A member of staff at a canteen in a factory in Cẩm Giàng District, Hải Dương Province prepares to welcome back workers. — VNA/VNS Photo Mạnh Minh

HẢI DƯƠNG — Students in some districts of the northern Hải Dương Province, Việt Nam’s biggest COVID-19 cluster to date, will return to school next week as the local authorities lift a number of social distancing restrictions.

The outbreak in the province has been controlled with the number of new infection cases in community decreasing significantly, local authorities said in their latest public announcement.

The whole province began social distancing on February 16 after a surge in community cases. The majority of those measures ended on March 3.

Areas like Kinh Môn Town, Cẩm Giàng District, Kim Thành District, which recorded a high number of new cases, continued to apply some restrictions following Directive 15 from the Prime Minister.

Starting from March 18, local authorities will allow transport operations, businesses, services and reopening of sports facilities and relic sites but still under strict public health safety conditions.

Festivals, religious activities and crowd gatherings will continue to be suspended.

The authorities ordered non-essential services like entertainment venues, beauty and spa, karaoke parlours and pubs to remain closed.

Some areas under lockdown will continue to be isolated until further decisions are made.

Primary, secondary and high schools in Bình Giang, Gia Lộc, Ninh Giang, Thanh Hà, Thanh Miện, Tứ Kỳ, Nam Sách districts will resume on March 18, except for schools and students in the quarantine areas.

Students at grade nine and grade 12 in Cẩm Giàng, Kim Thành districts, Kinh Môn Town and Chí Linh City will go back to school on March 18. Other students will continue online learning until further notice.

All kindergarten children will be off until the end of the month.

Local authorities in Hải Dương Province have asked schools to suspend day-boarding models and extracurricular activities.

Schools must make preparations for the resumption, ensuring safety for students and have plans in place to compensate lessons for those who remain under quarantine and are not able to return to school next week.

Local authorities at town, district and city levels have been asked to maintain COVID-19 quick-response teams.

Steering committees on COVID-19 prevention and control at all levels are responsible for stepping up inspections at offices, businesses and schools and impose strict penalties on those who fail to follow COVID-19 protocols.

Hải Dương recorded 719 community cases of COVID-19 since pandemic’s resurgence in late January. More than 1,400 people who have come into close contact with those cases are being quarantined in the province.

Among patients who have contracted the virus, 463 have recovered. — VNS