Official Dispatch 8228/BYT-MT 2021 guiding SARS-CoV-2 testing for production and business establishments

To:

- Ministries, sectors and agencies directly under the Government;

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

To strengthen COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control and create favorable conditions for production and business activities in localities in the new situation; The Ministry of Health (the standing agency of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control) requests ministries, sectors and provincial-level People's Committees to urgently direct the implementation of the following contents:

1. Regulations on SARS-COV-2 testing at production and business establishments:

- Carry out screening tests for all cases of employees with suspected symptoms of COVID-19 such as cough, fever, shortness of breath, etc. or relevant epidemiological factors.

- Carry out periodic testing for employees:

* Do not apply to people who have received the full doses of COVID-19 vaccines (with the last dose given within at least 14 days and not more than 12 months), or have recovered from COVID-19 within 06 months (If any, it is only recommended).

- Testing by RT-PCR technique or rapid antigen testing.

- The test results must be immediately reported to the district-level health center where the production and business establishment is located (Within 2 hours after the end of the testing day and the test results must be reported immediately after detecting a positive case for SARS-CoV-2).

2. In case of self-testing by SARS-COV-2 antigen rapid test, production and business establishments must be guided by the provincial-level Center for Disease Control or the district-level health centers. The SARS-COV-2 antigen rapid test kits must be included in the list granted circulation registration number or import license by the Ministry of Health. Production and business establishments are solely responsible for the quality of antigen tests, testing processes and results. The district-level health centers are responsible for inspecting and supervising the implementation and immediately and properly handling it upon receiving report of positive test results for SARS-CoV-2.

3. Inter-city and inter-provincial freight drivers: In case of moving from an area subject to the social distancing according to the Directive 16/CT-TTg to an adjacent area with lower pandemic risk level, their testing must be performed by health establishments; the time limit of testing shall in accordance with the Official Dispatch No. 5753/BYT-MT dated July 19, 2021 on testing and creating favorable conditions for cargo carriers.

Sincerely./.