Official Dispatch 10943/BYT-MT 2021 medical guidance for people allowed to enter Vietnam to work for a short term (under 14 days)

To:

- Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, Government-attached agencies;

- People's Committees of provinces/centrally-run cities.

In the implementation of the Government’s Resolution No. 128/NQ-CP dated October 11, 2021 promulgating the Interim Regulation on “safe and flexible adaptation to and effective control over the COVID-19 pandemic”, in order to facilitate and support people who are allowed to enter Vietnam to work for a short term (under 14 days) but still ensure strict implementation of pandemic prevention and control under the direction of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Health (as the standing body of the Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control) has reviewed and worked out the medical guidance on COVID-19 prevention and control for people who are allowed to enter Vietnam to work for a short term (under 14 days) (attached hereto).

The Ministry of Health hereby requests other ministries, ministerial-level agencies, Government-attached agencies, and People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities to implement the following contents:

1. To organize contents prescribed in the Medical guidance on COVID-19 prevention and control for people who are allowed to enter Vietnam to work for a short term (under 14 days), ensuring safety, prevention and control of COVID19 pandemic.

2. To organize the inspection, supervision and evaluation of the implementation of COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control while the people allowed to enter Vietnam stay in the country.

This Official Dispatch takes effect from the date of signing for promulgation and replaces Official Dispatch No. 4674/BYT-MT dated August 31, 2020 of the Ministry of Health on providing the medical guidance on COVID-19 prevention and control for foreigners entering Vietnam to work for a short term (under 14 days).

Best regards./.

MEDICAL GUIDANCE

ON COVID-19 PREVENTION AND CONTROL FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE ALLOWED TO ENTER VIETNAM TO WORK FOR A SHORT TERM (UNDER 14 DAYS)
(Attached to Official Dispatch No. 10943/BYT-MT dated December 24, 2021)

I. OBJECTIVES

To actively prevent and control the COVID-19 pandemic while the people allowed to enter Vietnam work in the country for a short period of less than 14 days (hereinafter collectively referred to as short-term visitors).

II. SUBJECTS OF APPLICATION

1. People allowed to enter Vietnam to work for a short period include:

- People entering the country for diplomatic or official purposes.

- People who enter the country not for diplomatic or official purposes (Investors, experts, skilled workers, enterprise managers, business, commerce and market researchers, with their relatives and subjects as agreed with each country);

2. Those who are in close contact with short-term visitors during their working period in Vietnam.

III. GENERAL PRINCIPLES

1. Ministries, sectors and People's Committees of provinces/centrally-run cities shall consider the need to invite short-term visitors to Vietnam to work and must ensure the prevention and control of COVID-19.

2. The visitors shall not be subject to medical quarantine but must strictly and fully comply with the regulations on COVID-19 prevention and control and the approved schemes and plans, must not contact with the community and ensure safety for them and people in contact with them, avoid cross-contamination of the disease during their working period and not to spread the cases in the community. If a visitor expects to work in multiple localities, he/she needs to have a clear travel plan which is approved by the relevant localities.

3. Short-term visitors and people in contact with them must fully comply with 5K rules, self-monitor their health, and, upon suffering one of the symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat or shortness of breath, notify the local health agencies and the agencies managing them for handling in accordance with the regulations.

4. A list of all people who come into contact with every short-term visitor during his/her working period and field trips shall be made.

5. Accommodation for the visitors (hotels, places of accommodation arranged by enterprises, or other accommodation establishments) must be approved by the provincial-level People's Committees in accordance with the regulations on prevention and control of COVID-19 pandemic. Short-term visitors shall be arranged to stay in separate areas. Local authorities must absolutely not to allow any cross-contamination at the place and its spread in the community.

6. Short-term visitors must have international health insurance or the organizations inviting them must commit to paying any incurred treatment expenses in case of COVID-19 infection.

7. All expenses for quarantine, transport, and COVID-19 testing of the short-term visitors as prescribed are covered by the organizations or units inviting them. Visitors entering for diplomatic or official purposes shall be free of any charges (except for the expenses for quarantine at hotels as desired).

