Official Dispatch 8818/SYT-NVY Ho Chi Minh City 2021 testing for SARS-CoV-2 in labor-employing establishments

Pursuant to the Government’s Resolution No. 128/NQ-CP dated October 11, 2021 on promulgating the Interim Regulation on “safe and flexible adaptation and effective control over the COVID-19 pandemic” and the Ministry of Health’s Decision No. 4800/QD-BYT dated October 12, 2021, issuing the Interim Guidance for implementation of the Resolution No. 128/NQ-CP.

Implementing the Official Dispatch No. 9472/BYT-MT dated November 08, 2021 of the Ministry of Health, on the implementation of the Government’s Resolution No. 128/NQ-CP dated October 11, 2021, at the proposal of the Center for Disease Control of the City on adjustment of testing in labor-employing establishments in the City,

The Department of Health updates the guidance on organization of testing for SARS-CoV-2 in production and business establishments, service providers, trade centers, supermarkets, agencies and offices (hereinafter referred to as labor-employing establishments) in the City with the following contents:

1. Labor-employing establishments shall strictly implement self-organization of SARS-CoV-2 testing for their employees:

- Carrying out testing when the employees show any symptoms such as fever, cough, fatigue, sore throat, loss of taste and smell, dyspnoea, etc. or there arises an epidemiological factor;

- Carrying out testing upon the resumption of their production: Implementing the pooled sample testing for 100% of their employees that returns the establishments for working by rapid antigen test (with 3-5 samples per pool) or by RT-PCR technique (with 10-20 samples per pool).

- Carrying out random testing with pooled samples on a periodic basis, for employees with high risk of COVID-19 infection by rapid antigen test (with 3-5 samples per pool) or by RT-PCR technique (with 10-20 samples per pool), depending on the pandemic risk level of Ho Chi Minh City:

In cases of the pandemic at level-1 or level-2 risk: 20% of their employees with high risk must be tested every week.

In cases of the pandemic at level-3 or level-4 risk: 30% of their employees with high risk must be tested every two weeks.

- For people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or people who have recovered from COVID-19: Testing is only required at epidemiological investigation requirement; for people subject to quarantine measure or medical monitoring and people who come from level-4 pandemic risk areas or areas subject to lockdown.

2. The contents related to the frequency and rate of testing that are specified in the Document No. 2787/QD-BYT of June 05, 2021, Official Dispatch No. 6565/BYT-MT of August 12, 2021, Official Dispatch No. 6666/BYT-MT of August 16, 2021, Official Dispatch No. 8228/BYT-MT of September 30, 2021 of the Ministry of Health shall be ceased to apply.

3. Labor-employing establishments shall, based on the actual conditions of the units and the situation of their employees, actively plan to organize their own testing for employees; contact the local health centers where the establishments are located for guidance on choosing the appropriate biological products used for rapid antigen test and method of carrying out rapid test. If the labor-employing establishments need to carry out testing by PCR technique for their employees, they may sign contracts with medical establishments in accordance with regulations for taking samples and testing.

Please contact the Department of Health (the Medical Division) for support of handling any difficulty and problem arising in the course of implementation.

(The Official Dispatch No. 9472/BYT-MT dated November 08, 2021 of the Ministry of Health is attached to this Official Dispatch)./.

For the Director

The Deputy Director

Nguyen Van Vinh Chau