Cai Rong Town, home to 10,000 people, in Quang Ninh Province, has been locked down to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. 

A checkpoint at the entrance to Cai Rong Town of Van Don District, is supervised by local authorities all day long. Officials do not allow anyone to enter, except for special cases.

Quang Ninh Province People's Committee decided to lock down Cai Rong from Jan. 30 to Feb. 21 after it registered infections linked to Van Don International Airport.

Local residents supply basic necessities to their relatives who are under quarantine in Van Don's Ha Long Commune.

Few people are seen on the town's main road, leading to Cai Rong Port and Van Don International Airport.

Trung Sun restaurant associated with a Covid-19 case has been shut down.

On Jan. 21, the restaurant owner welcomed a delegation of about 60 people from Van Don Airport, including an airport security staff member later designated "patient 1553."

All business and service activities are operating as normal. Shops selling lanterns and decorations for the Lunar New Year have no customers though.

A family cleans their home to prepare for the Lunar New Year.

Cai Rong Market, where "patient 1659" often came to buy food, is still operating normally after authorities disinfected the area and tracked down those who had frequented it. A checkpoint was also set up where shoppers could register their health status and have their temperature screened.

The wet market is less bustling than usual.

Cuc, 57, said: "Because of the lockdown, my customers now are mainly townspeople. I normally sell nearly 100 kilograms a day but now I only sell 30 kilograms."

Hoang Van Binh, a 23-year-old from the north-central Thanh Hoa Province, said he went to Quang Ninh's Dong Trieu District on Jan. 27 to buy more than 100 peach blossoms for about VND100 million (over $4,300) and brought them to Van Don for sale. But the next day, Covid-19 resurfaced with a record single-day tally of 93. Only a few customers have been coming to look at and buy his trees.

"A few days into lockdown, my friends helped me set up a temporary tent. All daily activities are very inconvenient. Sometimes it is difficult to even buy rice. I don't think I will be able to return to my hometown for Tet."

The Cai Rong port area has no visitors as the government prohibits road and water vehicles from operating.

Ever since community transmissions returned on Jan. 28, infections have spread to 10 cities and provinces with 276 cases confirmed by the Health Ministry, including 30 cases in Quang Ninh Province. Officials have yet to identify the source of the new transmissions.