HCMC allows taxis to transport patients to hospitals

They belong to the two biggest operators in the city, Vinasun and Mai Linh.

The decision follows a recommendation by the Department of Transport after traditional and ride-hailing taxi services, public buses and inter-provincial buses were ordered off the roads from June 20.

The 400 taxis will park at hospitals and medical centers and be identified by stamps issued by the Department of Health.

Drivers and passengers must wear masks and make medical declarations, the vehicles must be equipped with hand sanitizers and limit the use of air conditioning as much as possible and have their windows open to reduce the risk of infection spread.

This is the second time that passenger transport services in the city have been suspended since the pandemic began early last year.

The city is currently going through its fourth week of social distancing.

On Sunday it overtook the northern province of Bac Ninh as the locality with the second highest number of infections during the latest wave.

Its case load hit 2,100 Thursday morning out of a national tally of 10,694.