(VOVWORLD) - On Sunday afternoon, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong signed an urgent document on extending social distancing under Directive No. 16 for an additional 14 days from Sunday midnight.
The city’s People's Committee urged for more aggressive and effective implementation of anti-pandemic measures and help for locals so that they can feel secure staying home. Do not allow people who previously migrated to Ho Chi Minh City to move out of the city until the social distancing period is over, except for cases to be taken back to their hometowns at the request of local authorities, said the document.
Southern provinces in Vietnam, including Hau Giang, Ben Tre, Tay Ninh, Vinh Long, and Tien Giang, have extended social distancing order for another 14 days, starting on Monday, August 2, to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some provinces have also ordered their people not to go out if not necessary from 6 pm to 5 am the next day.
On Sunday, Ho Chi Minh City confirmed more than 4,000 new cases of COVID-19 in 24 hours. Other southern provinces reported soaring cases: Binh Duong with more than 2,100, Long An with nearly 600, and Dong Nai with more than 400 cases.