The Health Ministry confirmed no new Covid-19 case Sunday morning, marking Vietnam going 24 days free of community transmission.

The nation’s infection tally stood at 288, with the latest infections being 17 Vietnamese citizens repatriated from UAE last Thursday evening.

Currently, 241 have recovered. Of the remaining 47 active cases, 13 have tested negative twice or more.

Vietnam has more than 11,000 people in quarantine, including those that have returned from abroad and those who have come in contact with the returnees. Of these, 180 are quarantined at hospitals, 6,000 stay at centralized camps and the rest at home or other accommodation facilities.

Vietnam brought home 276 citizens from Canada, the third largest Covid-19 hotspot in the Americas, after the U.S. and Brazil, on a Vietnam Airlines flight Saturday.

In April and early May, Vietnam has operated 11 special flights to repatriate 1,700 citizens from Canada, Japan, France, Thailand, the U.S. and the UAE.

Before, on May 7, 2020, following a meeting of the government on the prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Prime Minister of Vietnam decided to allow most nonessential businesses to reopen.

In particular, it was decided that all manufacturing, commercial, and service businesses can now reopen, with the exception of discotheques and karaoke establishments. Social distancing rules have been lifted for these businesses, but other preventative safety measures must be adhered to, including hand sanitization and mask-wearing (except in restaurants).

Sporting activities and crowded gatherings are also allowed to resume, provided that the appropriate safety measures are implemented.

The rules on social distancing and capacity limitations for public transportation (airplanes, buses, trains, and boats) have also been removed, though mask-wearing remains mandatory in public and on crowded vehicles.

As such, most businesses and transportation networks (except for international routes) in Vietnam have now resumed operation.

HCMC's Hospital of Tropical Diseases, where Covid-19 patients are being treated

HCMC's Hospital of Tropical Diseases, where Covid-19 patients are being treated