined at hotel can register according to the form provided in Appendix 2.

b) Based on the quarantined person’s registration letter, to coordinate with the hotel to make a consistent list of persons registering to be quarantined at hotels.

c) The transportation of quarantined people from airports and border gates to hotels shall be directed by the Steering Committee on COVID-19 prevention and control.

- To disinfect personal items of quarantined people before they are transported to hotels.

- To ensure safety in the transportation, avoiding cross-contamination. To avoid stopping and parking while transporting.

- Quarantined people must wear masks, avoid talking and eating while transporting.

d) To hand over quarantined people to hotels with correct and sufficient quantity according to the list.

VIII. ORGANIZATION OF QUARANTINE IMPLEMENTATION

1. Provincial-level People s Committees

a) To direct and organize the quarantine at hotels, resorts and ensure resources for organizing quarantine for the COVID epidemic prevention and control; to create favorable conditions and support for quarantined people so that such people can feel secure to be under quarantine.

b) To closely inspect and supervise the implementation of quarantine and direct the forcible quarantine if quarantined people fail to comply with the quarantine requirements.

2. Provincial-level Steering Committees on COVID-19 prevention and control

a) To promulgate or authorize to promulgate a decision on permitting a hotel to act as a paid quarantine hotel in the prevention and control of COVID-19 epidemic. After completing the mission, the Steering Committee on COVID-19 prevention and control of province or city shall promulgate or authorize to promulgate a decision on terminating the mission of a paid quarantine hotel and grant the certificate of completing medical concentrated quarantine for the quarantined person according to the form provided in Appendix 1.

b) To promulgate or authorize to promulgate a decision on establishing a executive board of concentrated quarantine establishment at a hotel. The representative of the district-level or commune-level People’s Committee shall be the head of such executive board; the hotel manager shall be the deputy head, and representatives of local health agencies, police and civil defense forces and relevant departments of such hotel shall be members of such board.

c) To direct the Department of Health to implement health works, disinfect and carry out environmental treatment at hotels.

d) To direct the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism:

- To provide information and guide hotels to review, register and participate in implement medical quarantine at paid quarantine hotels according to this Guidance.

- To act as a focal point in summarizing the list of registered hotels and send it to the provincial-level Steering Committee on COVID-19 prevention and control to promulgate or authorize to promulgate a decision on implementation.

- To coordinate with the Department of Health in inspecting and supervising the implementation of the Guidance.

e) To direct local environmental units to transport and handle daily infectious wastes from hotels.

f) To arrange health staff, local police and civil defense forces to be on duty 24 hours a day at hotels.

g) To assign specialized agencies to inspect and ensure food safety at hotels.

h) To closely inspect and supervise the implementation of quarantine and coercively place people under quarantine if such people fail to comply with the quarantine requirements.

3. Concentrated quarantine establishments

To notify so that the quarantined people wishing to be quarantined at hotels can register for concentrated quarantine and organize the transportation, hand over them to hotels.

4. Hotels

a) To register to the Steering Committee on COVID-19 prevention and control for being accepted to be a paid quarantine hotel.

b) To participate in the executive board of concentrated quarantine at hotel and assign tasks for its staff.

c) To meet requirements for arrangement of quarantine service areas at a hotel; to ensure facilities and housekeeping, catering, laundry services and disinfection, etc. for the quarantined people’s living needs.

d) To organize and provide training courses for employees directly providing services for the quarantine, including: Receptionist when receiving and arranging rooms for quarantined people, house keepers, disinfection staff, waste collectors, staff preparing food portion, launderers and technical water and electricity staff, etc. Not to arrange pregnant women, and persons suffering chronic illness (such as asthma, liver failure, heart failure, cancer, diabetes and immune deficiency disease, etc.) to work at hotels.

e) To disseminate, stick/hang the regulation on medical quarantine at hotels at reception area and each quarantine room.

f) To coordinate with concentrated quarantine establishments to unify the list and arrange to receive persons registering to be quarantined at hotels on the principle that those who have the same date of reception/same country/family relationship shall be arranged in the same area in the quarantine zone.

g) To notify quarantined people to sign in the commitment to comply with the quarantine regulations and hotel regulations.

