Decree No. 41/1998/NĐ-CP Issuing the Regulations on Border Health Quarantine of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam

 

DECREE

Issuing the Sanitary Quarantine Regulations at Border of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam

                          

THE GOVERNMENT

Pursuant to the Law on the Organization of the Government dated September 30, 1992;

Pursuant to the Law on Health Care for the People dated June 30, 1989;

At the proposal of the Minister of Health,

DECREE:

Article 1. Hereby issues the Sanitary Quarantine Regulations at Border of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Article 2. This Decree takes effect from July 1, 1998 and replaces the Decree No. 248/TTg dated May 19, 1958 issued by the Prime Minister on the Sanitary Quarantine Regulations at Border.

Article 3. The Ministry of Health and relevant Ministries shall develop guiding documents to implement this Decree for submission to the Government for issuance within their authority.

Article 4. The Ministers, Heads of Ministries equivalent to Ministries, Heads of Governmental Agencies, Chairpersons of People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities are responsible for enforcing this Decree./.

 

 

CHARTER
SANITARY QUARANTINE AT BORDER OF THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM
(Issued together with Decree No. 41/1998/NĐ-CP dated June 11, 1998 of the Government)

To prevent dangerous infectious diseases from being transmitted into Vietnam from abroad and spreading within Vietnam or from Vietnam to other countries, these regulations stipulate sanitary quarantine at border.

PART I
GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Sanitary quarantine at border involves medical examination to detect quarantinable diseases and monitor infectious diseases among people, conveyances upon entry or exit, luggage, goods, containers, postal items upon import or export in accordance with the provisions of these regulations and international conventions on sanitary quarantine at border that Vietnam has signed or acceded to.

Article 2. The Ministry of Health is the agency assisting the Government in managing state functions regarding sanitary quarantine at border. The General Department of Sanitary Quarantine at Border is the sanitary quarantine agency under the Ministry of Health, responsible for implementing sanitary quarantine activities nationwide. The organizational structure of the sanitary quarantine agencies at border in Vietnam is prescribed by the Prime Minister.

Article 3. Some terms used in these regulations are understood as follows:

1. "Sanitary quarantine agency" refers to the health agency directly responsible for implementing medical measures prescribed by the Sanitary Quarantine Regulations at Border in the area under its jurisdiction.

2. "Quarantine zone" refers to the area designated for people and conveyances entering or exiting to stop for quarantine at border gates.

3. "Medical quarantine officer" refers to the person assigned the direct responsibility for implementing medical measures in the area under their jurisdiction according to the Sanitary Quarantine Regulations at Border.

4. "Medical inspection" refers to the implementation of medical procedures against people, conveyances, and other quarantine objects before entry, exit, import, or export.

5. "Infectious disease surveillance" refers to epidemiological investigation, serological testing, etiological study, clinical symptom evaluation, and assessment of the potential development and spread of an infectious disease.

6. "Backward investigation" refers to the use of epidemiological methods, microbiological testing, and serological testing to determine a quarantinable disease or an infectious disease that has occurred and its causes.

7. "Vector" refers to medical insects, rodents (including rats, etc.) carrying agents causing quarantinable diseases or infectious diseases to humans.

8. "Medical control measures" include vaccination, isolation, detention, surveillance, health checks, and hygiene measures such as disinfection, sterilization, and vector eradication.

9. "Quarantinable diseases": Plague, Cholera, Yellow Fever, and other newly emerging dangerous infectious diseases as specified by the Ministry of Health.

10. "Infectious disease" refers to a disease caused by pathogens or toxins produced by them that can be transmitted directly or indirectly through intermediate hosts, vectors, or the environment.

11. "Border gate supervisor" refers to the Head of the State management agency at the border gate which is directly responsible for coordinating the activities of other State management agencies at the border gate, depending on whether it is customs or border guard.

12. "State management agency at the border gate" refers to the agency with the function of managing State affairs at the border gate, including customs, border guards, animal and plant quarantine, sanitary quarantine, and other agencies as prescribed by the State.

Article 4.

1. Objects and locations for sanitary quarantine:

All persons, conveyances, and objects capable of carrying or transmitting diseases from areas where quarantinable diseases or dangerous infectious diseases are present or circulating must be subject to supervision by the sanitary quarantine agency at the border gate upon entry, exit, import, or export. If they are found to be infected or carrying vectors that transmit quarantinable diseases or dangerous infectious diseases as stipulated in these regulations, they must undergo quarantine in the quarantine zone.

