Decision No. 64/2010/QD-TTg dated October 25, 2010 on conditions for announcement of epidemics and their termination

DECISION

ON CONDITIONS FOR ANNOUNCEMENT OF EPIDEMICS AND THEIR TERMINATION

THE PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to December 25, 2001 Law on Organization of the Government;

Pursuant to Articles 38 and 40 of the November 21, 2007 Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases;

At the proposal of the Minister of Health,

DECIDES:

Article 1.Scope of regulation

This Decision prescribes conditions for announcement of epidemics and their termination.

Article 2.Conditions for epidemic announcement

An epidemic is announced only when the two following conditions are fully met:

1. The number of sufferers of an infectious disease exceeds the normal number estimated by health agencies of provincial or higher level.

2. Al least one of the following risks occurs:

a/ The scope and nature of the epidemic go beyond the control of provincial-level health agencies;

b/ The epidemic is determined by the Minister of Health to have mutated germs, threatening to increase the mortality rate without effective control measures;

c/ The epidemic has high mortality rate with unknown germs and without effective control measures;

d/ The epidemic breaks out upon the occurrence of a natural disaster or catastrophe.

Article 3.Conditions for announcement of epidemic termination

1. Termination of an epidemic is announced only when the conditions specified in Clause 1, Article 40 of the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases are fully met. The period of non-detection of a new case of infection is equal to incubative stage of this disease. The Minister of Health details incubative stage applied to each disease.

2. When the World Health Organization otherwise provides conditions for announcement of epidemic termination, addition of those conditions shall be determined under regulations of the Minister of Health.

Article 4.Responsibilities for announcement of epidemics and their termination

Competent persons defined in Clause 2, Article 38, and Clause 2, Article 40 of the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases shall announce an epidemic after determining all the conditions specified in Article 2 of this Decision and announce its termination after determining all the conditions specified in Article 3 of this Decision.

Article 5.Effect

This Decision takes effect on December 15, 2010.

Article 6.Implementation responsibilities

Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-attached agencies, and chairpersons of provincial-level People Committees shall implement this Decision.-