When and where wearing face masks is compulsory in Vietnam?
WVR - The Guidelines attached with Ministry of Health’s Decision No. 2447/QD-BYT dated on September 6, 2022 defines cases in which wearing face masks is compulsory.
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| Wearing face mask is to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19 in the community. (Photo: CGTN) |
Purposes of wearing mask is to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19 in the community, and thus flexibly and safely adapt to and efficiently control the pandemic in the new context, it said.
The Decision is based on the fact that SARS-CoV-2 is transmission through human-to-human contact transmission, primarily through respiratory droplets. The level of COVID-19 infection in places at high risk of exposure includes places at risk of exposure to COVID-19 and places with confined spaces and poor ventilation.
According to the Decision, wearing face masks in public places is considered a personal protective measure to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in the community and protect people’s health, especially people at higher risk from COVID-19 such as people with health conditions, older people, people with immunodeficiency and people with obesity.
The term "public places" mentioned in the Decision are those places with confined spaces used for serving a lot of people such as theaters, cinemas, night clubs, restaurants, etc. or those places with open spaces such as stadiums, parks, streets, coach stations, etc.
The guidelines are generally applied to people with acute respiratory infection symptoms, and people with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 and all people (except children under 5 years old), when entering public places in areas with level 3 or level 4 epidemics declared according to the Provisional guidelines for health sector for implementation of the Government’s Resolution No. 128/NQ-CP dated October 11, 2021 enclosed with the Decision No. 218/QD-BYT dated January 27, 2022 of the Ministry of Health of Vietnam.
Specifically, the Decision's Guidlines are specifically applied to certain places and individuals as follows:
a) In health facilities, medical isolation facilities, and accommodations where persons who are subjected to medical isolation, surveillance or supervision are living:
- The guidelines shall be applied to all people (except those staying in single isolation rooms, people with immunodeficiency, people who are undergoing medical procedures as indicated by physicians, and children under 5 years old).
- Health workers and employees of health facilities shall comply with Guidelines on selection and use of personal protective equipment in health facilities for COVID-19 –prevention and control enclosed with the Decision No. 2171/QD-BYT dated August 05, 2022 of the Ministry of Health of Vietnam.
b) When using public means of transport (including airplanes, trains, ships, trams, ferries, passenger cars, buses, taxis, etc.): The guidelines shall be applied to all passengers, operators or drivers and attendants on means of public transport, and service staff, managers and workers at train stations, coach stations, ports, waiting rooms when communicating with passengers.
c) At shopping malls, supermarkets and wholesale markets: The guidelines shall be applied to all service staff, managers and workers when communicating with customers.
d) At places with confined spaces and poor ventilation (such as night clubs, discotheques, karaoke lounges, beauty salons, massage parlors, fitness and gym centers, establishments providing food and drink services to customers on their premises, cinema, theaters, circuses, sporting event halls and film studios): The guidelines shall be applied to all service staff, sellers, managers and workers when communicating with customers.
dd) At cultural and tourist places, and places where events with a large number of attendants are organized (such as monumental works; museums, libraries, exhibition halls, showrooms; tourist resorts, leisure and entertainment centers; cultural and sports events; weddings, funerals, trade fairs, festivals): The guidelines shall be applied to all service staff, managers, workers and sellers when communicating with customers and attendants.
e) At document receipt sections and transaction sections: The guidelines shall be applied to all employees in charge of receiving documents and processing transactions when communicating with customers.
In other cases (other than locations and entities specified in Section 1 of this part), the wearing of face masks in public places is encouraged.
(WVR)
