Ninh Kieu and Cai Rang districts will be placed under stricter social distancing rules under the Government’s Directive No. 16.

The decision was made at a meeting of the city’s Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control on Sunday afternoon amid complex evolution of the pandemic there.

According to Director of the Municipal Department of Health Pham Phu Truong Giang, from July 6, the city recorded seven COVID-19 cases and two other suspected cases in Hau Giang and Bac Lieu that were linked to the city.

One of its COVID-19 patients was linked to Tan An wholesale market and the transmission source has yet been identified, making contact-tracing efforts more difficult, Pham added.

Under Directive No. 15, all events and meetings with more than 20 participants in a room shall be banned.

A gathering of 10 people and more outside public offices, schools and hospitals is not allowed.

People are required to keep a distance of at least two meters from each other in public places while all service establishments are required to close, except for those selling essential goods and services.

Travel will be restricted from pandemic-hit areas to other localities.

Under Directive No. 16, only factories, businesses and service establishments producing and providing essential goods and services are allowed to open and asked to ensure workers follow strict health guidelines. 

All people are requested to stay at home and only go out in case of emergencies, buying food or medicine, or going to work at factories and essential services that are not closed down or halt operations. 

If leaving home, people are requested to keep a minimum distance of two meters from each other. Any gathering of more than two people in public outside of offices, schools and hospitals is banned.

Viet Nam is experiencing the fourth COVID-19 wave, with 25,560 community infection cases recorded in 58 cities and provinces, in which Ho Chi Minh City is the biggest hotspot with 15,658 cases./.