Official Dispatch No. 2358/TTKSBT-BTN dated July 28, 2020 of Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control on organization of COVID-19 surveillance with those who have been traveled to Da Nang City since July 01, 2020

To: Directors of district-level Health Centers.

In implementing the Official Dispatch No. 2820/UBND-VX dated July 26, 2020 of the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City on strengthening the prevention and control of COVID-19 epidemic in Ho Chi Minh City; Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control hereby requests Directors of district-level Health Centers to implement measures of COVID-19 surveillance and prevention in the community as follows:

1. Subjects of surveillance:Those who have left Da Nang City from July 01, 2020 and now are staying in Ho Chi Minh City.

2.Regulations on quarantine and medical surveillance

All cases belong to subjects of surveillance must make health declaration as prescribed. Testing samples shall be sent to Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control after being taken.

2.1. For cases of leaving Da Nang City ≤ 14 days:

- Cases showing any symptom related to COVID-19: Go to district-level hospitals to take testing samples and quarantine at quarantine zone of such hospitals.

- Cases in close contact with COVID-19 patients: Shall be taken testing samples and quarantined at districts (level-3 quarantine).

+ A person contacting patients before such patients onset:  Respiratory fluid sample shall be taken at least once and one blood sample.

+ A person contacting patients after such patients onset: Naso-pharyngeal swabs shall be taken at least 2 times.

- Those who have been to the area of C Hospital, Da Nang General Hospital and Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Hospital: Shall be taken testing samples at least 2 times and quarantined at districts (level-3 quarantine).

- Those who have been to places announced by the Ministry of Health (other than 3 above-mentioned hospitals and not in close contact with patients): Shall be taken testing samples ≥ 2 times and quarantined at districts (level-2 quarantine).

- For other cases: Shall be taken testing samples ≥ 2 times and self-monitor their health at home in 14 days under health instruction (level-1 quarantine).

2.2. For cases of leaving Da Nang City > 14 days:Shall be taken testing samples once per case. Type of testing samples: 01 blood sample and 01 respiratory fluid sample.

3. Organization for taking testing samples

- District-level Health Centers:

+ To identify location where testing samples shall be taken and make an appropriate plan on taking samples.

+ To make sure the contact line via the hotline is clear to guide people to make health declaration.

+ To update status of those who have been to Da Nang City on a daily basis in the file share via Google Drive by Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control.

+ To notify Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control about location where samples shall be taken and the number of people whose samples shall be taken every day.

- Health stations: Shall be responsible for notifying schedule of testing for surveilled persons and instruct them to go to location where testing samples shall be taken by their vehicles and always wear masks.

4. Special cases

Those who have left Da Nang City < 14 days for the purpose of visiting or working in a short time: To make health declaration, have testing samples taken and quarantine under the above-mentioned regulations. Groups of “monitor health by themselves” shall be allowed to leave Ho Chi Minh City if their test results with SAR-CoV-2 are negative.

5. Methods of quarantine or medical surveillance

5.1. Centralized quarantine (level 3)

- To comply with 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 quarantine zones of districts or cities.

5.2. Quarantine at home (level 2)

- To comply with the Decision No. 879/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”.

- Medical staff shall surveil such person’s health twice a day.

- Subjects of surveillance shall be arranged to stay in a separate room, restrict to contact with their family, wear masks when leaving room and they are not allowed to leave home.

5.3. Self-monitoring health at home (level 1)

- To provide information to keep in contact with medical staff.

- To limit their contact with surrounded people.

- Not to go to offices, schools, parties or events.

- To limit leaving home, in case of necessity, they must wear masks when leaving home.

Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control hereby request Directors of district-level Health Centers to urgently implement. If there is any trouble arising in the course of implementation, it is required to contact the Contagion Prevention and Control Department of Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control for support.

This Official Dispatch replaces Points 1 and 2 of the Official Dispatch No. 2333/KSBT-BTN dated July 26, 2020.