Vietnam's Covid-19 epicenter eases social restrictions as cases stabilize

Starting Thursday, social distancing norms across Hai Duong would be adjusted in line with the government’s directive 19, which states businesses offering wholesale and retail services, lotteries, hotels, accommodation establishments, restaurants and food stalls can resume operation, but must ensure anti-pandemic measures including provision of protective clothing for staff, body temperature checks and avoiding close contact.

However, the province, the epicenter of Vietnam’s latest Covid-19 community outbreak on Jan. 28, will still ban religious gatherings, sports events and crowded festivals in public, along with other "unnecessary" events.

Non-essential businesses like bars, karaoke, massage parlors, beauty clinics and entertainment facilities will also remain closed.

Several communes and residential areas that have yet to complete a 14-day lockdown will continue with the protocol.

Nguyen Viet Hai, office chief of Hai Duong’s Party Committee, said the province would apply the norms until the month’s end, and make further decisions depending on developments at the time.

For three weeks now, the number of locally-transmitted cases recorded in the province has hovered at one or two a day.

On March 3, Hai Duong ended a 15-day provincial social distancing period applied.

During the period, people were told not to go outside except for getting food, medicine or other emergencies, ensure a minimum social distance of two meters while gatherings of more than two outside of hospitals, offices, schools and public spaces were banned.

Traffic through the province, home to more than two million people, was also limited during the period, and only vehicles with essential purposes were allowed to enter the province, which is more than an hour’s drive from Hanoi.

Later, 12 districts and towns in the province were divided into two groups, with different levels of restrictions.

Four districts ban social events, gatherings of over 20 people in a place and gatherings of 10 people or more outside workplaces, schools and hospitals. A minimum distance of two meters between people in public had to be ensured.

The rest maintained regulations under Directive 19.

The social distancing regulations were issued last year by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc to cope with the complicated development of the pandemic.

Within Tuesday, Hai Duong's Department of Training and Education will work with the province’s People's Committee to decide if schools could resume after Wednesday.

Counting from Jan. 28 when community transmissions reemerged in Vietnam after almost two months, 904 domestic cases have been recorded in 13 cities and provinces, with Hai Duong alone accounting for 720 patients, including three confirmed on Tuesday.