Hanoi (VNA) – The Ministry of Health on July 14 issued updatedguidelines on the mandatory quarantine period and details of a pilot homequarantine scheme for people who came into direct contact with confirmedCOVID-19 cases.

Accordingto the guidelines, which local administrations are supposed to observe, thetime of medical quarantine is decreased from 21 days to 14 days for directcontacts (F1 cases) of confirmed COVID-19 patients (F0) and foreign arrivals,except for arrivals for business purposes with duration of stay shorter than 14days, and other cases of entries in accordance with other regulations of theImmigration Department and the National Committee for COVID-19 Prevention andControl.

However,they would need to continue to monitor their health status for the next 14 days.

Localauthorities are ordered to manage and supervise the isolation period andfollow-up medical observation period to ensure no cross-infection or virusspread in the community.

Theministry also told local administrations to consider conducting trials of homequarantine of F1 cases, hold training and provide instructions via videoclips or other materials, strictly and frequently manage the isolationprocesses to ensure disease prevention and control.

Accordingto the interim guidance, the accommodation for quarantining F1 cases needsto be a house or an apartment in a residential building, a red placard must bedisplayed with yellow letters “COVID-19 medical quarantine site” and a wastebin with hazardous material warning.

Thehouse/apartment needs a separate room that is fully functional (with its owntoilet, waste bin, air condition unit, washing machine, etc.) and distinct fromthe common living space of the rest of family (if any), and a camera is neededto monitor the quarantined subject.

Toiletries,personal protective gear must be worn by other family members whocome into contact with the quarantine person(s).

Theymust also have access to cleaning equipment, and a table outside the quarantineroom to leave meals, drinks and other necessary items for the quarantinedperson(s) to take.

TheF1 cases under home quarantine must not have direct contacts with other familymembers or pets, install the contact tracing app Bluezone during the entireperiod, monitor their own health status including body temperatures to reporton Bluezone or to local health authorities via telephone.

TheF1 cases would be tested three times, on the first, seventh, and fourteenth dayof the quarantine.

Theother residents of the house/apartment would also be tested (using pooledsamples testing) in the same timeframe.

Areview of the pilot period is required to consider the implementation of themodel on a larger scale, the health ministry noted./.