All arrivals since March 1 should self-isolate at home if they have not been quarantined in a centralized zone in the past 14 days, in order to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the Ministry of Health said in a text message sent to mobile phone users on Sunday.

All such entrants, foreign and local, are advised to declare their health status at https://tokhaiyte.vn, where a medical declaration form is available in Vietnamese, English, Chinese, Korean, Italian, Khmer, Russian, Spanish, French, Lao, and Japanese.

“Declaring false information is a violation of Vietnamese law and may be subject to criminal handling,” says a warning on the website.

The declaration is an “important document” which is vital for health authorities to “contact you to prevent communicable diseases.”

It is recommended that all having entered Vietnam since March 1 self-isolate at home, if they have not been sent to a collective quarantine camp, for 14 days from the date of entry, according to the Ministry of Health's text message.

Those who have been inside the border for more than 14 days from the date of entry should limit their contact with others.

All such arrivals are advised to also take common preventive measures like wearing face masks and washing hands with soap or hand sanitizer.

They should contact the nearest medical facilities for further advice.

Incoming travelers to Vietnam will be quarantined in a collective zone for 14 days, the incubation period of the virus, according to government directives taking effect on Saturday.

Vietnam started denying entry to foreign nationals, including people of Vietnamese origin and their relatives who hold visa exemption documents, on Sunday.

The ban is applicable to all foreign arrivals – by sea, waterway, road, and air.

Visas will be issued when necessary to those entering Vietnam for diplomatic purposes, official duties, or other special cases.

Such people have to undergo compulsory inspection procedures, medical declaration, and appropriate isolation upon entering the country.

Vietnam has confirmed 94 COVID-19 patients so far, with 19 having fully recovered, with 19 having fully recovered, of whom 17 have been discharged from hospitals. 

The country has recorded 78 patients since March 6, most of whom are imported cases.

Vietnam treats local patients for free while charging foreigners a fee for their treatment, though their testing and quarantine expenses are waived.

No coronavirus-related death has been recorded in the Southeast Asian country to date.

The novel coronavirus has infected more than 307,000 and killed over 13,000 people all over the world, according to statistics. Almost 96,000 cases have recovered.    

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