Public transport to Da Nang halted to contain fresh Covid-19 outbreak

Only official vehicles and those that carry patients, workers, food, and materials for construction are exempt, the Ministry of Transport said.

Ships that transport people from the city to nearby islands too are prohibited from operating.

In Da Nang, home to a population of 1.1 million, 14 people have been diagnosed with Covid-19 since last Saturday, with two of them being placed on ventilators.

The neighborhoods around three hospitals -- the Da Nang Hospital, Hospital C and the Orthopedic and Physical Rehabilitation Hospital of Da Nang -- have been locked down since the new cases had either been to these places or come into contact with someone from there.

The city has ordered 15 days of social distancing starting on Tuesday. It requires people to maintain a distance of at least two meters from each other and prohibits gatherings of more than two people in public, except in offices, schools and hospitals.

Residents are requested to stay at home; festivals, religious ceremonies, sports and other events that gather a large number of people are banned; and "non-essential" businesses like beauty salons, massage and karaoke parlors, cinemas and theaters, and bars are closed.

As of Tuesday morning, around 200 tourists are still stranded in Da Nang. They are staying at local hotels as the city is working on plans to transport them home.

Vietnam has had 431 Covid-19 cases, 66 of them active.