HCMC – Six Mekong Delta provinces — Long An, Kien Giang, An Giang, Vinh Long, Bac Lieu and Ca Mau — have relaxed their social distancing measures.
On September 6, Long An Vice Chairman Pham Tan Hoa said after 50 days of practicing social distancing in line with the prime minister’s Directive 16, Kien Tuong Town and Tan Hung, Vinh Hung, Moc Hoa, Tan Thanh, Thanh Hoa, Duc Hue and Tan Tru districts in the province have applied measures under Directive 15 since today, September 7, news site VnExpress reported.
Restaurants, eateries and coffee shops have been allowed to reopen but must offer takeaway services only. Factories, construction sites and essential service providers are also allowed to get back to work.
The province will maintain checkpoints at gateway areas.
Tan An City and six other districts—Duc Hoa, Ben Luc, Can Giuoc, Can Duoc, Chau Thanh and Thu Thua—will continue practicing social distancing under Directive 16 until September 13.
With 25,900 Covid-19 cases, including 305 deaths, Long An is currently the largest coronavirus hotspot in the Mekong Delta and the fourth in the country, following HCMC, Binh Duong and Dong Nai.
Similarly, from September 7, Phu Quoc City and seven districts of Kien Giang Province—U Minh Thuong, An Minh, An Bien, Go Quao, Giong Rieng, Tan Hiep and Kien Hai—will deploy Directive 15, while Rach Gia and Ha Tien cities and the remaining five districts will continue applying anti-pandemic measures under Directive 16 until September 13.
In addition, the Bac Lieu, An Giang and Ca Mau provinces are practicing social distancing in accordance with Directive 15, except for wards 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 and 8 of Bac Lieu Province’s Bac Lieu City, and extremely-high-risk and high-risk areas in An Giang, which will still maintain the social distancing mandates under Directive 16.
Vinh Long has also eased its anti-pandemic measures but they are stricter than those under Directive 15.
In the current fourth wave of Covid-19, the Mekong Delta’s 13 provinces detected nearly 60,400 Covid cases, accounting for 11.3% of the country’s total. Three other southern localities have been practicing social distancing under Directive 16 since July 19, while HCMC, Binh Duong and Dong Nai had introduced the restrictive measures earlier.