8. After their working period, the visitors wishing to continue their working stay in Vietnam must comply with current regulations on entry and exit and those on COVID-19 prevention and control as follows:

- For people who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or recovered from COVID-19¹:

+ If the working period lasts for less than 3 days starting from their entry, they must self-monitor their health at the places of accommodation until the end of the 3^rd day without contact with surrounding people and not leave their places of accommodation. They must be tested for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR method on the 3^rd day from the date of entry. If the test result is negative, they shall continue to monitor their health until the end of a 14-day period and strictly comply with 5K rules. If they show signs of cough, fever, shortness of breath, sore throat, etc., they must immediately notify the local health agencies for handling in accordance with the regulations.

+ If the working period lasts for more than 3 days and they are tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 test by RT-PCR method on the 3^rd day, they shall continue to monitor their health until the end of a 14-day period and strictly comply with 5K rules. If they show signs of cough, fever, shortness of breath, sore throat, etc., they must immediately notify the local health agencies for handling in accordance with the regulations.

- For people who have not been vaccinated or have not received enough doses of COVID-19 vaccine:

+ If the working period lasts for less than 7 days starting from their entry, they must self-quarantine at their places of accommodation until the end of the 7^th day. They must be tested for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR method on the 3^rd day and the 7^th day from the date of entry. If the test result is negative, they shall continue to monitor their health until the end of a 14-day period and strictly comply with 5K rules. If they show signs of cough, fever, shortness of breath, sore throat, etc., they must immediately notify the local health agencies for handling in accordance with the regulations.

+ If the working period lasts for more than 7 days and they are tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 test by RT-PCR method on the 7^th day, they shall continue to monitor their health until the end of a 14-day period and strictly comply with 5K rules. If they show signs of cough, fever, shortness of breath, sore throat, etc., they must immediately notify the local health agencies for handling in accordance with the regulations.

- If the test result is positive, the cases shall be handled in accordance with the regulations.

IV. REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC

4.1. For people who enter the country not for official or diplomatic purposes

4.1.1. Before entering Vietnam

- Every unit or organization inviting visitors shall make the list of people expected to enter Vietnam (full names, date of birth, passport number, citizenships, the number of COVID-19 vaccinations, recovery from COVID-19 or not, addresses, phone numbers, emails, purpose of entry, time of entry and places of accommodation). They shall commit to taking the responsibility for ensuring safety, COVID-19 prevention and control when inviting people to enter Vietnam and to paying for treatment expenses if the visitors are infected with COVID-19. They shall develop specific working schedules and plans, accommodation locations, specific means of transportation, and measures to ensure safety against the COVID-19 during the visitors’ working period and submit them to the provincial-level People's Committees for approval.

- Every visitor to enter Vietnam must have:

+ Negative test result for SARS-CoV-2 before entry ²

+ A valid certificate of international health insurance or commitment to pay the treatment expenses made by the unit or organization inviting him/her if he/she is infected with COVID-19.

- If the visitor is fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or had been infected with SARS-CoV-2, the written certification as prescribed is required¹.

- For people who only enter Vietnam to attend meetings or sign contracts, agreements and cooperation deals, they shall select the places to the venues of meeting or signing, or the accommodation locations in provinces and cities where the border gates are located or those near border gates in order to limit their movement in the country and through multiple localities, which may not ensure the prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic.

4.1.2. At the place of entry and exit

- Every visitor must present upon entry:

+ The certificate of negative SARS-CoV-2 test result,

+ The certificate of vaccination or the certificate of recovery from COVID-19 (if any)³.

- To request the visitors to strictly comply with 5K rules, install and use the medical declaration application (PC-COVID) on their phones during their stay in Vietnam.

- To organize the transportation of the visitors to their places of accommodation and the places under the working schedules and plans, following the instructions provided in Part 4.1.6, Section IV.

