More localities put under lockdown to combat COVID-19 spread

A social distancing order has been placed on a number of Vietnamese localities as part of fresh efforts aimed at halting the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus following the detection of more coronavirus cases.

Most notably, the northern city of Hoa Binh in the mountainous province of the same name moved to apply social distancing measures as of 00:00 on May 10 after an additional four cases were announced in the locality on May 9.

In line with the decision all meetings, events involving large gatherings, and religious rituals will be suspended, whilst transport between Hoa Binh and neighbouring localities will also be heavily restricted.

Furthermore, all business services, with the exception of supermarkets, pharmacies, and petrol stations, are now required to be suspended.

The heads of local administrations will therefore be held accountable if events featuring mass gatherings take place in areas under their management, in line with the decision.

Hoa Binh city is home to a population of 135,000 people who reside across 10 wards and nine communes.

Elsewhere, the northern province of Hung Yen moved to swiftly impose social distancing measures on My Hao township, along with five communes of Khoai Chau district, with these rules starting from May 10.

Hung Yen recorded 16 COVID-19 infections since the reemergence of the virus in Vietnam two weeks ago. Of the total, seven cases were found in My Hao, and a further seven were detected in Khoai Chau, all of which are closely linked to the ongoing outbreak from the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Hanoi.

In Hanoi, the local administration has scrambled to cordon off four villages in Gia Lam district after four community infections were confirmed on May 9.

More than 5,000 local residents have been urged to remain indoors and only go out for food or other necessities. In addition, health quarantine checkpoints have been set up in the villages, and officials are on duty around the clock in order to control the movement of residents.

At present the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases No.2 in Hanoi, one of the country’s latest COVID-19 hotspots, remains under lockdown until May 19.

Since an initial COVID-19 case was detected at the hospital a week ago, dozens of cases have subsequently been recorded, with the majority of them involving patients and their relatives.

More than 400 cases have been confirmed across 26 cities and provinces throughout the country after the SARS-CoV-2 virus recurred in Vietnam in late April. This represents the fourth wave of coronavirus infections to hit Vietnam over more than a year.