Ho Chi Minh City authorities have called on people to refrain from going outside unless necessary from 0:00 Saturday until further notice to stall COVID-19 infections.

In an urgent order issued on Friday evening, the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City tasked the municipal Department of Information and Communications with spreading the travel restriction recommendation to all residents.

The People’s Committee directed the authorities of districts and Thu Duc City to continue suspending physical therapy establishments, massage and steam inhalation services, amusement and entertainment areas, theaters, cinemas, wedding venues, buffet service establishments, dining services with singing activities, karaoke parlors, discos, bars, pubs, beer clubs, game centers, Internet cafés, indoor sports and fitness establishments, sports centers and public sports training areas in the city.

Religious ceremonies and festival activities with 20 or more participants shall be suspended.

People must follow social distancing rules and avoid gatherings on Nguyen Hue and Bui Vien Pedestrian Streets and public parks in the city.

Small-scale restaurants and street food businesses are not permitted to offer dine-in services and are requested to increase takeouts, delivery services and online payments.

The delivery staff must ensure adequate measures to prevent and control transmission, especially wearing a face mask and keeping a safe distance.

Restaurants, including those inside hotels, are allowed to operate but must arrange distancing seats to keep two people at least two meters apart and not serve more than 20 people at the same time.

The restaurants also have to ensure food hygiene and safety and strictly implement COVID-19 prevention and control measures as per regulations of health authorities.

The authorities of districts and Thu Duc City must directly inspect the business establishments and impose fines on violators detected via CCTV systems or other measures and technology equipment.

The municipal authorities also ordered the suspension of all meetings and unnecessary gatherings in large numbers.

All in-person transactions shall be shifted to online mode.

Gatherings of more than 30 attendees in one room is prohibited.

Gatherings of 20 or more people outside of offices, hospitals, and schools are also banned.

All people coming to offices and State-run departments and agencies are subject to body temperature measurement.

The heads of departments and agencies and the chairpersons of Thu Duc City and the districts are responsible before the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City for any gatherings of more than 30 people at meetings or conferences.

They also have to direct functional forces to regularly inspect and request people to not gather in public places in accordance with regulations.

Cadres, civil servants and public employees of Ho Chi Minh City must set examples in complying with the regulations on COVID-19 prevention and control set by the municipal health authorities.

Legislative elections for the 15th National Assembly and People’s Councils for the 2021-26 term must ensure medical safety.

Buses and contract vehicles must not carry more than 20 passengers or exceed 50 percent of their designed capacity.

Passengers are required to wear face masks, sit alternately on rows of seats, and make medical declarations according to regulations.

Taxis and cars providing rideshare services with less than nine seats can continue their operations as long as the operators strictly comply with regulations on pandemic prevention and control.

Transport service providers can reject passengers who do not comply with regulations. 

It is recommended that windows be left open and the use of air conditioning be limited on the vehicles.

The restrictions are put in place as the metropolis seeks to enhance COVID-19 prevention and control measures to contain the number of cases in the city.

There have been six locally-transmitted COVID-19 patients in Ho Chi Minh City in the current wave of infections.

This fourth wave, which erupted on April 27, follows a month without any known community transmission in Vietnam. 

The country has so far registered 1,912 domestic infections in 30 provinces and cities in this bout, according to the Ministry of Health’s data.

The ministry has confirmed 4,961 local and imported coronavirus cases, including 2,689 recoveries, since the virus first hit Vietnam on January 23, 2020.

The pathogen-related death toll mounted to 41, with most having suffered critical pre-existing health problems.

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