4.1.3. At the places of accommodation

a) The units or organizations inviting the visitors to enter Vietnam shall arrange separate accommodations for them at their places of accommodation, which are convenient for monitoring and management.

b) To arrange a separate room/area for SARS-COV-2 testing at each place of accommodation to conduct sampling for all visitors. It is required that the sampling room/area must be located separately with easy access. In case it is not possible to arrange a separate sampling room/area, samples can be taken at the guest room on arrival.

c) To organize sampling and testing for SARS-COV-2 (by RT-PCR/RT-LAMP method) for all people entering the country at their places of accommodation:

- For those who are fully vaccinated or has recovered from COVID-19: (i) staying for less than 3 days: testing once on the first day; (ii) staying for 03 days or more: test 02 times on the first day and the third day.

- For others: testing 3 times, respectively on the first, third and 7^th day.

- If the test result is positive for SARS-CoV-2, the instructions provided in the attached Appendix shall prevail.

4.1.4. At the meeting or signing venues

The visitors should work right at the hotels or their places of accommodation and minimize in-person contact.

a) Before every meeting or signing session

- To make a list of participants (visitors and those in contact with them), with sufficient information, including: full names, date of birth, citizenships, working addresses, accommodations/places of residence and contact numbers, email.

- To arrange locations for checking temperature for all participants (automatic temperature monitoring machines should be located at the entrances and exits of the meeting or signing venues).

- To arrange places for washing hands with soap and clean water or hand sanitizers at meeting or signing rooms and public areas of the meeting or signing venues and arrange places of distributing medical masks for participants.

- To locate signboards or notices to give information and guidance or remind participants about regulations on COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control (such as: wearing masks, washing hands, keeping a minimum distance with others as prescribed, etc.).

- Every meeting room, hall, or other meeting or signing venues should be well ventilated, hygienic and disinfected according to the instructions provided in the attached Appendix.

- To arrange separate areas and seats for visitors based on their countries and groups with similar epidemiological factors. To place name tags and notices in front of each seat so that visitors can actively have their seats.

- To arrange other meeting or signing rooms as backups in cases where the official rooms are under quarantine for the pandemic prevention and control. To arrange meeting or signing rooms with videoconferencing facilities for visitors when necessary.

- To arrange workplaces as prescribed for on-duty health staff at the meeting or signing venues.

- To arrange quarantine rooms at the meeting or signing venues in cases where any participant shows any of the following symptoms: fever, cough, and sore throat, shortness of breath during the meeting or signing. The quarantine rooms must meet the following requirements:

+ To be located separately, far from meeting or signing rooms and public areas. To arrange separate ways to the quarantine rooms.

+ To be well ventilated; furniture shall be limited in the rooms; to be equipped with masks, places for washing hands with soap and clean water or hand sanitizers containing at least 60% alcohol (hereinafter referred to as hand sanitizers); waste bins with tight lids; and separate restrooms.

- To formulate and print notices of guidance on the prevention and control of COVID-19 pandemic and distribute them to participants of the meeting or signing sessions. Such notices must be in Vietnamese and English languages. For bilateral meeting or signing sessions, the language written in such notices can be replaced by the language spoken at the meeting or signing sessions.

- Not to arrange people with any of the following symptoms: fatigue, cough, fever, sore throat and shortness of breath to serve the meeting or signing sessions.

b) During every meeting or signing session

- To transport the visitors from their places of accommodation to the meeting or signing venues, following the instructions specified in Part 4.1.6, Section IV.

- To make a list of all participants, organizers, attendants, reporters, staff of press agencies present at the meeting or signing sessions, or in the meeting or signing rooms for tracing when necessary.

- To check body temperature of participants and distribute face masks to them before every meeting or signing session.

- To distribute notices of guidance on COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control regulations to participants.

- Crowded gatherings during breaks shall be avoided and on-site breaks shall be encouraged. To provide on-site beverage and drinking water for each participant at his/her arranged seat.

