Official Dispatch 762/BYT-DP 2022 regarding medical isolation for COVID-19 cases and quarantine for close contacts

To:

- Directors of Departments of Health of provinces and centrally run cities;

- Heads of units affiliated with the Ministry of Health.

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 and effective control over the COVID-19 pandemic”; on the basis of the pandemic development around the world and in Vietnam, the high rate of COVID-19 vaccination coverage in Vietnam, with the aim of harmony between economic development and effective COVID-19 control at agencies, factories, schools, and localities, the Ministry of Health requests Directors of Departments of Health of provinces and centrally run cities, Heads of units affiliated with the Ministry of Health to organize the medical isolation for COVID-19 cases (F0 cases) and quarantine for close contacts (F1 cases) in accordance with local conditions and force sources. To be specific:

1. Quarantine for persons in close contact with confirmed cases (F1 cases)

1.1. The identification of close contacts (F1 cases) shall comply with the Official Dispatch No. 11042/BYT-DP dated December 29, 2021, on changing COVID-19 case definition (Appendix is enclosed herein).

1.2. Quarantine for persons in close contact with confirmed cases (F1 cases)

a) Regarding persons who have received at least 2 doses of COVID-19 vaccines (as recorded in the COVID-19 vaccination certificate, electronic health record software or PC-COVID application) according to regulations, with the last dose given within 14 days or have recovered from COVID-19 within 3 months up to the time such persons are identified F1 cases (having a hospital discharge paper or a certificate of recovery from COVID-19):

They shall be subject to 5-day quarantine at home, places of residence or other areas eligible for quarantine as arranged or established¹ by agencies, organizations, localities or schools from the last date of exposure; be undergone SARS-CoV-2 tests with PCR or antigen method (by rapid antigen test or immunoassay analyzer), carried out by health staff or themselves under the health staff's direct supervision or indirect supervision through remote devices, on the 5^th day. If the result is negative, F1 cases shall continue to monitor their health for the next 5 days, and strictly comply with the 5K Message. Any abnormal symptoms related to health (such as fever; cough; sore throat; stuffy or runny nose; myalgia, fatigue, chills; reduction or loss of taste or smell; headache; diarrhoea; dyspnoea; acute respiratory infection) should be reported to the health agencies for monitoring, testing and handling according to regulations.

b) Regarding unvaccinated persons or those who have not received full doses of COVID-19 vaccines:

They shall be subject to 7-day quarantine at home, places of residence or other areas eligible for quarantine as arranged or established by agencies, organizations, localities or schools from the last date of exposure; be undergone SARS-CoV-2 tests with PCR or antigen method (by rapid antigen test or immunoassay analyzer), carried out by health staff or themselves under the health staff's direct supervision or indirect supervision through remote devices, on the 7^th day. If the result is negative, F1 cases shall continue to monitor their health for the next 3 days, and strictly comply with the 5K Message. Any abnormal symptoms related to health (such as fever; cough; sore throat; stuffy or runny nose; myalgia, fatigue, chills; reduction or loss of taste or smell; headache; diarrhoea; dyspnoea; acute respiratory infection) should be reported to the health agencies for monitoring, testing and handling according to regulations.

2. Isolation for COVID-19 cases

The guidelines in the Ministry of Health's Decision No. 250/QD-BYT dated January 28, 2022, providing the Guidance on COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment shall be complied with.

COVID-19 prevention and control measures must be taken strictly and drastically by individuals, families, agencies, organizations, factories, schools and localities in line with medical, administrative, socio-economic measures.

This Official Dispatch replaces the Ministry of Health's Official Dispatch No. 10696/BYT-MT dated December 16, 2021, regarding medical quarantine for fully vaccinated F1 cases or those who have recovered from COVID-19.

The Ministry of Health hereby requests Directors of Departments of Health of provinces and centrally run cities, Heads of units affiliated with the Ministry of Health and relevant units to urgently implement this Official Dispatch. Any difficulties arising in the course of implementation should be promptly reported to the Ministry of Health (via the General Department of Preventive Medicine) for studying, updating, amendment and supplementation./.

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¹Quarantine and isolation forms are provided in the Decision No. 879/QD-BYT dated March 12, 2020, promulgating the “Guidance on medical isolation at home and places of residence for the prevention and control of the COVID-19 epidemic”.

APPENDIX

Close contact (F1 case) definition

(Enclosed with the Ministry of Health's Official Dispatch No. 762/BYT-DP dated February 21, 2022)

The identification of close contacts (F1 cases) is provided in the Official Dispatch No. 11042/BYT-DP dated December 29, 2021, on changing COVID-19 case definition.

Close contact (F1 case) means one of the following persons:

- A person who has direct physical contact (including shaking hands, hugging, kissing, having direct skin-to-skin contact, body contact, etc.) with a confirmed case (F0 case) during the F0 case’s transmission period.

- A person who wears a facial mask while having contact, communication within 2 meters or is in the same narrow and closed space for at least 15 minutes as the F0 case during the F0 case’s transmission period.

- A person who wears no facial mask when having close contact or communication within 2 meters or is in the same narrow, closed space as the F0 case during the F0 case’s transmission period.

- A person who directly provides care, medical examination and treatment for an F0 case during the transmission period of F0 case without adequate use of personal protective equipment (PPE).

The transmission period of the confirmed case (F0 case) begins 2 days before the symptom onset (for asymptomatic case, the transmission period begins 2 days before the date on which the sample with positive test result is taken) until the test result is negative or the CT value is ≥30.