Prior to processing, the sanitary quarantine agency promptly informs the animal and plant quarantine agencies at the border gate to coordinate and conduct the respective quarantine procedures without affecting the content of each sector's quarantine.

When conveyances require quarantine, all persons on board (drivers, crew members, passengers) and objects capable of carrying or transmitting diseases on those conveyances must also be quarantined.

2. Procedures and formats for sanitary quarantine at border are prescribed by the Ministry of Health.

Article 5. The transportation of corpses and remains across the border must be medically inspected and certified by the sanitary quarantine agency at border.

The procedures and formats for medical inspection are prescribed by the Ministry of Health.

Article 6. Special products such as medical bacteria, medical viruses, biological products, human tissues, blood, and blood components must be inspected and certified by the sanitary quarantine agency at border before import or export.

The procedures and formats for medical inspection are prescribed by the Ministry of Health.

Article 7. The quarantine zones at border gates for land, river, air, and sea routes are jointly prescribed by the border gate management agency and the sanitary quarantine agency at border.

Article 8. Health quarantine officers must wear identification cards and uniforms with insignias as prescribed by the Ministry of Health while performing their quarantine duties.

Article 9. Quarantine procedures for individuals enjoying diplomatic privileges, immunities, consular privileges, and other special subjects shall be carried out in accordance with guidelines issued by the joint ministries of Health and Foreign Affairs.

Chapter II
HEALTH QUARANTINE FOR ENTRY AND EXIT.

Article 10. The owner of the means of transport or their representative must notify the border health quarantine authority of the following information and documents at least 24 hours before entering the quarantine area for ships and boats, immediately before departure for trains and automobiles, and 30 minutes before takeoff for aircraft, and immediately upon landing for aircraft:

1. Name and nationality of the means of transport and its itinerary.

2. Number of passengers and crew members on board the means of transport.

3. A health declaration form as prescribed (for persons on board the means of transport).

Article 11. The person in charge of the port, the owner of the means of transport parked at the port, or their representative, if they discover any disease requiring quarantine or dangerous infectious diseases, must immediately report to the border health quarantine authority or the port health authority using the fastest available means of communication, followed by a formal written report.

Article 12. SIGNALS FOR SHIPS AND BOATS ENTERING THE COUNTRY ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1. During the day, ships and boats must display signals using flags:

a) The letter "Q" flag indicates that the ship or boat does not have a quarantine disease and requests entry quarantine.

b) The letters "QQ" indicate that the ship or boat is suspected of having a quarantine disease.

c) The letters "QL" indicate that the ship or boat has a quarantine disease.

2. At night, ships and boats must display signals using red and white lights separated by 2 meters vertically on a forward mast:

a) One red light indicates that the ship or boat does not have a quarantine disease and requests entry quarantine.

b) Two red lights indicate that the ship or boat is suspected of having a quarantine disease.

c) One red light and one white light indicate that the ship or boat has a quarantine disease.

Article 13. Ships and boats required to undergo entry quarantine must display quarantine signals as stipulated in Article 12 and wait in the quarantine area until they receive a quarantine entry certificate from the border health quarantine authority.

Article 14. While ships and boats are still required to display quarantine signals, except for pilots and personnel whose work has been approved by the border health quarantine authority, no one may board or unload cargo from the ship or boat. Transport staff and passengers may not leave the ship or boat and may not engage in transactions with other ships or boats unless in case of an accident.

Article 15. If the means of transport cannot reach the designated quarantine area due to damage or other reasons, the owner of the means of transport or their representative must immediately inform the border health quarantine authority.

Article 16. During the entry and exit quarantine process, health quarantine officers require the owner of the means of transport or their representative to present necessary documents and health declarations of transport staff and passengers as prescribed by the border health quarantine authority.

Article 17. Based on the results of the quarantine, the border health quarantine authority issues a quarantine entry certificate for persons and means of transport that have undergone quarantine. The quarantine certificate specifies the measures taken for those persons and means of transport.

Article 18. When the means of transport is quarantined, the owner of the means of transport or their representative must comply fully with quarantine regulations and facilitate the health quarantine officers' work on their means of transport.