- Eating during every meeting or signing session: Individual food portion should be served at their seats. In case of gathering for eating, the minimum distance of 01 meter between every two participants must be ensured; to ensure staggered sitting, not to seat opposite to each other.

- Attendants must wear face masks and gloves during their task performance. To make and keep the list and contact addresses of all attendants at the meeting or signing session (for tracing when necessary).

- To clean and disinfect the meeting or signing venues following the instructions provided in the attached Appendix.

- To organize the inspection and supervision of the implementation of regulations on COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control at the meeting or signing venues.

- To monitor the health of the visitors and their SARS-CoV-2 testing results

c) After every meeting or signing session

All participants of the meeting or signing sessions (including international and domestic participants), organizers and relevant people shall continue to self-monitor their health after finishing the meeting or signing sessions. If anyone of them is detected to be infected with COVID19 within 14 days after finishing the meeting or signing sessions:

- Domestic participants and those in contact with the visitors shall notify the agencies managing them and local health agencies.

- The visitors shall notify the organizations and units inviting them so that such organizations and units can notify the local health agencies for timely handling.

4.1.5. At workplaces and fieldwork sites

- The visitors shall travel and work in accordance with their approved working schedules or plans.

- To transport the visitors to their fieldwork sites and workplaces following the instructions provided in Part 4.1.6, Section IV.

- To request the visitors to self-monitor their health, wear face masks, strictly follow 5K rules, use the medical declaration application (PC-COVID) during their working periods and field trips in Vietnam.

- To arrange hand sanitizers at convenient areas of the workplaces and fieldwork sites.

- To assign medical staff to support, monitor and supervise the visitors when they perform their work and fieldwork (if possible).

- When finishing the works and field trips: To disinfect the workplaces and fieldwork sites following the instructions provided in the attached Appendix.

- If any visitor shows one of the following symptoms: fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, the instructions provided in the attached Appendix shall prevail.

4.1.6. To ensure vehicles to transport the visitors

To organize the transportation for the visitors from the places of entry to their places of accommodation and during their stay in Vietnam by private vehicles that meet the following requirements:

- Drivers and visitors are required to strictly follow 5K rules and wear face masks during the transportation.

- To arrange hand sanitizers on vehicles and near the doors so that visitors can have their hand disinfected before getting on vehicles and during the transportation.

- To disinfect the vehicles used for transporting the visitors following the instructions provided in the attached Appendix.

4.2. For people entering the country with diplomatic or official purposes

- The requirements for COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control for them are basically the same as for other visitors. However, people entering the country with diplomatic or official purposes are not required to install the medical declaration application (PC-COVID) and shall be recommended to do so.

- VIP guests from the Deputy Minister level or equivalent, or higher, delegations officially visiting Vietnam at the invitation of leaders of the Party, State, Government, the Minister of Foreign Affairs or heads of other ministries and Central-level agencies, departments are not required to have certificates of negative SARS-CoV-2 test results upon entry; not required to install and use the medical declaration application (PC-COVID) and may not be tested for SARS-CoV-2 after entry.

V. ASSIGNMENT OF IMPLEMENTATION

1. Provincial-level People's Committees shall:

- Notify and guide agencies and organizations located in their respective provinces and centrally-run cities, which wish to invite people to enter the country for a short term, to implement contents specified in this Guidance.

- Arrange separate accommodation locations and workplaces, ensure the medical surveillance, and avoid contact of the visitors with the community. Approve, or authorize the approval of, the plans and vehicles used for transporting the visitors, the quarantine plans, and the measures for safe prevention and control of COVID-19 pandemic during the working period of the short-term visitors and those in contact with them.

- Organize the inspection, supervision and evaluation of the implementation of COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control during the short-term visitors’ stay in Vietnam.

- Report the implementation of the contents hereof to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control when there is any problem.

2. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall:

- Guide the inspection and recognition of the certificates of vaccination, the certificates of recovery from COVID-19, or other equivalent foreign documents.

