Authorities in Da Nang, Vietnam’s novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak epicenter at present, have required residents to go to local markets less often in a bid to curb the epidemic.

A new approach started to be implemented on Wednesday to limit the number of times citizens go to the market for groceries.

Accordingly, each household is allocated so-called ‘market access tickets,’ which must be presented whenever a resident enters a market in the tourist city.

Market-goers are required to fill out basic information on the tickets, including the name of the household’s representative, address, and telephone number.

A stack of five tickets is handed to each family once every 15 days.

Each household is only allowed to use a ‘market access ticket’ once every three days.

The tickets are color-coded, with pink granting the holder access on even days and blue for odd days.

Market management boards and local officers are tasked with collecting the tickets at the entrances of all markets in Da Nang during this period.

They must also store the collected tickets to facilitate epidemiological investigation when necessary.

Merchants are in charge of reminding their customers to keep a two-meter distance from each other and wear a face mask while shopping.

Nguyen Ha Bac, director of the Da Nang Department of Industry and Trade, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that local markets have been attracting a large number of people despite social distancing regulations in the city.

In many cases, people visited the market more often than they needed, while some even went to the market more than once a day, Bac elaborated.

As the situation could cause serious COVID-19 outbreaks, stricter measures must be taken to prevent such scenarios, the official stated.

The Southeast Asian country has logged 866 cases in total, including 321 imported patients who were quarantined upon arrival, since the pandemic first hit in January.

Four-hundred and five local infections have been registered since July 25, when Da Nang recorded Vietnam's first community-based COVID-19 case after the country had gone 99 days without any local transmission.

Among Vietnam’s patients, 399 have been cleared of the virus, while 17 deaths related to the virus have been recorded.

Social distancing regulations were previously implemented in Da Nang City from July 28 until August 11 to control the epidemic.

The period was extended on Wednesday due to continued community transmission.

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