Chapter III
MEDICAL TREATMENT MEASURES

Article 19. When individuals entering or exiting the country are found to be infected with or carrying vectors of quarantine diseases or dangerous infectious diseases, the border health quarantine authority will compel them to undergo medical examination or implement necessary medical treatment measures.

Article 20. In cases where vectors of quarantine diseases or dangerous infectious diseases are found on the means of transport, the border health quarantine authority will compel the owner of the means of transport or their representative and the owner of the goods or their representative to implement medical treatment measures, and simultaneously inform the head of the management authority at the port. After the means of transport has completed the prescribed measures, the health quarantine authority will issue a quarantine certificate.

Article 21. When foreign means of transport arrive at a Vietnamese port and the owner of the means of transport or their representative fails to implement medical treatment measures, the health quarantine authority will refuse to process entry health procedures and request relevant authorities to require the means of transport to leave Vietnam's ports immediately and not park anywhere within Vietnamese territory or territorial waters. In exceptional cases where immediate departure is not possible, they must implement medical measures as prescribed by the border health quarantine authority.

Article 22. When implementing medical treatment measures, the person responsible for medical treatment must ensure the following requirements:

1. Not causing harm to human health or animals on board the means of transport.

2. Not damaging mechanical parts or structures of the means of transport.

3. Not causing fire.

4. Not damaging luggage, goods, distorting packaging, or altering the color of product labels.

If medical treatment measures cause damage to people or means of transport, the border health quarantine authority must compensate for the damage according to the law.

Article 23. Mail items, newspapers, books, and other printed materials sent by mail do not need to undergo medical treatment except when the border health quarantine authority suspects them as sources of disease transmission.

Article 24. All used items and waste showing clear signs of being able to transmit quarantine diseases or infectious diseases must be treated medically before importation or exportation.

Article 25. The border health quarantine agency does not need to implement health treatment measures against conveyances that have been subject to health treatment at a previous port of entry, conveyances transiting Vietnam without changing personnel or goods on Vietnamese territory, except for the following cases:

1. Unexpectedly discovering signs of infectious disease requiring quarantine or dangerous infectious diseases on conveyances or at ports of entry;

2. Health treatment measures at a previous port of entry were ineffective.

Article 26. The border health quarantine agency will implement health treatment measures for any conveyance upon entry or exit if the conveyance:

1. Comes from an area with a disease requiring quarantine or dangerous infectious diseases;

2. Has a person infected with a disease requiring quarantine or dangerous infectious diseases;

3. Has vectors exceeding permissible limits.

The Ministry of Health specifies the specific permissible vector limits for each infectious disease or dangerous communicable disease.

Article 27. For persons currently suffering from or suspected of having a disease requiring quarantine, the border health quarantine agency must implement the following measures:

1. Isolate and treat the sick person at a designated location until they recover or are no longer capable of spreading the disease;

2. Retain and examine suspected individuals with a disease requiring quarantine for a period not exceeding the incubation period of the disease. If a disease requiring quarantine is discovered among those retained, the infected individuals must be isolated and treated.

Article 28. Persons on conveyances that have a disease, or are suspected of having a disease requiring quarantine, or coming from areas with a disease requiring quarantine or dangerous infectious diseases, must undergo a health check at the local health authority within the period specified in the health monitoring certificate issued by the border health quarantine agency; simultaneously, the border health quarantine agency has the responsibility to promptly notify the local health authority where the person resides.

Article 29.

1. Vessels crossing borders must carry out rat extermination every six months.

2. Inspection and extermination of rats must be carried out when conveyances are not carrying cargo. In special cases, conveyances containing cargo that cannot be unloaded, the border health quarantine agency may extend the rat extermination period by one additional month and record this decision on the original rat extermination certificate.

3. In cases where inspection does not reveal signs indicating the presence of rats on vessels, the border health quarantine agency may issue a rat-free certificate.

Article 30. After rat extermination or exemption from rat extermination, the border health quarantine agency issues the conveyance owner a rat extermination certificate or exemption certificate. These certificates are valid for six months from the date of issuance.

Article 31. All conveyances moored at a port must implement rodent control measures from the port and vice versa. Upon discovery of dead rats, immediate notification must be made to the border health quarantine agency.

