Residents in Bac Ninh City wait for their turn to have their samples collected for Covid-19 testing. The northern province has allowed some non-essential services to resume operations starting 6 a.m. today, August 13, as the Covid-19 outbreak in the province has been brought under control – PHOTO: VNA

HCMC – The northern province of Bac Ninh has allowed some non-essential services to resume operations starting 6 a.m. today, August 13, as the Covid-19 outbreak in the province has been brought under control, with no new domestic infections reported over the past 20 days, said a local official.

According to Ngo Van Luyen, deputy head of the provincial government’s Office, the services subject to the resumption must not remain open after 9 p.m.

Specifically, hair salons can reopen but have to avoid large gatherings of over five people, while outdoor sports activities must ban gatherings of more than 10 and those participating have to keep a safe physical distance of at least two meters from each other. Coach stations and bus services have also been permitted to resume operations.

Besides, breakfast venues are required to install transparent plastic dividers between tables, ensure people keep a distance of at least one meter from each other and serve no more than 10 guests at the same time. Meanwhile, other eateries and coffee shops are allowed to offer take-away services only.

The services allowed to reopen must strictly follow anti-virus measures.

The provincial government asked departments, agencies and local authorities to monitor the compliance of these businesses with Covid-19 safety measures and tackle violators.

Data from the provincial Health Department showed that Bac Ninh has reported 1,727 coronavirus cases since May 5.

As of yesterday afternoon, 1,675 coronavirus patients in the province had been declared free of the disease, while four others are under treatment.