h) To distribute enough masks for quarantined people during their quarantine period.

i) To provide meals to each quarantine room, and disposable things.

j) To ensure food safety in hotels.

k) Not to organize eating, gathering activities in the hotel.

l) To facilitate, encourage, share and help quarantined people so that such people can feel secure to be under quarantine.

m) To strictly monitor the quarantine implementation through cameras or direct supervision. To notify local police and civil defense forces to carry out the forcible quarantine in case the quarantined people do not comply with medical quarantine requirements. Not to allow unauthorized people to enter the hotel, and not to allow quarantined people to leave the quarantine zone.

n) To organize meeting with hotel staff on a daily basis and participate in the executive board’s briefing.

o) To publicize the service price for persons registering to be quarantined at hotels. To organize the registration for being quarantined at hotels and payment of costs for staying and hotels’ services via Internet.

p) To coordinate with Provincial-level Centers for Disease Control, district-level Health Center, commune-level health stations and other local health agencies in monitoring the quarantined people’s health and handle in case of detecting new infected case; to organize training courses for hotel staff about measures for prevention and control of infection, disinfection, managing when someone has fever, cough, sore throat and shortness of breath.

q) To organize the disinfection, environment according to health staff’s instruction.

r) To coordinate with local police and civil defense forces in establishing watch-houses.

s) To equip adequate waste bins and carry out the waste collection on a daily basis.

t) To make a list of people who have completed their quarantine at hotels and send it to the Steering Committee on COVID-19 prevention and control for confirm and grant certificates of completing medical concentrated quarantine; send such certificates to quarantined people after being approved by the Steering Committee on COVID-19 prevention and control.

5. Departments of Health

a) To direct provincial-level Centers for Disease Control or Centers for Preventive Medicine and district-level Health Centers to give hotels training and guidance on establishing and implementing the concentrated quarantine, disinfecting and carrying out environmental treatment at hotels, preventing the infection for hotel staffs, etc.

b) To direct provincial-level Centers for Disease Control or Centers for Preventive Medicine to separate at border gates, airports and to report to the Steering Committee on COVID-19 prevention and control for arranging and transporting persons wishing to be quarantined at hotels and willing to pay costs.

c) To direct district-level Health Centers to arrange medical human resources serving medical work, guidance on disinfecting and carrying out environmental treatment at hotels.

d) To inspect, supervise medical units in localities in the implement of medical work at hotels.

6. Provincial-level Centers for Disease Control/Centers for Preventive Medicine

a) To give hotels training and guidance on establishing and implementing the concentrated quarantine, disinfecting and carrying out environmental treatment at hotels, preventing the infection for hotel staffs.

b) To separate at border gates, airports and to report to the Steering Committee on COVID-19 prevention and control for arranging and transporting persons wishing to be quarantined at hotels and willing to pay costs.

c) To inspect, supervise the quarantine at hotels.

7. Commune-level and district-level People’s Committees

a) To be heads of the executive boards of quarantine at hotels in accordance with assignments of provincial-level Steering Committees.

b) To direct local police and civil defense forces to implement their tasks at hotel.

8. District-level Health Centers, commune-level health stations

To assign permanent staff to implement medical work, guide and supervise the disinfection and environmental treatment, prevention of infection at hotels.

9. Local police and civil defense forces

a) To coordinate with hotels in locating watch-houses in gate and entryway and exit way of quarantine establishment.

b) To arrange officers performing the tasks at the watch-house 24 hours a day and implementing the forcible quarantine (if any).

10. Hotel staffs

a) All hotel staff must be diffused this guidance; be trained on measures for preventing the infection, sanitizing and disinfecting in the COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control, handling steps in case someone has fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, and must commit to voluntarily work.

b) When directly contacting with quarantined persons or with persons who have to perform their task in the quarantine zone, all staff must:

- Use fully personal protection equipment in accordance with regulations of the Ministry of Health (disposable clothes, mask, glasses, hat, gloves, shoe covers); dispose of personal protection equipment in infectious trash can right after terminating work.