Article 32.

1. Individuals entering Vietnam from areas with diseases requiring quarantine or dangerous infectious diseases must declare their health status to the border health quarantine agency. The Ministry of Health specifies the content and procedures for health declaration.

2. When a disease requiring quarantine or dangerous infectious diseases spread at Vietnamese ports of entry, the border health quarantine agency must vaccinate foreign nationals who request it.

Chapter IV
QUARANTINE DISEASES

Section 1
PLAGUE

Article 33.

1. Conveyances are considered to have plague when any of the following occurs on them:

a) There is a person suffering from plague;

b) There is a rodent species suffering from plague;

c) A person develops plague more than six days after boarding the conveyance.

2. Health treatment measures for conveyances considered to be sources of plague:

a) Isolate and treat infected individuals;

b) Exterminate vectors and monitor suspected individuals for six days from the date of arrival at the border port;

c) Individuals concluded by the border health quarantine agency to be carriers of the pathogen must be quarantined for six days. During this time, other individuals on the conveyance may not leave the conveyance or quarantine area, except for staff performing necessary duties approved by the border health quarantine agency. In the case of motor vehicles or trains, these individuals may move to designated locations;

d) If there is a person suffering from pneumonic plague or if pneumonic plague was present within six days prior to the conveyance's entry, all passengers and crew members must be quarantined for six days;

e) All luggage, personal items, bedding, quilts, mats, and living quarters of infected or suspected individuals must be disinfected and decontaminated;

f) Rat extermination must be conducted throughout the conveyance. In special cases where it is impossible to conduct rat extermination throughout the conveyance, measures must be taken to prevent rats from escaping;

g) Cargo unloading must be supervised by the border health quarantine agency;

h) Individuals involved in cargo unloading must be monitored for health or quarantined for six days from the completion of unloading.

Article 34.

1. Conveyances suspected of being sources of plague if any of the following occur on them:

a) There is a person suffering from plague or a person develops plague more than six days after boarding the conveyance;

b) Rodents die abnormally without clear cause;

c) There is a person on a vessel arriving from an area with pneumonic plague who has not been quarantined since leaving the affected area.

2. Health treatment measures for conveyances suspected of having plague shall be implemented according to points b, c, d, e, f, g of Clause 2, Article 33 of this Regulation.

Article 35. For conveyances that do not develop plague but come from areas with plague:

a) If there is a person suspected of having plague, they must be quarantined or monitored for six days from the time the conveyance leaves the affected area. During this period, no one on the conveyance may disembark except for essential staff approved by the border health quarantine agency.

b) In case of necessity, the border health quarantine agency shall compel the owner of the means of transport to comply with the provisions set forth in point f, clause 2, Article 33 of this Regulation.

SECTION 2: PLAGUE

Article 36.

1. Means of transport shall be considered as having plague sources if there is a person infected with plague on board or if plague occurred on the means of transport within five days prior to arrival.

2. Measures for dealing with means of transport with plague:

a) Infected persons must be isolated and treated;

b) All food, luggage, utensils, bedding, living quarters, drinking water, and other supplies of infected persons or those suspected of being infected with plague must be disinfected;

c) Unsanitized feces, garbage, bilge water, ballast water, excess water, and dirty water may not be discharged outside;

d) The unloading of goods must be carried out under the supervision of the border health quarantine agency;

e) Persons involved in unloading goods must be monitored for health or quarantined for five days from the date of completion of unloading.

Article 37.

1. Means of transport shall be considered as suspected of having plague sources if there is a person infected with plague on board but the disease did not occur within five days prior to arrival.

2. Measures for dealing with means of transport suspected of having plague sources shall be implemented according to the provisions set forth in points b, c, and d, clause 2, Article 36 of this Regulation.

SECTION III: YELLOW FEVER

Article 38. When there is a person infected with yellow fever or Aedes aegypti (Stegomya fasciata) mosquitoes, or when the means of transport come from areas where yellow fever is prevalent, such means of transport must stop at the quarantine area and implement medical measures.

Article 39. All individuals entering Vietnam from areas where yellow fever is prevalent must have a valid yellow fever vaccination certificate. Those without a certificate or with an invalid certificate must be quarantined for six days from the date they leave the epidemic area.

