The National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control has requested relevant ministries and localities to arrange more places as quarantine areas, and coordinate with the Defence Ministry to receive quarantined people in case the army’s areas are overcrowded.

People at concentrated quarantine area (Source: VNA)

In its latest dispatch sent to the Ministries of Defence, Public Security, Foreign Affairs and Transport and People’s Committees of provinces and cities, the steering committee required effective medical quarantine for those entering Vietnam from pandemic-hit countries and territories.

It asked flight attendants to guide passengers to complete e-medical declaration forms right in the planes. Vietnamese and foreign passengers have two separate areas to conduct quarantine procedures. In case congestion occurs at the airport, the work will be conducted at concentrated quarantine areas.

Concerned ministries and localities should continue implementing the committee’s dispatch No.1272/CV-BCD and the Health Ministry’s dispatch No.1271/BYT-DP on organising quarantine and taking samples for testing to prevent COVID-19 spread.

Relevant ministries and People's Committees of provinces and cities are responsible for organising concentrated quarantine for those coming from ASEAN, Europe, the US, China, the Republic of Korea and Iran. For citizens from ASEAN member states, Malaysian passengers are prioritised to take test samples.

Those who have visa exemption must show documents affirming they are not positive for the SARS-CoV-2 granted by their countries’ authorised offices and accepted by Vietnam’s health office. The measure is not applied with those entering Vietnam for diplomatic and official purposes.

For those coming from or transitting through countries and territories which were less affected by the pandemic, passengers have to be quarantined at home or their places of stay with close health monitoring.