Decision No. 345/QD-BYT 2020 Guidance on medical isolation at home for the prevention Covid-19

DECISION

Promulgating the "Guidance on medical isolation at home and places of residence for the prevention and control of acute respiratory infections caused by new strains of Coronavirus (nCoV)”

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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 regarding the application of medical isolation measures, enforced medical isolation measures and specific anti-epidemic measures during the epidemic period;

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;

At the proposal of Director of the General Department of Preventive Medicine, the Ministry of Health,

DECIDES:

Article 1.To promulgate together with this Decision the "Guidance on medical isolation at home and places of residence for the prevention and control of acute respiratory infections caused by new strains of Coronavirus (nCoV)”.

Article 2."Guidance on medical isolation at home and places of residence for the prevention and control of acute respiratory infections caused by new strains of Coronavirus (nCoV)” shall be applied in households, places of residence of those subject to medical isolation.

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

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; Directors of Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology and Pasteur Institute; Directors of hospitals 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 are responsible for the implementation of this Decision./.

GUIDANCE

On medical isolation at home and places of residence for the prevention and control of acute respiratory infections caused by new strains of Coronavirus (nCoV)

(Attached to the Decision No. 345/QD-BYT dated February 07, 2020 of the Minister of Health)

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1. Objectives

To prevent the spreading of the acute respiratory infections caused by new strains of Coronavirus (nCoV).

2. Methods of isolation:

Medical isolation in accordance with the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases of 2007.

3. Subjects of isolation:

A person who does not have symptoms of suspected nCoV infection (such as cough, fever and shortness of breath) and has one of the following factors:

a) Living in a same home, place of residence with a confirmed case or suspected case during a period of illness;

b) Working together with a confirmed case or suspected case during a period of illness;

c) Traveling in a same tourist group, working group or play group with a confirmed case or suspected case during a period of illness;

d) Being in a close contact (within 02 meters) with a confirmed case or suspected case during a period of illness in any situation;

dd) Sitting in the same row or in front of the two rows of seats on the same car/train/plane with a confirmed  case or suspected case;

e) A foreigner entry into Vietnam from China or has traveled to China (excluding Hubei province) within 14 days from the date of entry.

4. Quarantine

a) The duration of isolation is maximum of 14 days, the specific days shall be calculated from the last day of contact with the confirmed case or suspected case or from the date of entry into Vietnam.

b) When a suspected person is diagnosed that he/she is not infected, the concerned isolated person shall be canceled from isolation.

5. Organization of implementation of isolation

5.1. Medical staffs shall

a) To organize to investigate and make the list of people to be isolated to record information about their addresses, places of residence; phone numbers, names and contact numbers of people when needed to contact. To provide phone numbers of medical agencies for a person who is isolated and his/her family and the manager of his/her place of residence.

b) To cooperate with local authority to visit the isolated person’s home or place of residence to notify requirements, objectives and duration of isolation for him/her and his/her family or the manager of his/her place of residence; to advocate to create consensus, voluntary in the implementation. In case the person who is subject to isolation, refuses to isolate, then, the enforced medical isolation measure shall be applied.

c) To guide the isolated person to use thermometer and check his/her temperature himself or herself at least twice a day (one in the morning and one in the afternoon) and record the result and his/her general health status on the daily health tracking sheet.

d) To guide family member and the manager of place of residence of the isolated person to disinfect a place such as: Clean floors, tool surfaces, doorknobs with soap or regular disinfectants or detergents.

dd) To check health status of the isolated person and record such information on the health tracking form. To report the health daily-checking result to the district-level medical authority.

e) To strictly implement provisions on prevention and control of infection for medical staffs in accordance with the Ministry of Health’s regulations when contacting the isolated person.

g) To guide the isolated person to separately collect medical masks, towels and tissues used for clean mouth and nose in to garbage bags in his/her room corner. In the period of isolation, if the isolated person has any symptom of disease, the above-mentioned masks, towels and tissues shall be collected and handled as infectious waste. End of the quarantine, if the isolated person does not have any symptom of disease, the above-mentioned masks, towels and tissues shall be collected and handled as regular waste.

h) To guide and distribute disease prevention recommendations to family and managed person where isolated person lives to implement measures to prevent infection in household and place of residence.

i) To immediately report to the higher level medical authority and local authority for coordinating the transfer of the isolated person to the hospital if the he/she shows signs of illness such as fever, cough, shortness of breath during monitoring process,

k) To be friendly, show sympathy, encourage and help the isolated person when performing the task to create a comfortable and confident psychology of the isolated people during the monitoring process.

l) To report the final result for district-level medical authority and local authority immediately after ending the quarantine.

5.2. An isolated person shall

a) To isolate at home, place of residence with the specified duration, it is recommend to isolated in a separate room. In case there is no separate room in the isolated person’s family or place of residence, his/her room shall be at least 02 meters far from the other family members’ beds.

b) The quarantine room should ensure ventilation, regularly cleaned, limiting the furnishings the quarantine room.

c) To check his/her temperature himself or herself at least twice a day (one in the morning and one in the afternoon) and record the result and his/her general health status on the daily health tracking sheet.

d) Daily restrictions on leaving the private room, limiting direct contact with family members, persons in his/her place of residence as well as others; self-monitoring of health; implement personal hygiene measures, wear a medical mask, regularly wash his/her hands with soap or other disinfectant solution.

dd) To notify to medical staffs in commune, ward and township who are in charge of following twice a day (in the morning and in the afternoon) about the result of checking his/her temperature and health status.

e) To immediately notify medical staffs in commune, ward and township who are in charge of following when any of the symptoms such as fever, cough and shortness of breath appears.

g) He/she is not allowed to automatically leave his/her home or residence.

h) The isolated person must separately collect medical masks, towels and tissues used for clean mouth and nose in to the separate garbage bags in his/her room corner.

i) Not to eat with other people in the family or place of residence.

5.3. Family members, workers and the manager of the place of residence of the isolated person shall

a) Daily restrictions on contacting the isolated person, wearing medical masks and keep away from the isolated person at least 02 meters when needed to contact.

b) Clean floors, tool surfaces, doorknobs at home or the place of residence with soap or regular disinfectants or detergents on a daily basis.

c) To help, encourage and share sympathy with the isolated person during the period of isolation.

d) To immediately notify medical staffs in commune, ward, township who are in charge of following when the isolated person has any of the symptoms such as fever, cough and shortness of breath.

dd) To support sanitary means, soap, disinfectant solution, medical masks for an isolated people, if required.

g) Not to organize any crowed activity in family or the place of residence.

5.4. People s Committees of communes, wards, townships and communities where an isolated person is living

a) To facilitate, encourage, share sympathy and help an isolated person and his/her family or place of residence so that he/she can safely carry out the isolation during the monitoring time.

b) To strictly direct and monitor the isolation and carry out the enforced medical isolation if the isolated person does not comply with the requirements of medical isolation.

Any difficulty and trouble arising in the course of implementation shall be promptly reported to the Ministry of Health (the General Department of Preventive Medicine) for consideration and settlement./.