The decision was taken Friday by Nguyen Hai Nam, chairman of the people's committee of Nghi Xuan District, where the golf course is located.

The Xuan Thanh Golf Jointstock Company on Wednesday afternoon welcomed two cars carrying guests from the neighboring province of Nghe An to play golf on its course in Ha Tinh. More than 10 participants including company employees participated in the game.

When people nearby reported the incident, the Xuan Thanh Commune police visited the course and confirmed that it was violating Ha Tinh's social distancing rules. The company later asked the guests to leave and closed the golf course.

Dang Ngoc Dung, deputy director of the company, said that he wasn’t aware of the decision and refused to comment on the incident.

Chairman of Nghe An Province, Nguyen Duc Trung, also issued an urgent document Friday requesting the Cua Lo Town administration to take due measures relating to a similar violation at the Cua Lo golf course.

Earlier, on Thursday afternoon, a number of people gathered at the Cua Lo golf course, ignoring social distancing orders.

Nguyen Thi Dung, vice chairman of Cua Lo Town, said ward police had dismissed the group of golfers and closed the course.

On March 27-28, the administrations of Ha Tinh and Nghe An provinces had banned all conferencing and meetings of more than 20 people over coronavirus concerns.

Ha Tinh has recorded four cases of Covid-19 - Patients 146, 210, 238 and 265. "Patient 146" was discharged Tuesday. Nghe An, meanwhile, has not reported any Covid-19 infection so far.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc last Wednesday decided that the social distancing campaign will continue until April 22 in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and 10 other localities, including Ha Tinh Province, deemed to be at "high risk" of Covid-19 spread. Fourteen other localities including Nghe An Province are deemed as being "at risk."