Localities asked to keep quarantining people from some coronavirus-hit countries

A Vietnamese student returning from the Republic of Korea is quarantined at the medical centre of An Thi district, Hung Yen province (Photo: VNA)

In Dispatch No. 991/BYT/DP, the MoH asked the People’s Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities to include people coming from or travelling through Iran and Italy, apart from China and the Republic of Korea, among those who have to fill in medical declaration forms and be kept in quarantine.

In particular, people coming from or traveling through COVID-19-hit areas of the four countries, where the numbers of infected cases are rising fast, or having close contact with persons with fever, cough and shortness of breath must be put in concentrated quarantine facilities.

Meanwhile, those coming from or travelling through disease-free areas of these countries must be quarantined at home in accordance with the ministry’s guidance.

For Vietnamese nationals who don’t have to stay at concentrated quarantine establishments, health departments of the localities organising initial quarantine for them have to send information to the localities they reside in so that these persons will remain quarantined at home for 14 days in line with regulations.

So far, Vietnam has confirmed 16 COVID-19 patients, all of whom fully recovered. The country hasn’t recorded any new cases since February 13.