Medical staff check a woman's body temperature at a medical center in Kim Thanh District, Hai Duong Province, March 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Gia Chinh.

The Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control in Hai Duong said the decision is made given the unpredictable development of the British-type variant of the virus and prevention of re-positive cases from spreading the virus.

COVID-19 patients who are declared cured and discharged must meet the following criteria: Fever free in at least 3 days; improved clinical symptoms, signs of stable survival, normal organ function, blood test returning to normal, improved lung via X-ray; and three test samples (samples taken at least one day apart) tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 using real-time RT-PCR method.

Hai Duong has recorded a total of 717 cases of COVID-19, of which 420 cases have been cured and discharged from the hospital and 297 cases are being treated at medical facilities.