Bac Ninh moves to ease social-distancing restrictions

This comes after Vuong Quoc Tuan, permanent vice chairman of the Bac Ninh Provincial People's Committee, announced plans to implement Directive 19 in Yen Phong district, an area of Bac Ninh province that is currently enforcing Directive 15.

Directive 15 requires the suspension of all social events, bans gatherings of over 20 people in one place and of 10 people or more outside of workplaces, schools, and hospitals. It also tries to ensure that people maintain a minimum distance of two metres between others in public places.

In contrast, Directive 19 requires citizens to maintain a distance of at least one metre from each other, whilst also prohibiting gatherings of more than 20 persons in public, except for in offices, schools, and hospitals.

Local residents are encouraged to stay indoors, with festivals, religious ceremonies, sports, and other events which involve the gathering of a large number of people still being banned. "Non-essential" businesses, including entertainment facilities, beauty salons, massage and karaoke parlors, and bars, will remain closed.

Meanwhile, several communes in Que Vo district, including Mo Dao, Nhan Hoa, and Han Quang will see social-distancing restrictions eased. They will therefore apply Directive 15 instead of Directive 16.

The province had also decided on June 13 to apply Directive 19 in 33 villages of eight communes of Thuan Thanh district, instead of the current Directive 16.

Thuan Thanh district is a novel coronavirus epicenter in Bac Ninh province with 592 infected cases. However, the province has succeeded in bringing its COVID-19 outbreak under control.

As of 6 a.m. on June 16, Bac Ninh has registered a total of 1,447 COVID-19 cases, including nine newly-detected ones.