People are sent to a quarantine center in Bac Lieu Province. The quarantine period for vaccinated people arriving from abroad may be shortened to seven days - PHOTO: VNA

HCMC – People who have been vaccinated against Covid-19, developed immunity against the coronavirus and tested negative for Covid-19 might have their quarantine period shortened to seven days from the current 21 days when they arrive in Vietnam from abroad.

At a meeting on June 2, the national steering committee for Covid-19 infection prevention and control asked the Ministry of Health to quickly issue testing guidelines for these people, the local media reported.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Science and Technology was assigned to speed up the development of new testing methods and equipment as the current Covid-19 testing method is strenuous and costly.

On May 19, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam asked the Ministry of Health to have a new plan for quarantining those arriving from abroad, including shortening the isolation time for the fully vaccinated to one week, instead of the current three weeks.

In the past, all arriving air passengers had to stay at a quarantine center for 14 days. After testing negative for Covid-19 three times, they would have to self-isolate for another 14 days at home or at a designated hotel.

On May 5, the Ministry of Health extended the mandatory quarantine period to 21 days due to the spike in new cases in many parts of the country. Those who test negative for Covid-19 three times after the isolation period will be monitored at home for seven more days.

In mid-May, the General Department of Preventive Medicine under the Ministry of Health proposed the national steering committee for Covid-19 infection prevention and control quarantine incoming passengers holding Covid-19 vaccine passports for seven days. After testing negative twice, they will be required to self-quarantine for another seven days at home or at a designated hotel.