A task forces guard a residential area under Covid-19 isolation in Thu Dau Mot Town
of Binh Duong Province, June 2, 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Nguyet Trieu. 

Binh Duong Province, an industrial hub near HCMC, mandated social distancing in five towns from Wednesday until further notice. 

Thuan An, Thu Dau Mot, Di An, Ben Cat, and Tan Uyen need to comply with the government’s Directive 15 with some of their residential areas being subject to Directive 16.

Directive 15 requires suspension to social events and a minimum distance of two meters between people in public places, and bans gatherings of 20 people or more in a place and of 10 people or more outside of workplaces, schools and hospitals.

Directive 16 imposes stricter measures. It does not allow gatherings of more than two people in public and people can only leave home for emergencies, buying food and medicines and working in factories, production facilities and businesses that make or distribute "essential" goods and services.

The precautionary measures have been taken after three cases of Covid-19 were found in Thuan An three days ago, all relatives of two college students studying in Ho Chi Minh City.

They had visited their homes in Thuan An between May 17 and 23, and after returning to HCMC found out they had contracted the virus for someone linked to the cluster at the Christian congregation in the city’s Go Vap District.

Meanwhile, several residents in the other four towns have been identified to have contact with infectees of this congregation cluster in HCMC.

Long An Province, HCMC’s neighbor to the south, also began social distancing in four districts Duc Hoa, Ben Luc, Can Duoc and Can Giuoc, and Tan An Town on Wednesday.

The Mekong Delta province has had eight cases, five linked to the HCMC church.

HCMC began social distancing on Monday.