Article 40. All means of transport originating from areas where yellow fever is prevalent or circulating must present a certificate of mosquito eradication upon entry into Vietnam.

Article 41.

1. Means of transport shall be considered as having yellow fever sources if there is a person infected with yellow fever or if yellow fever occurred on the means of transport within six days prior to arrival.

2. Medical measures for dealing with means of transport with yellow fever sources:

a) Isolate and treat infected persons;

b) Quarantine for six days those who wish to leave the means of transport without a valid yellow fever vaccination certificate;

c) Park at least 400 meters away from shore and other means of transport and must eradicate mosquitoes on the means of transport;

d) Unload goods only after mosquito eradication has been completed;

e) Persons involved in unloading goods must be monitored for health, and if necessary, quarantined for six days from the date of completion of work.

Article 42.

1. Means of transport shall be considered as suspected of having yellow fever sources in the following cases:

a) Means of transport that have just left areas where yellow fever is prevalent within six days;

b) Means of transport that have left areas where yellow fever is prevalent more than six days but less than thirty days ago and found Aedes aegypti (Stegomya fasciata) mosquitoes;

c) Aircraft departing from areas where yellow fever is prevalent without a valid mosquito eradication certificate or with a certificate that does not meet regulations, or finding Aedes aegypti (Stegomya fasciata) mosquitoes.

2. Measures for dealing with means of transport considered to carry yellow fever sources shall be implemented according to the provisions set forth in points b, c, and d, clause 2, Article 41 of this Regulation.

Chapter V
DISEASE SURVEILLANCE

Article 43. The content of disease surveillance includes:

1. Investigating relevant indices;

2. Epidemiological investigation of outbreaks;

3. Investigating sources of infection;

4. Retrospective investigation of infectious diseases occurring at border crossings;

5. Isolating pathogens, determining etiology, conducting epidemiological and serological investigations among related groups of people and animals;

6. Investigating vectors, food, drinking water, and environmental factors related to the disease;

7. Monitoring and evaluating the results of disinfection, vector control, and rodent control;

8. Collecting, analyzing, and reporting epidemiological information about infectious diseases to border crossings and relevant domestic agencies;

9. Conducting health checks for targeted groups and controlling those with infectious diseases or suspected of having them;

10. Advising and guiding treatment for those with infectious diseases.

Article 44.

1. Individuals infected with HIV/AIDS, suffering from gonorrhea, syphilis, or active pulmonary tuberculosis upon entry into Vietnam must declare to the border health quarantine agency;

2. The border health quarantine agency is responsible for informing local health authorities where the individual will reside or work to provide guidance, advice, and treatment for the individual.

Article 45. The border health quarantine agency has the right to require individuals entering or exiting the country to declare their health status and to present vaccination certificates against infectious diseases or health certificates when necessary.

The Ministry of Health stipulates the situations requiring presentation of vaccination certificates or health certificates.

Article 46. The border health quarantine agency shall conduct health surveillance and preventive measures for:

1. Individuals entering or exiting the country staying at hotels or guesthouses serving travelers at border crossings;

2. Staff working at facilities mentioned in clause 1 of this Article.

Article 47.

1. The border health quarantine agency shall issue a health monitoring card for individuals traveling from areas requiring quarantine to other regions.

2. When individuals with a health monitoring card visit any state-run healthcare facility for a health check-up, the facility must prioritize their examination.

3. If they are diagnosed with or suspected of having a quarantinable disease or a dangerous infectious disease, the healthcare facility must immediately apply necessary medical measures and report to the issuing border health quarantine agency.

Article 48.

1. Vietnamese citizens residing abroad for one year or more and foreigners entering Vietnam for residence for one year or more must present a health certificate issued by a competent health authority to the sanitary quarantine agency upon entry. In cases where there is no health certificate, the entrant must undergo a health check and obtain a health certificate from the competent health authority according to the guidance of the border sanitary quarantine agency.

The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall provide specific guidelines on the verification of health certificates for the subjects specified in this clause.

2. Vietnamese transport workers who frequently cross the border must have a health certificate issued by the border sanitary quarantine agency to facilitate their entry or exit procedures.

Article 49.

1. Hotels, service facilities, and transportation means operating at border gates must meet hygiene standards as prescribed by the Ministry of Health.

