HCMC – The Ba Ria-Vung Tau government has decided to extend social distancing under the prime minister’s Directive 16 until August 25, except for Con Dao District, which will practice social distancing in line with Directive 15, while Tra Vinh was the first locality in the Mekong Delta to extend social distancing until August 30.

The Ba Ria-Vung Tau Party Committee announced the decision at a meeting on August 13 to discuss the province’s fight against the pandemic, the local media reported. In the current coronavirus outbreak, which began on April 27, the province has recorded nearly 2,500 Covid-19 cases and 21 deaths. Only Con Dao District, which is nearly 200 kilometers from the mainland, has yet to detect Covid-19 cases. The province has imposed social distancing for 28 days and while the number of new cases per day has shown signs of declining, the number has also surged on some days. Ba Ria-Vung Tau has been deploying an anti-pandemic plan with two phases. From August 10 to 15, it expected to keep 32 out of 82 wards, communes and towns free from the coronavirus. The figure is expected to increase to 81 wards, communes and towns in the second phase from August 15 and 25. Meanwhile, Tra Vinh will practice social distancing under Directive 16 for an additional 15 days. The municipal Department of Health was asked to review and propose the municipal government purchase more medical equipment. As of this morning, August 14, the province has recorded 829 Covid-19 cases, including six deaths. In addition, the government of the central coastal province of Binh Dinh has decided to extend social distancing in line with Directive 15 until August 25. At a meeting on August 13, director of the municipal Department of Health Le Quang Hung said the province had more than 430 Covid-19 cases, including 180 recoveries and three fatalities. Meanwhile, Binh Dinh, Dap Da, Nhon Hung and Nhon Thanh wards and Nhon An, Nhon Phong and Nhon Hanh communes in An Nhon Town will continue practicing social distancing under Directive 16 for 15 more days, starting from 0 a.m. on August 14. In Khanh Hoa Province, the entire Nha Trang City will be put on lockdown for a week, from 0 a.m. on August 14. The decision was made as the pandemic in the city continued raging. It accounted for more than half of the 4,234 Covid-19 cases in Khanh Hoa.