COVID-19 home quarantine for F1 cases permitted in HCM City

Under a decision signed on June 27 by Deputy Minister of Health Do Xuan Tuyen, F1 cases are permitted to self-quarantine at home if they live in a villa, or a detached and semi-detached house.

The house must have a closed, private and fully-equipped room for quarantine which is separate from the rest of the family. The room must not use the general air conditioning system, instead fresh air is preferable.

To enjoy home quarantine, F1 cases must strictly follow COVID-19 guidelines and vow not to leave the room or contact other people, including their family, during the isolation period.

They will be served with separate meals every day and required to self-monitor their health, including body temperature measurement. Local healthcare workers and competent authorities must be notified if F1 cases show virus like symptoms such as a cough, a fever, a sore throat and shortness of breath.

They will have samples taken for SARS-CoV-2 testing at least 5 times during their home quarantine. After the isolation period is over, F1 cases will continue to monitor their health at home according to regulations.

Their relatives are required not to contact people living nearby, not to go out unnecessarily, and to record the history of contact if it happens.

In case F1 cases are children or elderly persons with underlying health conditions, the local administration may arrange caregivers to live together and strictly abide by COVID-19 guidelines.

HCM City, the busiest and most populous locality in Vietnam, is currently under great pressure as the SARS-CoV-2 virus has spread to all 22 of its districts and towns, with more than 100 positive cases recorded on a daily basis.

It has so far confirmed more than 3,000 cases and case numbers are expected to rise in the coming days as some chains of transmission are of unknown origin and nearly 70% of infected cases are asymptomatic.