- Notify and guide foreign representative offices in Vietnam and relevant agencies on regulations for people entering the country for diplomatic and official purposes.

3. Other ministries and sectors shall:

- Inform and guide their affiliated agencies and organizations that wish to invite short-term visitors to implement the contents specified in this Guidance.

- Organize the inspection, supervision and assessment of the implementation of COVID-19 prevention and control during the short-term visitors’ stay in Vietnam.

- Report the implementation of the contents hereof to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control when there is any problem.

4. Departments of Health of provinces and centrally-run cities shall:

- Monitor, carry out medical surveillance and handle infected or suspected cases, provide guidance on hygiene, environmental disinfection during the short-term visitors’ stay in Vietnam.

- Assign units/staff to be in charge of monitoring and carrying out medical surveillance at places of accommodation, meeting or signing venues, workplaces and fieldwork sites;

- Ready establishments for receiving and treating COVID-19 infected cases.

5. Agencies and organizations inviting the visitors shall:

- Work out specific plans for the entry, transportation vehicles, places of accommodation, meeting and signing venues, workplaces and fieldwork sites for short-term visitors as well as plans to ensure safety during working process of the visitors and those in contact with them in accordance with the approved plans. Pay related expenses as prescribed.

- Notify and guide the visitors to implement regulations on COVID-19 prevention and control and other relevant regulations of the Government of Vietnam.

- Comply with the contents specified in this Guidance.

- Report the implementation of the contents hereof to the provincial-level People’s Committees/Ministries/departments.

6. Short-term visitors shall:

- Complete the electronic medical declaration upon entry. Use the medical declaration application (PC-COVID) during their stay in Vietnam (except for those entering for diplomatic or official purposes).

- Fully comply with the instructions and regulations on prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic specified in this Guidance and other regulations of the Government of Vietnam.

- Daily self-monitor their health. When they show any symptoms of fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, they must immediately notify the agencies or organizations inviting them and the health agencies.

- Fully implement personal hygiene measures and 5K rules when participating in activities.

- Follow the approved schedules and plans.

7. People in close contact with short-term visitors during their stay in Vietnam shall:

- Make health declarations with health agencies.

- While contacting and working with short-term visitors, they shall strictly comply with 5K rules and self-monitor their health.

- After stopping contacting or working with the short-term visitors, they shall self-monitor their health within 14 days from the last day of contact. If they show symptoms of fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, they shall self-quarantine at their places, notify the local health agencies or the Ministry of Health for advice, examination and testing in accordance with regulations of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control and the Ministry of Health.

8. Units managing the meeting or signing venues, workplaces, fieldwork sites shall:

Work out detailed plans, make specific assignments for their affiliated units and relevant persons to prepare facilities, human resources, equipment and coordinate with relevant agencies to implement the contents as guided in Section IV in order to ensure the COVID-19 prevention and control./.

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¹ (i) Be fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 in accordance with the instructions for each licensed vaccine (the last dose given within at least 14 days and not more than 12 months as of the entry) and have certificates of vaccination/vaccine passports recognized by Vietnam (or legalized/confirmed by competent authorities if such certificates have not been recognized for direct use in Vietnam) or (ii) Have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 (with certificates of positive SAR-COV-2 test result by single sampling RT-PCR method within less than 6 months as of the entry) and have recovered from the disease (with certificates of recovery from COVID-19 or equivalent documents certifying that they have recovered from the disease, issued by competent authorities in the countries/territories where they were treated).

² Have negative test result for SARS-CoV-2 (by RT-PCR/RT-LAMP method) within 72 hours before entering Vietnam certificated in writing by the competent authorities of the countries where the tests were conducted.

³ (i) The verification and recognition of the certificates of COVID-19 vaccination, the certificate of recovery form COVID-19 in other countries (or vaccine passports) shall comply with the guidance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; (ii) The recognition and verification of the certificates of COVID-19 vaccination, the certificate of recovery form COVID-19 in Vietnam shall comply with the guidance of the Ministry of Health.

* All Appendices are not translated herein.