Binh Duong has become the first Vietnamese locality to announce a list of demographics that are allowed to use vaccination proof as travel passes as the southern province prepares to resume economic activities in a ‘new normal’ period.

Functional forces on duty and people injected with one dose of vaccine for at least 14 days or fully vaccinated are allowed to travel outdoors in districts, cities, and towns that are classified as infection-free and have eased social distancing measures, according to the announcement of the provincial People’s Committee on September 9.

Traveling by people in infection-free areas will be gradually resumed in three phases -- within one ward or commune from September 10 to 15, within one district after September 15, and across the province after September 20.

Workers of factories and enterprises must have proof of their employment, in addition to a certificate of vaccination for 14 days, to move from their place of residence to the workplace and present the documents to functional forces at checkpoints.

Cases required to continue staying home in Binh Duong include unvaccinated people and those with just one dose of COVID-19 vaccine for less than 14 days.

People and vehicles from areas at high risk of infection are not allowed to enter infection-free areas.

The elderly, people with underlying medical conditions, and children are encouraged not to join the circulation unnecessarily.

Binh Duong had recorded more than 1.6 million administered vaccine doses and just over 47,000 people fully inoculated by the end of September 9, according to the provincial Department of Health.

Nearly all adults in the province’s 2.6-million population have received at least one dose of vaccine.

The four districts of Phu Giao, Bac Tan Uyen, Bau Bang, and Dau Tieng, and Thu Dau Mot City have been marked as infection-free areas.

Those four districts have switched from social distancing regulations in accordance with the prime minister’s Directive No. 16 to the less stringent Directive No. 15.

Meanwhile, Thu Dau Mot City started applying some new control measures on September 10, including allowing residents to travel within a ward, restaurants to receive online orders, and wet markets and shopping malls with pandemic prevention plans approved by competent authorities to reopen.

Ben Cat Town is currently categorized as a low-risk zone.

The remaining three sites in Binh Duong -- Thuan An City, Di An City, and Tan Uyen Town -- remain highly risky areas and will continue following a shelter-in-place mandate according to Directive No. 16.

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