Barriers are set up at public sites in the central Quảng Nam Province. The province will extend social distancing orders in the second period in Hội An and lockdowned area in Tam Kỳ City. — Photo courtesy of Quảng Nam Portal

CENTRAL REGION — Extended social distancing orders to curb the spread of coronavirus will begin in Hội An Town from Friday after the first two-week period expired on August 12.

Quảng Nam Province’s People Committee said all public transport, taxi and entertainment services, including bars, discos, karaoke joints and massage parlours, will be banned throughout the province during the second social distancing period.

Hội An, a tourism hub and UNESCO-recognised world heritage site, still remains under lockdown as some COVID-19 patients had stayed or visited there. More than 1,500 local residents have been isolated at quarantine centres or households.

The extra social distancing orders will also be continued on the Chàm Islands, 20km off the coast of Hội An, for several weeks.

Developments elsewhere

A 100-bed field hospital was put into operation at Bình Sơn Health Centre in neighbouring Quang Ngãi Province to create space for COVID-19 patients and close contact cases. Two out of six COVID-19 patients have been released from the centre after two weeks of treatment.

Quảng Trị Province has been tracing more than 300 people who were at the provincial general hospital and had close contact with two COVID-19 patients.

The public security department of Thừa Thiên-Huế Province, in co-operation with police in Hà Nội, on Wednesday arrested a man in Hà Nội who had close contact with COVID-19 patient after he fled from Huế City on August 6.

Local police said the man was on the same bus with a COVID-19 patient (No 791) from Hà Nội to Quảng Bình. He was asked to isolate but fled from Huế City. — VNS