Railroad operator extends train suspension from HCMC until mid-July

All trains to Da Nang, Nha Trang and Phan Thiet, popular beach towns in the central region, would be halted until mid-July, instead of the end of this month as previously announced, since the outbreak in Ho Chi Minh City shows no signs of cooling.

Binh Thuan, home to Phan Thiet, has recorded its very first cases so far in this wave while Da Nang has seen the resurgence of community transmissions after nearly a month.

Khanh Hoa, home to Nha Trang, also detected its first two community transmissions during the wave on Thursday.

Now, only two pairs of trains between HCMC and Hanoi remain in operation. The railway operator has ordered the spraying of disinfectants inside and outside every passenger train before departure, while passengers are required to wear masks, submit medical declarations and limit gatherings and movement between carriages.

Last week, Hanoi Railway Transport JSC, the northern operator, resumed trains from Hanoi to Hai Phong City.

The country's ongoing Covid-19 wave, the fourth and by far the most challenging, started on April 27 and has seen more than 11,000 infections in 47 of its 63 cities and provinces.