During a meeting held on the morning of April 22, the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control gathered the opinions of ministries and localities to place provinces and cities into three risk categories in order to detail how to continue implementing anti-epidemic measures in the near future.

The high-risk group represents localities that have had cases within their community over the past 14 days. Meanwhile, the risk group covers local cases having infected cases within the community over the past 15 to 28 days, whilst the low-risk group is localities that have had no positive cases reported within their community for 28 days or more.

As a result, Hanoi has been placed in the high-risk group, Ho Chi Minh City, Bac Ninh, and Ha Giang are in the risk group, whilst the remaining localities are in the low-risk group.

The National Steering Committee asked Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc to allow the Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee to decide whether or not to allow the opening of non-essential goods and service shops, along with various types of street business. These measures would have to follow practical solutions to ensure that epidemic prevention and control is maintained.

For risk groups, the various Chairs of the municipal and provincial People's Committees according to their authority will be able to make a decision on the opening of non-essential goods and service shops, with street businesses having to strictly follow epidemic prevention measures.

For low-risk groups, shops trading non-essential goods and services will be permitted to operate, although they should take measures to prevent and control the epidemics for buyers, this includes requiring customers to perform social distancing. Shop owners will also be responsible for epidemic prevention measures within their own facilities.