Vietnam locks down its 3rd-largest city as virus cases grow

A man wearing a face mask walks past an empty open public area, amid Vietnam's nationwide social isolation effort as a preventive measure against the spread of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus, in Hanoi on April 22, 2020. (File/AFP)

• Public transport into and out of the central city of Da Nang was canceled
• Authorities estimated several thousand people would be stranded by the transportation shutdown

HANOI, Vietnam: Vietnam on Tuesday locked down its third-largest city for two weeks after 15 cases of COVID-19 were found in a hospital, the government said.
Public transport into and out of the central city of Da Nang was canceled. Over the weekend, thousands of mostly Vietnamese tourists had to end their summer holidays in the popular beach destination.
Authorities estimated several thousand people would be stranded by the transportation shutdown and asked hotels to shelter them.
On Sunday, the government ordered unnecessary business to close down and required people to practice social distancing in the city of 1.1 million population.
The outbreak was detected in patients and health workers at Da Nang hospital.
With the new infections, Vietnam has reported 431 cases of COVID-19 without a death.