Takeaways and some services in Hanoi's 22 districts allowed to resume

Takeaways and other services in 22 districts in Hanoi will be allowed to resume

Today afternoon (September 15), Chairman of Hanoi's People's Committee Chu Ngoc Anh announced easing some social distancing restrictions in Hanoi.

Accordingly, shops are allowed to reopen from Thursday (September 16) in districts where no new COVID-19 infection has been reported since September 6. Shops selling stationery, books, equipment, school supplies, as well as those repairing vehicles, electronics, refrigeration, and home appliances. All catering facilities in these areas can serve takeaway food. They will be required to close before 9pm every day.

All businesses have to strictly implement all pandemic prevention measures including 5K and QR code scanning for all customers.

22 of Hanoi's 30 districts had no new community infections over the last 10 days, including Tay Ho, Ba Dinh, Hoan Kiem, South Tu Liem, North Tu Liem, Long Bien, and 16 suburban districts of the capital.

More measures to resume production and business will be announced after September 21, based on the outcomes of the current measures.

At present, only three districts (Hoang Mai, Thanh Xuan, and Dong Da) carry risk or high risk of coronavirus infection.

Sharing about the city's fight against the pandemic, Khong Minh Tuan, deputy director of the Hanoi Center for Disease Control (CDC) said that the capital has basically brought the COVID-19 situation under control and that infection cases are decreasing each day.

"After we finish testing Hanoi's entire population, if the number of cases continues to decrease, Hanoi CDC will propose dismantling social distancing measures and only maintaining lockdown at areas with a high number of cases," said Tuan a few days ago. "The city can maintain or impose social distancing measures of varying intensity. High-risk districts and areas will need to maintain social distancing before the restrictions can be gradually lifted."

To prepare for the reopening, Hanoi has launched a massive testing and vaccination campaign for all residents aged 18 and over. According to the city Department of Health, as of early September 15, more than 5 million shots have been vaccinated, while Hanoi's population is 8.3 million, including 5.1 million (62 per cent of the population) between 18 and 65 years of age.

The city has quickly tested 3.2 million people last week and detected 19 new infections.

Since September 6, Hanoi has been enforcing strict lockdown under Directive 16/CT-TTg dated March 31, 2020 on implementation of urgent measures to prevent and control COVID-19 in 10 districts and partly in five others. Directive 16, considered the most stringent, requires people to stay at home and not go out unless for buying essentials and other emergencies.

The remaining districts are operating under Directive 15. This requires suspension of social events, bans gatherings of 20 people or more in one place and of 10 people or more outside workplaces, schools, and hospitals. It requires people to maintain a minimum distance of 2m between people in public places.