Vietnam capital city of Hanoi will extend its social distancing order until September 6 as the novel coronavirus threat persists, local authorities have said.
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, VNExpress reported.
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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.
Also read: Vietnam’s HCMC bans citizens from going out for whatever reason
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, according to VNExpress.
After successfully containing the virus for much of the pandemic, Vietnam is facing a rapid spread of infections that has led to movement restrictions in around one-third of the country.
The Southeast Asian country reported more than 10,000 new infections today, with most of the confirmed cases detected in the south, especially Ho Chi Minh City where social distancing measures have been enforced since May 31.
