A border gate between China and the northern Vietnamese province of Lang Son has been reopened for the transport of exports following a temporary shutdown due to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Tan Thanh Border Gate, located in the namesake commune in Van Lang District, Lang Son Province, is scheduled to resume operations on Thursday, Vy Cong Tuong, deputy head of the provincial customs department, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

Managers of the border gate have been working with authorities in Pingxiang, located in China’s Guangxi Province, regarding the reopening of the border gate.

Accordingly, the transportation of exported goods will be carried out from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm on a daily basis.

In order for the products to be cleared at the border gate, a sales contract has to be presented, Tuong elaborated.

All vehicles passing the gate have to be sterilized, while drivers will have their body temperature monitored.

Vietnamese truck drivers entering China will be wearing protective suits and stay in quarantine areas during the delivery of the goods.

The Lang Son customs department also warned of prolonged congestion at the border gate due to a large number of shipments and longer clearance time.

COVID-19 has killed 2,126 people and infected over 75,700 globally since it first surfaced in the Chinese city of Wuhan in Hubei Province in December 2019, according to the South China Morning Post.

Vietnam has so far confirmed 16 cases of the viral infection, including 13 Vietnamese, one Vietnamese American, and two Chinese.

Twelve patients have been successfully treated and discharged from the hospital in Vietnam, while no new case has been recorded since Thursday last week.

Tan Thanh Border Gate has been shut down since January to prevent the spread of the epidemic.