Nguyen Van Quang, secretary of Da Nang's Party Committee, on Thursday said Covid-19 is making steady progress across the city. Within just one month, from July 10 to Aug. 11, Da Nang has recorded 1,473 coronavirus cases with 13 deaths, he said.

With around 60-80 new cases being recorded daily on average this month and no sign of decrease, the municipal Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control on Wednesday held a meeting to discuss a potential order to make people "stay where they are" should the situation fail to improve in four days.

The hypothetical order would essentially mean people would not be allowed to leave their homes, Quang said. Companies, factories and construction sites would only operate if staff were to remain at work for seven days without leaving.

During the week-long order, authorities would perform mass Covid-19 testing throughout the city to detect and isolate coronavirus cases.

"It is a measure that the city hopes not to apply. If it does happen, people should not panic and hoard goods to prevent large crowds," Quang said, adding authorities should ensure food supplies and other necessities.

Da Nang, home to more than 1.1 million people, has applied a series of social distancing measures since early May in response to the new coronavirus wave, such as banning people from going to the beach or suspending activities involving large crowds. Starting July 31, the city has also undergone a strict social distancing order where people could only go out for "essential reasons" and must carry approval documents.

The central Vietnam city, the epicenter of the coronavirus wave in July and August last year, has recorded 1,723 local Covid-19 cases ever since the fourth wave hit Vietnam in late April.