Interprovincial travelers in many parts of Vietnam, especially in the southern region, were roadblocked by requirements to present papers proving that they are negative for the novel coronavirus in order to continue their journeys.

Travel struggles could be seen on many major routes in and out of Ho Chi Minh City on late Thursday afternoon, a few hours before the southern metropolis enacted a new social distancing order in a bid to curb the spread of COVID-19, starting from Friday.

On the section of National Highway 1 connecting Long An Province and Ho Chi Minh City, Vo Hoai An, one of three commuters interviewed by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, gave up hope of returning to his hometown in Dong Thap Province after being unable to provide officers at a medical checkpoint with a coronavirus-negative certificate.

“It’s already too late in the afternoon to go to any hospitals and get a test,” An said. 

“I have no choice but to go back to the city now. 

"I’m not sure what I will do for the next few days because I can’t do business during the social distancing period.”

That same afternoon, at the COVID-19 checkpoint near the entrance to the Cat Lai Ferry, which connects Ho Chi Minh City with Dong Nai Province, people waited to have coronavirus-negative certificates checked by officers.

Many people from Ho Chi Minh City were instructed to turn back for not having the required certificate.

The same situation happened at the COVID-19 checkpoint at the tollgate on the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay Expressway in Thu Duc City during the early hours of Friday.

As the expressway is a major route between Ho Chi Minh City and other provinces, officers handled each situation on a case-by-case basis.

“For example, a driver carrying vegetables and fruits from Da Lat to Ho Chi Minh City did not have a negative test certificate, but it would be too unreasonable to make him return,” said Senior Colonel Nguyen Van Binh, deputy head of the Road and Railway Traffic Police Department in Ho Chi Minh City, as he expressed the understanding for the over-300km distance between the two places.

“I have to be flexible when I can.”

Vietnam has been battling its worst wave of coronavirus since April 27.

The Ministry of Health reported 425 new local coronavirus cases on Friday morning, including 350 patients in Ho Chi Minh City, taking the caseload to 24,810 infections.

Up to 21,284 cases, or over 85 percent of the tally, have been recorded in the ongoing round.  

Recoveries and deaths remain at 8,950 and 105, respectively.

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