Pursuant to the Prime Minister’s directives on permitting foreigners to enter Vietnam to work for a short period, the Ministry of Health has formulated the Guidance on Covid-19 prevention and control regarding short-term work visit (less than 14 days) of foreigners (enclosed herewith).

The Ministry of Health hereby request that Other Ministries, ministerial agencies, governmental agencies and the People’s Committees of provinces perform the following tasks:

1. Organize the implementation of the Guidance enclosed herewith.

2. Organize inspection, supervision and assessment of performance of Covid-19 prevention and control tasks during their stay in Vietnam.

3. Send reports to the Ministry of Health (Health Environment Management Agency).

Address: Alley 8, Ton That Thuyet Street, Nam Tu Liem District, Hanoi. Phone number: 024 3227 2855, E-mail: [email protected]./.

Sincerely./.

GUIDANCE

ON COVID-19 PREVENTION AND CONTROL REGARDING SHORT-TERM WORK VISIT (LESS THAN 14 DAYS) OF FOREIGNERS
(Promulgated together with Official Dispatch No. 4674/BYT-MT dated August 31, 2020)

I. PURPOSES

Prevent and control Covid-19 infection during short-term work visit of foreigners in Vietnam.

II. REGULATED ENTITIES

1. Foreigners who have short-term work visit in Vietnam, including:

- Investors, experts, skilled-workers, business managers, their families and other persons under agreement with each specific country ((hereinafter referred to as “foreign experts”);

- People who enter Vietnam for diplomat or official purposes (hereinafter referred to as “foreign diplomats”).

2. People who have contact with the experts or diplomats (hereinafter referred to as “contacts”) during their entry and stay in Vietnam.

III. GENERAL PRINCIPALS

- Ministries, central authorities, the People’s Committees of provinces shall carefully consider the necessity of short-term work visit of experts and diplomats while ensuring Covid-19 prevention and control.

- 14-day quarantine is not mandatory upon their entry as long as regulations on Covid-19 prevention and control are strictly complied with, and the safety of these experts and diplomats and their contacts are ensured. Prevent cross-infection at their workplaces and community transmission.

- Contacts of the experts or diplomats shall monitor their own health and promptly inform the authorities and health facilities when having fever, cough, sore throat or difficult breathing.

- The lodging of the foreign experts and diplomats shall be conformable with Decision No. 878/QD-BYT dated 12/3/2020 of the Ministry of Health promulgating the Guidance on Covid-19 quarantine at quarantine facilities or Decision No. 1246/QD-BYT dated 20/3/2020 promulgating the Interim Guidance on pay-to-stay Covid-19 quarantine at hotels”. Effectively prevent cross-infection at their lodging and community transmission.

- The foreign experts and diplomats shall have international health insurance or have the Covid-19 treatment cost paid by the inviting organizations in case of infection. A foreign expert shall arrive 01 day before the working day to complete health monitoring procedures.

- The costs of quarantine, transport, Covid-19 testing of foreign experts shall be paid by the inviting organization. These costs shall be exempted for foreign diplomats unless they wish to be quarantined at hotels.

- If the foreign expert or diplomat wishes to continue staying in Vietnam to work after 14 days from the date of entry and tests negative for SARS-CoV-2, they may continue working without quarantine.

IV. COVID-19 PREVENTION AND CONTROL MEASURES

4.1. Foreign experts

4.1.1. Before entry

- There shall be a plan for working, lodging, transport and quarantine of the experts to prevent infection of Covid-19 by the experts and their contacts.

- In case an expert only enters Vietnam to participate in a meeting to conclude contracts or agreements, it is recommended to choose a meeting and lodging place in a bordering province to minimize the expert’s inland travel through multiple provinces, which may cause difficulties to Covid-19 prevention and control tasks.

- The foreign experts shall be tested for SARS-CoV-2 by real-time PCR) with a negative result 3-5 days before the date of entry by a laboratory of a competent health authority.

4.1.2. At the point of entry

- Separate the foreign experts from other people.

- Request the foreign experts to present the SARS-CoV-2 negative result upon arrival.

- Provide instructions, supervise the making of electronic health declaration by the foreign experts. Take their temperature; notice suspected cases. Isolate and handle those who have fever, cough, sore throat, difficult breathing as suspected cases.

- Request the foreign experts to use Bluezone application during their stay in Vietnam.

- Organize the transport of the foreign expert to their lodging in accordance with IV.6.

4.1.3. At the lodging

- The foreign experts shall be provided with separate lodging places (hotels, enterprises’ lodging places, other lodging establishments) arranged by the People’s Committee of the province;

Maintain health monitoring and their separation from the community. It is best to arrange a single lodging place for the whole group of foreign experts to facilitate monitoring and management.

