Meanwhile, restaurants and coffee shop serving customers indoors shall have to erect dividers between seats or ensure customers are one meter apart from each other. The capital city asked these establishments to encourage takeaways.

Earlier, the municipal authorities required all returnees to make health declaration after four-day public holiday, starting from April 30 to May 3.

The requirement was made as a large number of people in Ha Noi travelled to other localities during the holiday, posing high risks of spreading the viral disease in the community.

Anyone who displays signs of cough, fever, shortness of breath, or other suspected symptoms of COVID-19 should contact the nearest medical facilities for timely instructions.

Earlier on April 29 night, Chairman of the Ha Noi People’s Committee Cuh Ngoc Anh issued an urgent dispatch urging all residents to wear facemasks when going out.

Competent agencies are required to strengthen inspections and take drastic measures against illegal entries and those violating pandemic prevention and control regulations.

The city had banned karaoke parlors, bars, discotheques and game rooms from April 30.

Since a 28-year-old man in Dao Ly Commune, Ly Nhan District, Ha Nam Province was confirmed positive for COVID-19 last week after completing 14-day mandatory quarantine period in Da Nang, at least 16 others have tested positive for the virus in the locality.

Ha Noi has confirmed three locally-transmitted cases, all linked to the COVID-19 outbreak in Ha Nam./.