An area in Hà Nội under social distancing. — VNA/VNA Photo

HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Health has issued new criteria in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic in HCM City and other cities and provinces that are implementing social distancing rules according to Directive 16 of the Prime Minister, including Hà Nội.

Localities will be considered to have pandemic under control when the number of new cases in the community decreases continuously compared to the previous two weeks and decrease by at least 50 per cent compared to the week that recorded highest infections during the pandemic.

The rate of positive samples tested by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method during the day in the community also needs to decrease within 14 days. 

Additionally, the locality will be deemed to have COVID-19 under control when no new clusters of infections are recorded over seven days.

Under the new criteria, provinces also need to achieve a 50 per cent reduction in the risk of infection and an increase of at least 30 per cent of districts and communes that return to the "new normal" state.

In HCM City, the risk of infection needs to be reduced by 30 per cent.

In the fourth wave, four southern provinces and cities which record highest infections are HCM City, Bình Dương, Long An and Đồng Nai. — VNS