A medical worker gives a COVID-19 vaccine to an elderly person in the central city of Đà Nẵng. — VNA/VNS Photo Trần Lê Lâm

HÀ NỘI — People who have been in close contact with COVID-19 patients, or F1 cases, are allowed to self-quarantine at home for seven days if they have been fully vaccinated, or have recovered from the disease in the last six months.

They are also required to self-monitor their health for the following seven days.

This is the latest instruction from the Ministry of Health (MoH), issued on Thursday. The instruction was sent to provincial and municipal people’s committees.

Under the guidelines, the MoH said that many localities have reached a high rate of COVID-19 vaccine coverage, and many F1 cases had been vaccinated or recovered from the disease.

The new guidelines aimed to adjust regulations for pandemic prevention and control.

During the self-quarantine period, F1 cases must follow the MoH’s 5K message, which is khẩu trang (facemask), khử khuẩn (disinfection), khoảng cách (distance), không tụ tập (no gathering), khai báo y tế (health declaration).

If they have any abnormal symptoms such as coughing, high temperature or difficulty breathing, they must inform medical centres.

They must take a COVID-19 test with PCR method twice. The first time when they start quarantine and the second on the seventh day of the quarantine period.

The MoH asked localities to strictly check and keep a close watch on those self-quarantining.

In the previous Document No 5599, the MoH requested F1 to spend 14 days in collective quarantine centres, and 14 more days of self-quarantine at home. — VNS