This is a question that is of great interest to many people at a time when the Covid-19 epidemic is becoming more and more complicated, which has returned to the community after a period of no infections in the community of Vietnam.
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On March 12, 2020, the Ministry of Health of Vietnam issued Decision No. 879/QĐ-BYT on the guidelines on medical quarantine at home and in lodgings for COVID-19 prevention and control, which has specified what members of the household, place of residence of the person under medical isolation must do and follow.
Specifically, when a relative or family member falls into one of the following categories, they are required to perform medical isolation at home:
- Persons having contact with confirmed cases;
- Persons subject to quarantine in quarantine zones and testing negative for SARS-CoV-2 according to the Ministry of Health’s guidelines;
- Other groups of people according to the direction of the Prime Minister or National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control and the Ministry of Health’s guidance given based on the pandemic’s progress.
When there is a relative belonging to one of the above subjects, and during medical isolation at home, the member of the quarantined person's household or place of residence must:
- Limit contact with quarantined persons, wear facemasks and keep a distance of at least 2 meters if meeting face to face.
- Clean the floor, surfaces of objects and doorknobs of their houses/lodgings using common cleaning agents or disinfectant solutions.
- Provide individual meals for quarantined persons.
- Immediately inform the in-charge commune-level healthcare worker and local government if the quarantined person leaves the quarantine premises without permission or develops fever, coughing, throat pain or breathing difficulty.
- Not hosting large gatherings in their houses or lodgings.
- Give encouragement and support to quarantined persons throughout the quarantine period.
Besides, according to the Decision No. 879/QĐ-BYT of the Ministry of Health of Vietnam, quarantine at home and in the following types of lodgings: private houses; apartments; tenements; dormitories of schools, industrial parks and factories; hotel rooms, rented housing and lodgings of regulatory bodies and units.
Thus, management boards/managers/owners of apartment buildings, dormitories, hotels and rented housing must:
- Closely cooperate with local healthcare units and relevant units in quarantine organization.
- Assign officials in charge of COVID-19 prevention and control tasks and publish their contact (name and phone number) for other people to know and get in touch.
- Organize supervision of quarantined persons to ensure compliance with requirements.
- Report to competent authorities and cooperate in enforcing quarantine upon any quarantined person who does not abide by quarantine requirements.
- Notify households and persons staying in lodgings accommodating quarantined persons of information on the quarantined persons (special cases shall follow the Ministry of Health’s guidelines) for them to know, cooperate in quarantine organization and supervise quarantine.
- Communicate about COVID-19 prevention and control. Hang posters, notifications and guidelines concerning COVID-19 prevention and control.
- Not host mass events in common areas, places of residence or lodgings.
- Provide sufficient face masks for quarantine supervisors.
- Equip garbage bins with lids and hand sanitizer at lobbies, corridors, stairways and elevator doors (if any).
- Clean and disinfect common areas: Disinfect with common cleaning agents or disinfectant solutions containing 0,05% active chlorine (ensure contact time of 10 minutes) or 0,1% active chlorine (ensure contact time of 01 minute) or at least 60% alcohol; prioritize disinfection by wiping/cleaning:
+ The floor, walls, chairs, tables, objects in common areas (lobbies, recreational areas, sports areas, etc.), public restrooms, stairways and elevators (if any) at least 01 time/day.
+ Doorknobs, banisters, balustrades and elevator buttons and cabins at least 02 times/day.
- Collect and handle waste on a daily basis.
- Immediately notify local health authority or call the hotlines of the local government and local health authority upon detection of a person having fever or cough, throat pain or breathing difficulty.
- Give encouragement and support to quarantined persons to help them feel rest assured and complete their quarantine.
View more details at the Decision No. 879/QĐ-BYT of the Ministry of Health of Vietnam, effective from March 12, 2020.
- Key word:
- Decision No. 879/QĐ-BYT
- Covid-19