- Not go home during the period of working at hotels having persons under medical quarantine.

c) Housekeepers

- Daily, to put clean clothes and daily personal hygiene items (if any), toilet-paper in a separate basket in front of rooms at fixed hours specified by the hotel.

- To collect daily laundry and waste (or in necessary cases) being in front of rooms at fixed hours specified by the hotel.

Attention: Laundry bags and waste bags must be tied tightened up before transportation. To ensure the distance of at least 2 meters between quarantined persons and housekeepers.

d) Launderers must wear gloves and medical mask when laundering.

e) To immediately report to the medical officer at the hotel when they or a quarantined person has symptoms of fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath.

11. Health staffs

a) To coordinate in receiving quarantined persons, the list of quarantined persons and their health monitoring records;

b) To monitor the health status and measure the body temperature of quarantined persons at least 02 times (morning, afternoon) a day. To make records of such results in the health monitoring form for quarantined persons.

c) In case of quarantined persons being feverish or showing suspicious symptom, to comply with Section X of this guidance.

d) To strictly implement provisions on prevention of infection for health staff in accordance with the Ministry of Health’s regulations when contacting quarantined persons.

e) To guide sterilization and environmental hygiene, to train hotel staff in prevention of infection.

f) To supervise the implementation of quarantine at hotels.

g) To report daily monitoring results to provincial-level Centers for Disease Control/Centers for Preventive Medicine.

12. Quarantined persons

a) To comply with the quarantine according to quarantine provisions and regulation of the hotel.

b) To take personal hygiene measures, to wear masks when contacting with others, to wash hands regularly with soap. Not to spit in public area.

c) To measure body temperature at least 02 times (morning, afternoon) a day and to monitor themselves their health daily.

d) To inform the receptionist or health staff as soon as there arises one of the following suspected symptoms: fever or cough, sore throat, shortness of breath.

e) To limit movement outside the quarantine room and to limit direct contact with other people in the quarantine zone.

f) Not to gather with others to talk or eat, not to organize game to play in the room, corridor and yard in the quarantine zone.

g) To drink enough water, to do exercise and light movement on the spot or in the quarantine zone under the condition that they must wear mask and keep a distance of more than 2 meters from others.

h) To put waste into trash can.

i) To pay the hotel costs for accommodations and the use of related services of such hotel after completing the quarantine.

IX. PREVENTION OF INFECTION FOR PERSONS PERFORMING THE TASK OF CONCENTRATED QUARANTINE AT HOTELS

1. To implement personal preventive measures during the task implementation at hotels. To wash hand immediately with soap or antiseptic solution before and after each time entry into or exit of the quarantine zone

2. To monitor themselves their health and to report it to health staff daily. In cases of suspicious symptoms, to wear mask, to avoid contacting with others and to inform health staff in charge at hotels for handling promptly.

3. Health staff shall make a list of staff and personnel regularly performing the task in the quarantine zone and monitor their health daily.

X. HANDLING OF COVID-19 INFECTED CASES OR SUSPECTED CASES AT HOTELS

1. Health staff at hotels must report immediately to provincial-level Centers for Disease Control/Centers for Preventive Medicine and local authorities. To coordinate with provincial-level Centers for Disease Control/Centers for Preventive Medicine in conducting epidemic investigations.

2. To coordinate in transporting infected persons or suspected persons to the treatment establishment assigned by the Steering Committee on COVID-19 prevention and control of province or city for the management, treatment and collection of samples.

3. District-level Health Centers shall disinfect and carry out environmental treatment in the room of infected persons or suspected persons in accordance with the guidance of the Ministry of Health. The quarantine room shall only be re-used after the disinfection and environmental treatment.

XI. FULFILLMENT OF QUARANTINE MISSION OF HOTELS

After terminating the quarantine task, hotels shall conduct the following works:

1. To summarize and report the provincial-level Steering Committee on COVID-19 prevention and control, local authorities and provincial-level People’s Committee on implementation results in order that the Steering Committee on COVID-19 prevention and control promulgates or authorizes to promulgate a decision on terminating the mission of concentrated quarantine of the hotels.

2. To disinfect and to carry out environmental treatment in accordance with the guidance of the medical agency./.

* All Appendices are not translated herein.