Ho Chi Minh City transport authorities have decided to suspend 15 bus routes from Saturday until further notice due to increasing COVID-19 infections.

The suspension was announced by the Ho Chi Minh City Public Transport Management Center on Friday, as a move to prevent the complicated coronavirus spread in the city, where 68 new COVID-19 cases have been recorded since Thursday, most traced to a registered religious group.

Of the suspended routes, four offer transport services within the city while the rest are for passengers to travel to Long An Province, Lao Dong (Labor) newspaper cited the center as saying.

Buses on the routes that continue operating are not allowed to transport more than 20 people per trip, with passengers required to comply with COVID-19 prevention rules, including face mask donning.

Also on Friday, Ho Chi Minh City authorities asked the local transport department to consider suspending some road passenger transport routes and report its plan to the municipal government.

Since April 27, the city has recorded 76 COVID-19 cases, of which 63 have been linked to Revival Ekklesia Mission, a Christian congregation based in Go Vap District.

Nationwide, the Ministry of Health confirmed 56 new coronavirus infections at noon on Saturday, including 49 domestic and seven imported cases.

Of the local cases, 46 were documented in Bac Giang and Bac Ninh Provinces.

Vietnam has logged 6,713 coronavirus patients, including 47 deaths, since the pandemic hit the country in early 2020, the ministry reported.

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