It calls for limiting gatherings, with meetings and events with more than 20 people to be postponed and restrictions at workplaces, schools and hospitals.

People have to keep a distance of at least two metres between each other in public.      

No religious activities with more than 20 attendees can be held and all cultural, sport and entertainment events are to be cancelled.

All establishments except those trading essential goods and services should remain closed.

Transportation between cities and provinces remains curtailed.

A COVID-19 patient was discharged from Cần Giờ Hospital in HCM City on April 18. —VNA/VNS.Photo

Lê Thanh Liêm, vice chairman of the city People’s Committee, said the suspension of transport vehicles would continue until the Department of Transport issues a set of criteria to assess the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

However, some ferry services have not been suspended and they operate with safety requirements in place.

The Bình Khánh ferry serves workers in Cần Giờ District and industrial parks and export processing zones and vehicles that carry people to the quarantine in the district. 

Passengers have to wear masks and keep a distance of two metres between each other. Ferries are not allowed to carry more than 50 per cent of their capacity.

The services between Cần Thạnh town and Phú Lợi islet in Cần Giờ District between Phú Lợi and Thiềng Liềng islets also continue to operate.

The People’s Committee has said people should continue to wear masks in public.

The head of the city Department of Health, Nguyễn Tấn Bỉnh, said all specialised private health facilities would resume operations after 22 days of closure. They are required to comply with the department’s criteria to assess transmission risks.

The city has had 54 COVID-19 patients so far, and 53 of them have recovered and been discharged from hospitals.   

The remaining patient is currently undergoing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, which adds oxygen to the blood and pumps it through the body just like the heart. —VNS