Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc made the decision following rising number of infected people in South Korea which has surpassed 1,100.

Passenger transport from/to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City will be halted from March 30 to April 15, except for inter-provincial passenger routes.

Some kinds of businesses and factories are allowed to remain operational to meet the essential needs of local residents, while others have to close as a measure to curb the coronavirus pandemic.

The operation of public transport must be implemented cautiously and step by step to help stave off the spread of the coronavirus.

The number of newly established enterprises in Vietnam in the first five months of 2020, however, was down 10.5% year-on-year to 48,300.