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4,374 new cases announced in Vietnam on Sunday morning.
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An additional 145 deaths from COVID-19 have been recorded around the country on Saturday.
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Vietnam business hub of HCMC and all 18 southern localities extend social distancing for another two weeks under Directive 16.
All 19 southern localities including HCMC will extend social distancing under Directive 16 for another 14 days to contain the coronavirus.
The localities to impose extended social distancing besides HCMC are Dong Nai, Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc, Tay Ninh, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, and 13 Mekong Delta localities Can Tho, Tien Giang, Long An, Vinh Long, Dong Thap, Ben Tre, Hau Giang, An Giang, Bac Lieu, Soc Trang, Tra Vinh, Ca Mau and Kien Giang, according to a decision issued by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Saturday, VNExpress reported.
The 19 cities and provinces are home to around 35 million people or more than a third of the country’s population.
They are ordered “not to let residents leave their neighborhood from July 31 until the social distancing order ends.”
Localities that have better controlled the pandemic after a period of social distancing can consider easing restrictions on certain areas, while others can consider adding more restrictions if necessary, PM Chinh said.
Directive 16 requires people to stay home and only go out for basic necessities like buying food or medicines or to work at factories or businesses allowed to operate.
People must keep a distance of at least two meters. No more than two people can gather together in public apart from work, schools or hospitals. The majority of public transportation will be shut down and there will be no travel between localities.
The central hub Da Nang, home to 1.2 million people, also entered its 14-day citywide social distancing campaign under Directive 16 accompanied by more stringent measures from 6 p.m. Saturday until further notice amid rising infections, which have hit 938 in the fourth wave.
Authorities in the popular coastal city ordered all business establishments to suspend operations, including takeaway services. Only supermarkets, convenience stores, traditional markets, grocery stores selling essential goods and transportation and delivery services serving essential goods are allowed to operate, according to VNExpress.
Health authorities confirmed 4,372 local and 2 imported Covid-19 patients Sunday morning, raising the ongoing wave’s tally to 146,198.
4,374 new cases were announced on Sunday morning, of which 02 were imported and 4,372 were recorded domestically in Ho Chi Minh City (2,027), Binh Duong (1,415), Long An (318), Dong Nai (262), Hanoi (67), Vinh Long (50), Ba Ria – Vung Tau (46), Hau Giang (37 ), Ben Tre (32), Kien Giang (24), Phu Yen (22), Tra Vinh (22), An Giang (21), Dong Thap (16), Thanh Hoa (6), Quang Tri (3), Hai Duong (2), Kon Tum (1), Hung Yen (1).
884 newly detected cases are in the community.
Four localities have gone 14 days without new community cases includingYên Bái, Điện Biên, Quảng Ninh, and Bắc Kạn.
More than three months into the new wave, Vietnam has recorded community infections in 62 of its 63 cities and provinces.
HCMC is the epicenter of the latest wave with 92,270 cases.
Vietnam has administered more than 6.2 million Covid-19 vaccine shots, fully vaccinating 620,.611 people with two shots.
