HCMC – People who arrive in or return to Dong Nai Province from HCMC starting June 5 are required to undergo mandatory quarantine at an isolation center or at home for 21 days, the provincial government announced today, June 4.

The move comes after many parts of the nation are struggling with the current fourth coronavirus outbreak. Especially in HCMC, new cases have been soaring over the past days, with many of them showing no known source of infection, said the Dong Nai government. Since the detection of the first three cases in the Revival Ekklesia Mission cluster on May 26, the city has reported over 270 cases in 21 of 22 districts. The disease has also spread to six southern provinces, Long An, Binh Duong, Dong Thap, Tay Ninh, Tra Vinh and Bac Lieu. As Dong Nai shares its border with HCMC, the risk of transmission into the province could be high. Therefore, the provincial authorities asked all people coming from HCMC to be sent into quarantine to prevent the spread of the disease. Those quarantined will have their samples collected for testing on the seventh and 14th days of their 21-day quarantine period. Besides this, they have to pay testing and quarantine fees. The provincial chairman told people coming from HCMC to contact the nearest medical center to make health declarations and receive quarantine guidelines. Violators of Covid-19 rules would be seriously tackled. Local residents having any relations with the Revival Ekklesia Mission, a religious sect in HCMC’s Go Vap District, must contact local medical centers for guidance, the chairman added. Further, State employees and workers in the province are required to refrain from visiting HCMC during this period, except for special occasions, wherein they have to seek approval from their boss. In addition, all passenger transport services to and from HCMC were suspended until further notice.