A week ago, on 21st September, Hanoi finally made the first move to ease some restrictions after a month of tight Covid-19 prevention measures. Food stalls were allowed to sell takeaways, and many businesses could operate at 50% capacity.
Needless to say, we were overjoyed to be able to flock to barbershops to get our long-overdue haircuts; or line up to grab phở, bún chả, or bubble tea – comfort food that had been out of our reach for so long.
That said, certain activities, namely, outdoor exercise, remained banned. Well, no longer. We’re glad to say that starting from today, we can resume our health routine as more restrictions are eased. Below are the details.
Citizens exercise outdoors under the new policy
Image credit: Zing News
Yesterday, the People’s Committee of Hanoi released Document 3242/UBND-KGVX, detailing further changes in the city’s Covid-19 prevention policy.
According to the document, starting from today, 28th September, citizens are allowed to go outdoors for exercise. However, they must not gather in big groups of more than 10 people.
Malls, fashion shops, and cosmetics stores are also given the green light to reopen.
Needless to say, residents must still practice preventive measures while participating in these activities – namely, using masks and sanitizers.
On the other hand, food stalls are still not allowed to serve dine-in customers. They will remain takeaway-only for now.
Image credit: Zing News
Since 29th April, the beginning of this fourth Covid-19 outbreak in Vietnam, Hanoi has recorded a total of 3,969 infections, according to Hanoimoi.
However, we’ve been seeing a steady decline in the number of new patients in the past few days. Yesterday, only 4 cases were reported.
Meanwhile, statistics from Vietnam’s Vaccination Portal show that all residents aged 18 or older in the city have received their first shot, and many are on their second.
Next to Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City is also eyeing some reopening on 1st October. After months of being cooped up at home and reading dire reports all over the news, these changes no doubt come as a welcome breath of fresh air.
It’s true that daily caseloads in the country remain high, and we’re not quite at the end of the road yet, but it’s encouraging to see that we’re moving toward co-existing with Covid-19.
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Cover image adapted from Zing News
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