- Prepare a separate room/area at the lodging place for collecting samples from all of the foreign experts for SARS-COV-2 testing. If such a separate sampling room/area samples is not available, samples may be collected at their rooms.

- All samples shall be tested by RT-PCR techniques. When a foreign expert tests negative for SARS-COV-2, he/she will be allowed to work in the area. Every foreign expert will be tested every 2 days during their stay in Vietnam. In case a foreign expert tests positive for SARS-CoV-2, follow the instructions in the Appendix hereof.

- Samples shall be collected before a foreign expert leaves Vietnam as the basis for isolating his/her contacts where necessary.

4.1.4. At meeting places

It is recommended to hold meeting at the hotel or lodging place to minimize contact.

a) Before the meeting

- Compile a list of participants in the meeting (the foreign experts and their contacts) including their full names, nationalities, workplace addresses, lodging places, phone numbers, emails.

- Take body temperature of all participates. It is best to have an automatic thermometer at the entrance.

- Set up a hand washing station with clean water and soap or hand sanitizer at the meeting room and public area of the meeting place; hand out facemasks to the participants.

- Place signs or notices to instruct and remind participants of Covid-19 prevention and control regulations (wearing facemasks, washing hands, keeping safe distance, etc.)

- The meeting room must be well ventilated and disinfected in accordance with the Appendix hereof.

- Foreign experts shall be arranged by country. Each seat shall have a nameplate.

- Prepare backup meeting room for use in case the main room has to be quarantined. The meeting room shall have online meeting devices for use by the foreign experts where necessary.

- Prepare an aera for the medical unit at the meeting place.

- Prepare a quarantine room at the meeting place for quarantining any participant who has fatigue, fever, cough, sore throat or difficult breathing during the meeting. The quarantine room shall:

+ Be located in a separate area away from the meeting room and public areas thereof with a separate passage.

+ Be well ventilated; have little furniture; have facemasks and hand washing station with clean water and soap or sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol (hereinafter referred to as “hand sanitizer”) and a separate bathroom.

- Instructions on Covid-19 prevention and control in both Vietnamese and English (or the language of the contracting country) shall be handed out to the participants.

- Any attendant who has fatigue, fever, cough, sore throat or difficult breathing must not work at the meeting.

b) During the meeting

- Transport the foreign experts to the meeting place in accordance with the instructions in IV.6.

- Compile a list of all participants, organizers, attendants, journalists who participate in each meeting session or are present in each room to serve contact tracing if necessary.

- Take body temperature and handout facemasks to all participants before the meeting begins.

- Hand out instructions on COVID-19 prevention and control regulations to the participants.

- Recommend participants to stay in their seat during breaks instead of gathering. Serve drinks to participants at their seats.

- Recommend participants to stay in their seat while eating. In case of eating in another room, maintain a distance of at least 1m between the participants; the seats shall be arranged alternatively instead of facing each other.

- Attendants shall wear facemasks and gloves while working. Compile and retain the list of all attendants of the meeting to facilitate contact tracing where necessary.

- Disinfect the meeting area in accordance with instructions in the Appendix hereof.

- Organize inspection and supervision of performance of COVID-19 prevention and control tasks at the meeting place.

- Monitor the health and SARS-CoV-2 test results of the foreign experts.

c) After the meeting

All participants in the meeting (including international and domestic participants), the organizers and relevant people shall self-monitor their health after the meeting ends. In case any of them is infected with Covid-19 within 14 days after the meeting ends:

- Inform the local government and local health authority of the health status of domestic participants and the foreign experts’ contacts.

- Inform the inviting organization, which will inform local health authorities for prompt reactions.

4.1.5. At the workplace/field

- Transport the foreign experts to the workplace/field in accordance with instructions in IV.6.

- Provide hand sanitizer at convenient places at the workplace/field.

- Minimize the number of contacts of the foreign experts at the workplace/field. Require the foreign experts to wear facemasks throughout their time at the workplace/field. Avoid handshaking; wash hands frequently with hand sanitizer.

- Request the foreign experts’ contacts to wear facemasks, frequently wash their hands with clean water and soap/hand sanitizer. Compile a list of contacts of the foreign experts at the workplace/field to facilitate contact tracing where necessary.

- Assign health workers to perform health monitoring throughout the foreign exerts’ time at the workplace/field.

- Prepare a separate bathroom at the workplace/field for the foreign experts.

- When foreign experts complete their job at the workplace/field, disinfect the workplace/field in accordance with instructions in the Appendix hereof.

4.1.6. Transportation

The transport of foreign experts from the point of entry to their lodging and throughout their stay in Vietnam shall be done with dedicated vehicles and satisfy the following requirements:

- The driver and foreign expert wear facemasks throughout the trip.

