The decision was made on late July 17 in accordance with PM’s document 969/TTg-KGVX to strengthen the protection of public health amid the continuing developments of the COVID-19 pandemic. Accordingly, an additional 16 southern provinces and cities had to apply social distancing under Directive 16 from midnight on July 19 stamp out worsening outbreaks of Covid-19.

The department said road transport vehicles, including taxis, buses, leased and fixed-route vehicles, will have to stop between Ha Noi and the 37 provinces and cities, including 14 localities to which public transportation was already suspended since July 8.

The above-mentioned provinces and cities include Ha Nam, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh and the southern provinces from Thua Thien-Hue downwards.

However, leased vehicles with drivers carrying experts, officials, employees, and workers of agencies, industrial parks, and export processing zones will be allowed to operate between these localities, the department added.

Transport businesses are required to strictly comply with measures to prevent the spreading of the Covid-19 pandemic, by requesting drivers and passengers to wear face masks during the journey and provide hand sanitizers.

Public transport to and from all the localities will be allowed to reopen if a locality goes through 14 consecutive days without any new coronavirus infections in the community or until further notice.

Earlier, 22 checkpoints were set up to supervise people and vehicles entering Ha Noi on July 14 as part of pandemic prevention measures.

The local authorities also prohibited outdoor sports activities and physical exercise from July 8 until new notice.

Since the new wave of Covid-19 emerged in Viet Nam in late April, Hanoi has recorded 594 Covid-19 cases, 205 of them community transmissions./.

By Khanh Phuong