Official Dispatch 7020/BYT-MT 2021 on quarantine for children for COVID-19 prevention and control

To:

- Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, and government-attached agencies;

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

Most of the localities across the country have been suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic, and many children have to be quarantined, monitored and treated due to being infected with SARS-COV-2 or in close contact with confirmed cases. Besides, some children entering Vietnam also are quarantined for COVID-19 prevention and control. In order to ensure safe and convenient living conditions for children during the quarantine, monitoring and treatment period, the Ministry of Health (the Standing Agency of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control) provides guidelines on quarantine for children for COVID-19 prevention and control as follows:

1. The parent/caregiver¹ of the child is allowed to accompany his/her child to the medical establishment/collection establishment for COVID-19 treatment (hereinafter referred to as the medical establishment)/concentrated quarantine establishment or is allowed to stay with his/her child at home or accommodation which is used for quarantine (hereinafter referred to as home quarantine) to take care of the child and must commit to voluntarily quarantine with the child and fully comply with regulations on COVID-19 prevention and control.

In case the parent/caregiver cannot accompany or stay with the child, the local authority shall arrange one person to take care of the child and/or appoint officers in the medical establishment/concentrated quarantine establishment or a child care volunteer who has knowledge and skills in child care and support and fully satisfy conditions specified in Clause 2, Article 63 of the Law on Children No. 102/2016 /QH13; ensure that the child maintains regular contact with his/her family and relatives to minimize the crisis, stress and anxiety.

2. For Vietnamese children under 16 years of age who are in close contact with confirmed cases

They shall be quarantined at home for 14 days from the date of last contact with the suspected cases, continue to have their health monitored for the next 14 days. Children and their parents/caregivers shall be tested according to regulations on home quarantine. If the test results are positive, handling procedures shall comply with regulations.

3. For foreign or overseas Vietnamese children, under 18 years of age, entering Vietnam with their parents/caregivers:

a) For fully vaccinated children and their parents/caregivers or those who have recovered from COVID-19:

- Conditions: Possessing a negative SARS-CoV-2 test result (by RT-PCR/RT-LAMP method) issued within 72 hours before exiting and certified by the competent agency of the testing country, having received full doses of COVID-19 vaccine (with the last dose taken at least 14 days and not more than 12 months before the entry time) and possessing a vaccination certificate; Or having recovered from SARS-CoV-2 (possessing a certificate of the positive test for SAR-COV-2 by RT-PCR method of single sample no more than 06 months up to the time of entry and a certificate of recovery from COVID-19 or equivalent papers evidencing the recovery from COVID-19 issued by the competent agency of the curing country).

- Children and their parents/caregivers shall undergo a 7-day concentrated quarantine from the date of entry; continue to have their health monitored for the next 7 days according to the Ministry of Health's Official Dispatch No. 6288/BYT-MT dated August 04, 2021.

b) For children who have not been fully vaccinated or received no vaccines

- In case the children's parents/caregivers fully satisfy conditions specified in the Ministry of Health’s Official Dispatch No. 288/BYT-MT dated August 04, 2021, they and their parents/caregivers shall undergo a 7-day concentrated quarantine from the date of entry, continue to undergo a home quarantine for the next 7 days and have their health monitored until the end of the 28^th day from the date of entry. Children and their parents/caregivers shall be tested for SARS-CoV-2 on the first, the seventh and the fourteenth days, counting from the entry date. If the test results are positive, handling procedures shall comply with regulations.

- In case the children's parents/caregivers have not been fully vaccinated or received no vaccines: Children shall undergo a 14-day concentrated quarantine with their parents/caregivers from the date of entry; and continue to have their health monitored at home for the next 14 days. Children and their parents/caregivers shall be tested for SARS-CoV-2 on the first, the seventh day and the fourteenth day, counting from the entry date. If the test results are positive, handling procedures shall comply with regulations.

4. For foreign or overseas Vietnamese children, less than 18 years of age, entering Vietnam but their parents/caregivers are living in Vietnam: Children shall undergo a 14-day home quarantine with their parents/caregivers from the date of entry. Children and their parents/caregivers shall be tested for SARS-CoV-2 on the first, the seventh and the fourteenth days, counting from the entry date. If the test results are positive, handling procedures shall comply with regulations.

5. For children who are transferred to medical establishments for quarantine, monitoring and COVID-19 treatment: The children's parents/caregivers are allowed to visit the medical establishments to take care of their children and must sign a commitment on voluntarily taking care of children after being consulted with the risk of infection and must strictly abide by COVID-19 prevention and control regulations provided by medical establishments.

6. Requirements for home quarantine shall comply with the Ministry of Health's Official Dispatch No. 5599/BYT-MT dated July 14, 2021. If the house/accommodation fails to fully satisfy requirements for home quarantine or children are homeless, the local authorities shall be responsible for arranging an appropriate quarantine for them.

7. Concentrated quarantine establishments shall monitor and support for the assurance of safety for quarantined children; timely provide information for individuals and agencies competent to protect children (police forces, agencies in charge of labor, invalids and social affairs at all levels, and commune-level People’s Committees) or the National Hotline for child protection - 111 about issues related to children right. Quarantine establishments shall be responsible for ensuring adequate clean water, hygiene and safety, adequate nutrition, protecting children from violent abuse including sexual abuse, providing mental health care and psychosocial care for children undergoing quarantine at the establishments according to the competent authorities’ instructions.

This Official Dispatch replaces the Ministry of Health's Official Dispatch No. 897/BYT-MT dated February 07, 2021, guiding quarantine for children under 15 years of age. The Ministry of Health hereby requests ministries, branches and provincial-level People's Committees to direct the implementation of this Official Dispatch; ensure the strict quarantine management, observation, and handover, transportation and receipt of those who have completed their concentrated quarantine, avoiding cross-infection and transmission in the community.

Sincerely./.

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¹ Clause 3 and Clause 4, Article 4, Chapter I - General provisions, the 2016 Law on Children.