The central province of Quang Nam will impose social distancing on Hoi An tourist city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, starting 00.00hrs July 31, after a local resident was infected with COVID-19.

Hoi An Ancient City will implement social distancing measures over two weeks,
starting July 31, to prevent the virus from spreading in the community  

Local people are required to stay at home as much as they can and only go out for daily necessities such as food and medicine, as well as other essential services.   

They are encouraged to wear masks, wash their hands with soap or disinfectant solution, avoid gatherings of more than two people in public places, and keep a distance of at least 2m from each other.

According to a decision signed by provincial authorities on July 30, essential services, such as markets, supermarkets, pharmacies, petrol stations and banks are allowed to operate normally on the condition that they must strictly follow the Ministry of Health’s medical recommendations on COVID-19 prevention and control. 

The province has requested Hoi An to temporarily suspend cultural and sporting events, festivals and contests. All tourist spots, including beaches, historical and cultural relics have been asked to stop receiving visitors. Public transport services will also be forced to grind to a halt as of 00.00hrs July 31. 

The social distancing order will last till August 14. 

Major streets in Hoi An fall quiet after a local coronavirus case is confirmed  

Meanwhile, the Hoi An municipal leadership signed a decision on July 29, asking restaurants, bars, karaoke and massage palours, dancing halls and cinemas to temporarily halt operations over two weeks. 

Quang Nam is one of the six localities in Vietnam that have reported the recurrence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the community. 

Hoi An city has recorded a COVID-19 patient living in Minh An ward, and the case has been announced in Da Nang city, a coronavirus hotspot. 

The city has swiftly carried out contact tracing to quarantine and test those who had close contact with the patient. 

“Preliminary reports show there are several hundreds of people in close contact with the patient, and it would be challenging if the number under quarantine keeps rising,” said Nguyen Van Lanh, vice chairman of the Hoi An municipal People’s Committee. “Currently concentrated quarantine facilities in the city are capable of accommodating 250 people, and we are working with hotels and guesthouses to temporarily transform them into quarantine camps.”

A total of 43 locally transmitted coronavirus cases have been confirmed in six localities across Vietnam since the first case was detected in Da Nang several days ago. 

Vietnam confirmed an additional nine cases on the morning of July 30, including eight in Da Nang.