Hoi An quiet amid coronavirus pandemic

The intersection of Tran Phu and Le Loi streets was deserted on March 27.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc ordered all non-essential shops and businesses around the country as well as historical sites and tourist attractions to be closed from March 28 to April 15 as the country entered what he said was a critical two-week stage in its Covid-19 fight.

The Hoai River was calm with almost no boats on March 28. 

The Pagoda Bridge, built by Japanese traders in the 17th century, is a national relic that appears on VND20,000 bills and a symbol of the 400-year-old ancient town.

A street vendor at the intersection of Bach Dang and Tran Phu streets on April 1 when Vietnam started a nationwide social distancing campaign under a prime ministerial directive. The directive does not allow gatherings of more than two people and asks people to stay at home for at least 15 days and only go out when truly necessary.

A sanitation worker cleans the streets while a man paints the wall of a house on April 1.

A man outside his home early in the morning on April 1

Hoi An retains its slow pace and tranquility, something difficult to find in large cities like Hanoi and Saigon.

A street vendor on Tran Phu Street. 

The ancient town has been a pioneer of pedestrian-friendly streets in the country since 2004. Motorbikes and cars are banned from the town center from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Most hotels, restaurants and homestay facilities rent bicycles.

Hoang Van Thu Street in full compliance on the first day of the social distancing campaign.

Sunset over Hoi An. 

Vietnam has confirmed 245 Covid-19 cases, with 95 having recovered after treatment. Most of the active infection cases are people coming in from abroad, especially Europe and the U.S, and people who’d come into close contact with them. Half of them have tested negative at least once.

Globally, the Covid-19 pandemic has claimed more than 69,500 lives.