New Covid-19 outbreak brought under control in Vietnam

Tourists in Quang Ninh province along the northerncoast of Vietnam

By Phong Lan
Head of World News,
Dantri Online Newspaper, Vietnam

HANOI: Tourist sites, hotels, restaurants, bars and clubs have resumed operations in many areas in Vietnam as the latest Covid-19 outbreaks have been basically contained in the country.

The central coastal city of Danang, the country’s new Covid-19 hotspot, has just resumed all passenger transport services including domestic passenger flights after a suspension was applied over a month ago for virus prevention.

Danang has loosened social distancing regulations starting from September 5 and allowed hotels, restaurants and shops to reopen.

Local hotels are operating room service only while other services like spa, dining and bars are still banned. Restaurants will receive orders online only and deliver food to customers and not serve on the spot.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s biggest city, also relaxed the ban on bars, clubs as well as mass gatherings from September 7.

However, the city authorities still call on residents to avoid going out if unnecessary, wear masks in public places, regularly wash hands and maintain a safe distance with others.

Several famous tourist spots including Hoi An and Phu Yen have also reopened their sites to visitors from September 8.

At a restaurant in Quy Nhon City in Binh Dinh Province in central Vietnam

The new Covid-19 outbreak in Vietnam started in Danang on July 25 and has spread to dozens of other localities including Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Duong, and Hoi An. Strict measures including blockage, curfew, and social distancing have been applied again in virus-hit areas like what happened during the first outbreak in early April.

The country has successfully contained the virus spread in recent days with no more new infection cases reported in the community in a week.

As of September 9, the country’s patient tally was 1,054 including 363 imported infection cases. Of the total patients, 868 have recovered and 35 have died.

Vietnam is going to resume international commercial flights from September 15 with six routes to South Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, Laos and Cambodia. Passengers will include Vietnamese citizens who need to return home, diplomats, and foreign experts working in Vietnam.