Vietnam cuts quarantine time for vaccinated entrants

Fully vaccinated people arriving in Vietnam will have to spend seven days in centralized quarantine and self monitor their health in the following week, the Health Ministry said Wednesday.

A document by the ministry said entrants with proper certificates to show that they have been fully vaccinated with the last dose given between 14 days and 12 months before arrival, and have tested negative for the coronavirus within 72 hours before arrival, would only need to go under centralized quarantine for seven days instead of the usual 14 days.

Additionally, those infected with Covid-19 and have certificates to prove that they have recovered from it within the last six months would also see their centralized quarantine period reduced.

Following centralized quarantine, entrants would need to monitor their own health for the next seven days, while constantly using contact tracing app Bluezone.

The health ministry has requested the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to issue guidance on evaluating and certifying Covid-19 vaccination and recovery certificates. Localities should provide opportunities for entrants to be quarantined in hotels if needed, and entrants would pay the quarantine fees themselves.

Further details including implementation date have not been revealed.

Since last month, the health ministry has trialed a similar quarantine approach in the northern province of Quang Ninh, which allows fully vaccinated individuals or recovered Covid-19 patients to undergo seven days in centralized quarantine.

Vietnam closed its borders from March last year and those allowed to enter have been mostly Vietnamese citizens stranded abroad, foreign diplomats, investors and high-skilled workers.

By Viet Tuan – VnExpress.net – August 4, 2021