Hanoi extends social distancing until first week of September

The capital has gone nearly a month under a citywide social distancing order starting July 24, the longest such period since the novel coronavirus first appeared in the country.

The ongoing restrictions will continue apply: people should stay at home and only go out for basic necessities like buying food or medicines or for working at factories or businesses that are allowed to open.

Tran Dac Phu, former head of the General Department of Preventive Medicine, said it was already a success that Hanoi has prevented the coronavirus from spiralling out of control.

The capital city has already succeeded in containing outbreaks and cutting transmission chains, he said.

Hanoi is ramping up mass Covid-19 testing to isolate cases from the community. It is also establishing "safe zones" where neighborhoods can manage who goes in and out.

The capital has recorded 2,644 local Covid-19 cases since the fourth coronavirus wave hit the country late April.