Bac Giang: Children under five allowed to be quarantined at home

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Children under five years old who had close contact with COVID-19 patients are now allowed to undergo mandatory quarantine at home provided that all pandemic prevention requirements are met, according to an urgent notice from the Ministry of Health to the northern province of Bac Giang, which is being hard hit by new COVID-19 outbreaks.

The notice, signed by Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Truong Son on June 5, provided new instructions on medical quarantine for children under 15 years old in the northern province, which has been Vietnam’s COVID-19 hotspot since early May.

The move aims to guarantee a safe and convenient living environment for children during the quarantine period, reduce pressure on overloaded concentrated quarantine sites and prevent cross-infections in Bac Giang.

Accordingly, children under 15 years old are required to be quarantined for 21 days. Those under five are allowed to fulfil quarantine orders at home if all preventive requirements against the spread of the coronavirus are met.

Those aged 5-15, meanwhile, must stay at concentrated quarantine sites in 7 days and can complete the rest of their quarantine period at home if they test negative with the virus thrice during the first 7 days.

The number of COVID-19 cases confirmed in the latest wave of outbreaks since April 27 has hit 5,340 as of 12pm June 5, more than half of which were recorded in Bac Giang.