Bars, karaoke parlors, pedestrian streets allowed to reopen in Hanoi

At the virtual conference of the city’s steering committee for COVID-19 response on Wednesday.

Hanoi Municipal People’s Committee has decided to allow bars and karaoke parlors to reopen since September 16 as the city has gone 28 days without community transmission of COVID-19.

The staff of the venues must wear masks the entire time they work, while customers must fulfil basic hygiene and hand sanitation requirements.

The committee, however, urged authorities and residents to continue staying vigilant as Vietnam is planning to increase flights to repatriate citizens and bring back foreign experts, investors and skilled workers.

Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Ngo Van Quy said while previous outbreaks in the city had basically been eliminated, the risk of COVID-19 in the city remains significant given its economic and social-cultural hub status, in addition to the expected resumption of international flights to six destinations in Asia – China, China’s Taiwan, the Republic of Korea, Japan, Cambodia and Laos.

The city has decided to select eight hotels for quarantining foreign experts and skilled workers entering Vietnam, according to the Municipal Department of Tourism.

When these flights resume, Hanoi would receive about 2,000 foreign entries a week so municipal authorities must prepare quarantine facilities to ensure COVID-19 prevention and control, Quy said.

The weekend walking space of Hoan Kiem lake and the surrounding area would be resumed from September 18. Dwellers are requested to wear facial masks seriously and those who return from the pandemic-hit areas have to perform health declaration.

At a recent meeting on COVID-19 response, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc asked for expanding quarantine capacity as the country is mulling over resumption of some international air routes to safe destinations.