- Hand sanitizer is provided near the vehicle doors for use before entering the vehicle and during the trip.

- The vehicle is disinfected in accordance with instructions in the Appendix hereof.

4.2. For foreign diplomats:

- The same basic Covid-19 prevention and control measures shall be implemented as those applied to foreign experts.

- Diplomats with the rank of Deputy Minister or higher are not required to have the certificate of SARS-CoV-2 negative result upon entry, not required to use Bluezone application and undergo SARS-CoV-2 tests after entry.

V. IMPLEMENTATION DUTIES

1. Ministries and central authorities shall:

- Inform and instruct their affiliated organizations that need to invite foreign experts or diplomats into Vietnam to implement the instructions herein.

- Organize the inspection, supervision and assessment of performance of COVID-19 prevention and control tasks during their stay in Vietnam.

- Submit reports to the National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control (hereinafter referred to as “National Steering Committee”) of the issues that occur.

2. The People’s Committees of provinces shall:

- Inform and instruct organizations in their provinces that wish to invite foreign experts or diplomats into Vietnam to implement the instructions herein.

- Arrange isolated lodging places and workplaces; maintain health monitoring and their isolation from the community. Consider approving the plan for receipt, transport, quarantine and prevention of Covid-19 infection for the foreign experts and diplomats throughout their stay and for their contacts

- Assign the Departments of Health of their provinces to carry out health monitoring, handle suspected cases of Covid-19 infection, provide instructions on cleaning and disinfecting the environment during the stay of foreign experts and diplomats in Vietnam; assign persons responsible for health monitoring at their lodging, workplaces, meeting places, fields; prepare for hospitalization of Covid-19 cases.

- Organize the inspection, supervision and assessment of performance of COVID-19 prevention and control tasks during their stay in Vietnam.

- Submit reports to the National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control of the issues that occur.

3. Inviting organizations shall:

- Prepare for the receipt, transport, lodging, work/meeting of the foreign experts or diplomats; ensure the safety of the foreign experts or diplomats and their contacts.

- Provide information and instructions on COVID-19 prevention and control regulations in this document and other regulations of the Government of Vietnam.

- Strictly follow the instructions herein.

- Submit reports to the People’s Committee of the province/Ministry/central authority.

4. The invited foreign experts or diplomats shall:

- Make electronic health declaration upon entry. Use Bluezone application throughout the stay in Vietnam (except diplomats holding the rank of Deputy Minister or above).

- Strictly follow the instructions and regulations on Covid-19 prevention and control in this document and other regulations of the Government of Vietnam.

- Self-monitor health; promptly inform the inviting organization and health authority when having fever, cough, sore throat or difficult breathing.

- Practice personal hygiene, including:

+ Frequently wash hands with clean water and soap or hand sanitizer, especially before entering the meeting room, before and after eating.

+ Avoid handshaking.

+ Do not share personal items such as cups, bottles, napkins, etc.

- Do not leave the lodging. Adhere to the meeting/work/field trip plan.

5. People having contact with the foreign experts or diplomats during their entry and stay in Vietnam shall:

5.1. Make declaration with the health authority.

5.2. Wear facemasks, wash hands, maintain safe distance, comply with Covid-19 prevention regulations, self-monitoring health when having contact and working with them.

5.3. Keep self-monitoring health and avoid contact with the community while still working normally for 14 days from the last day of contact.

5.4. Self-isolate at home and inform the local health authority or the Ministry of Health when having fever, cough, sore throat, difficult breathing.

6. The unit in charge of the meeting place/workplace/field:

Develop a detailed plan, assign specific preparation tasks to affiliated units and relevant individuals and cooperate with relevant authorities in implementing the instructions in part IV.

APPENDIX

1. What to do when a foreign expert or his/her contact is infected or suspected of Covid-19 infection during the foreign expert’s stay in Vietnam

1.1. When having fatigue, fever, cough, sore throat, difficult breathing

- Inform the unit/person in charge of health monitoring at the lodging/meeting place/workplace/field. Call the hotline of the Department of Health or the Ministry of Health (1900 3228 or 1900 9095) or the local health authority for advice; go to a health facility for examination and treatment if necessary.

- A person who has fever, cough, sore throat, difficult breathing shall be sent to a temporary quarantine room and handled as a suspected case.

- Provide facemasks and instructions on how to wear facemasks properly.

- Avoid that person’s contact with other people.

1.2. Handling of confirmed cases

In case a foreign expert tests positive for SARS-CoV-2 during his/her stay in Vietnam:

- Promptly inform the local health authority for isolation and treatment in accordance with regulations of the National Steering Committee.

- Clean and disinfect the patient’s lodging place, meeting place, workplace/field in accordance with the instructions in the Appendix hereof.