2. Authorities at border gates must implement necessary measures to prevent vectors.

3. Waste and refuse within the border gate area must be treated to ensure hygiene.

Article 50. The owner of the transportation means or their representative must perform the following:

1. Ensure hygiene on the transportation means.

2. Equip with sufficient disinfectants and vector control chemicals.

3. Implement medical treatment measures as directed and supervised by the sanitary quarantine agency.

Article 51. Food safety requirements:

1. Food and drinking water used at border gates and on international transportation means must meet hygiene standards as prescribed.

2. The border sanitary quarantine agency must regularly inspect food safety at border gates and on international transportation means.

3. Hotels serving incoming and outgoing passengers at border gates and food providers for international transportation means must meet hygiene standards confirmed by the border sanitary quarantine agency before commencing operations.

4. When the border sanitary quarantine agency determines that food or drink shows signs of contamination or does not meet food safety hygiene standards, it must be destroyed and immediate medical treatment measures must be implemented.

5. Staff serving at facilities for incoming and outgoing passengers at border gates and on international transportation means must hold a health certificate issued by the border sanitary quarantine agency. The health certificate is valid for twelve months from the date of issuance.

6. Medical inspections of food, beverages, and meals at hotels, restaurants serving incoming and outgoing passengers, and on transportation means shall be conducted by the border sanitary quarantine agency in coordination with specialized health agencies at port authorities.

Chapter VI
REPORTING AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Article 52.

1. Upon discovering signs of quarantinable diseases or dangerous infectious diseases, the head of the border sanitary quarantine agency must report to the Ministry of Health (General Department of Border Sanitary Quarantine) within twenty-four hours about: location, number of initial cases, and measures taken.

2. Every twenty-four hours, report once to the Ministry of Health (General Department of Border Sanitary Quarantine) on the development of the disease until it ends.

Article 53.

1. Upon discovering quarantinable diseases or dangerous infectious diseases, the Ministry of Health has the responsibility to inform domestically and internationally about the situation of the epidemic.

2. When quarantinable diseases or dangerous infectious diseases spread strongly in one or several areas domestically or abroad, the Ministry of Health has the responsibility to report to the Prime Minister to decide on the following preventive measures:

a) Issuing orders to isolate regions currently affected by the disease within the country.

b) Prohibiting entry and exit for people, transportation means, and other quarantine objects from regions currently affected by the disease.

c) Prohibiting import and export of goods, items, animals, plants, mail, drinks, and food that can transmit the epidemic from regions currently affected by the disease.

d) Transportation means coming from affected regions must be inspected at the first border gate and must undergo medical treatment and be issued a quarantine certificate before being allowed to move to another location.

3. When the epidemic ends, the Ministry of Health has the responsibility to announce nationwide and internationally about the end of the epidemic.

An area is considered free of the epidemic if it meets the following conditions:

a) For plague and cholera, six days have passed since the last case occurred without any signs of transmission.

b) For yellow fever not transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, three months have passed without any signs of yellow fever virus activity.

c) For yellow fever transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, one month has passed since the last case occurred.

Chapter VII
QUARANTINE FEES

Article 54. When quarantine or medical treatment measures must be carried out, the person, owner of goods, owner of transportation means entering or exiting, or their representative must pay quarantine fees. The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Health will specify the amount of quarantine fees and the management and use of these funds.

Article 55. The border sanitary quarantine agency must notify the owner of the transportation means or their representative and the persons entering or exiting about the fees they must pay and provide them with proof of payment after collecting the fees.

The fee schedule must be posted at border sanitary quarantine agencies.

When there is a change in the fee schedule, the border sanitary quarantine agency must notify the quarantine subjects fifteen days before implementation.

Chapter VIII
VIOLATION HANDLING AND COMPLAINTS

Article 56. Any person violating the provisions of this Regulation shall be subject to disciplinary action, administrative penalties, or criminal prosecution, and if damage is caused, compensation must be provided according to the law.

Article 57. If the party disagrees with the decision of the quarantine officer, they have the right to appeal to the sanitary quarantine agency at that location; if they disagree with the decision of the person in charge of the border sanitary quarantine agency, the party has the right to appeal to the head of the border sanitary quarantine agency or the competent court. While awaiting a higher-level decision, the party must still comply with the decision of the sanitary quarantine agency./.