2. Disinfection

2.1. Disinfecting vehicles for transport of foreign experts

- The vehicle shall be disinfected after each trip as follows: put on a cloth common detergent such as (i) multipurpose cleaner, (ii) disinfectant that contains 0,05% active chlorine (at least 10 minutes of contact) or 0,1% active chlorine (at least 01 minute of contact), or (iii) 70% alcohol; clean the surfaces from clean to dirty areas, from inside to outside, from top to bottom. Minimum isolation time after disinfection is 30 minutes. Dirty surfaces must be cleaned with soap and clean water before disinfection.

- Surfaces that need disinfecting: frequently touched objects such as door handles, seats, windows, handles, floor, air conditioners and other frequently touched objects.

- Increase ventilation on the vehicle by opening windows, using fans or other methods. Frequently clean the ventilation system, fans and air conditioners.

- Provide sufficient trash bags, collect and treat them every day as per regulations.

2.2. Disinfecting the meeting place

a) The meeting place and/or meeting rooms shall be disinfected daily as follows:

- Disinfect using (i) multipurpose cleaner, (ii) disinfectant that contains 0,05% active chlorine (at least 10 minutes of contact) or 0,1% active chlorine (at least 01 minute of contact), or (iii) 70% alcohol. Prepare enough disinfectant for the day. Use 70% alcohol to clean the surfaces of electronics that are small or susceptible to chemical corrosion. Minimum isolation time after disinfection is 30 minutes.

- It is best to rub and leave the surfaces to dry naturally. Dirty surfaces must be cleaned with soap and clean water before disinfection.

- Wear rubber gloves, facemask and protective clothing while cleaning and disinfecting.

- The following places shall be disinfected: meeting room, cafeteria, elevator, waiting hall, public bathroom, dining room (if any) and other public areas.

- Frequency of disinfection:

+ The floor, walls, touched objects in the meeting room: at least 01 time/day.

+ Frequently touched objects such as elevator buttons, door handles, meeting table surface, seats (especially the arm rests), microphone, shared keyboards, buttons, handrails, public bathroom and other frequently touched objects: at least 02 times/day.

b) Increase ventilation in the meeting rooms/areas, corridor, waiting room, elevator by opening doors and windows, using fans or other methods. Frequently clean the ventilation system, fans and air conditioners.

c) Provide sufficient trash bins with plastic bags and covers in convenient positions. Trash shall be collected on a daily basis.

2.3. Disinfecting the workplace/field

- Disinfect the workplace/field in accordance with the instructions in the Appendix hereof after the foreign experts leave the place.

2.4. Disinfection when a person is confirmed to have Covid-19 infection (hereinafter referred to as “confirmed case”)

Follow instructions in Official Dispatch No. 1560/BYT-MT dated 25/3/2020 of the Ministry of Health providing the interim guidelines for decontamination of communities with Covid-19 cases and other guidelines of the National Steering Committee (if any), and the following instructions

a) Areas that need disinfecting:

All areas where the confirmed cases are present shall be disinfected, including:

- At the meeting place: the entire meeting room, reception room (if any); the corridors, the way to the meeting room, elevator, waiting hall, bathroom and other public areas of the meeting place at which the confirmed case is present.

- At the lodging: the confirmed case’s room; the outer walls, corridor, way to the room, staircase, elevator, waiting hall, bathroom and other public areas of the lodging.

- The vehicle that carries the confirmed case: all touched surfaces such as door handles, seats, windows, handles, floor, air conditioners and other frequently touched objects.

b) Disinfection rules

- Rubbing is recommended. Dirty surfaces must be cleaned with soap and clean water before disinfection.

- Disinfectants: prepare sufficient amount of 0,1% active chlorine for the day. Use 70% alcohol to clean surfaces of electronics that are small or susceptible to chemical corrosion.

- Minimum isolation period after disinfection is 30 minutes.

- Fully wear personal protective equipment (PPE) during the disinfection process.

c) Disinfection and environmental remediation measures:

- Implement the measures specified in Official Dispatch No. 1560/BYT-MT dated 25/3/2020 of the Ministry of Health to disinfect the confirmed case’s meeting place, lodging and vehicle of confirmed cases.

- Food and drink containers, cloths (such as table linen) at confirmed case’s meeting place  and lodging place shall be collected and treated in accordance with instructions of the Ministry of Health.

- All trash in the confirmed case’s meeting room, lodging room and vehicle shall be collected and treated as infectious wastes. Put the trash into a yellow bag, tie it up and put it into another yellow bag and tie it up. All yellow bags shall have the label “CHẤT THẢI CÓ NGUY CƠ CHỨA SARS-CoV-2” (“Danger of SARS-CoV-2 infection”) and treated as per regulations.

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