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Saigonese queue to buy food, get a haircut on first day of reopening

By Dinh Van, Quynh Tran October 1, 2021 | 07:09 am PT

HCMC residents waited for hours to buy breakfast and have their hair cut on Friday as the city lifts lockdown restrictions.

Many food, beverage and service sectors reopened on Oct.1 after HCMC officials issued a new directive on adjusting and easing into the new normal.More than a dozen shippers and customers lined up to buy food at a noodle shop on Nguyen Huu Cau Street, District 1. Hoa, the owner, said that after more than four months of closure, she and three employees got up at 4 a.m. to cook the broth and prepare ingredients for the reopening day.

More than a dozen shippers and customers lined up to buy food at a noodle shop on Nguyen Huu Cau Street, District 1.
Hoa, the owner, said she and three employees got up at 4 a.m. to cook the broth and prepare ingredients for the first reopening day after more than four months of closure.

10 km away, the staff of a pho restaurant on Phan Van Tri Street (Go Vap District) repeatedly asked customers to line up to distance themselves and spray disinfectant when delivering goods and money to ensure epidemic prevention.Last month, when I just recovered from Covid-19, the first dish I thought of was pho. Its been three months since Ive eaten this dish, said Mr. Hao, 41, holding a bag of pho after more than 30 minutes of waiting. wait.

About 10 kilometers away, staff of a pho restaurant on Phan Van Tri Street, Go Vap District, repeatedly asked customers to line up and keep a safe distance. Employees spray disinfectant when delivering goods and money to ensure epidemic prevention.
"Last month, when I had just recovered from Covid-19, the first dish I thought about was pho. It's been three months since I've eaten this dish," said Hao, 41, holding a bag of pho after more than 30 minutes of waiting.

People obey to stand 1.5m apart in front of a noodle shop, braised beef on Su Van Hanh Street (District 10).

People keep 1.5 meters apart in front of a noodle shop on Su Van Hanh Street, District 10.

In addition to food and fashion establishments, many barbershops are also crowded.Mr. Pham Van Trinh, owner of a hair salon on Hong Ha Street, Tan Binh District, said that today there were only two employees, so I couldnt do it. Many guests come in the morning, but I have to reschedule them for another time to avoid crowds, Trinh said, adding that guests must have two vaccines or have a certificate of recovery from Covid-19.

In addition to eateries and fashion stores, many barbershops were also packed.
Pham Van Trinh, owner of a hair salon in Tan Binh District, said since his shop only has two barbers working it has been super busy.
"Many clients come in the morning, but I have to reschedule them for another time to avoid crowds," Trinh said, adding customers must show they are fully vaccinated or have a certificate of recovery from Covid-19.

Mr. Phan Xuan Dam (53 years old) carried a certificate of 2 vaccinations and waited nearly two hours for a haircut. I had to quit my job this morning to cut my hair comfortably, Mr. Dam said.

Phan Xuan Dam, 53, carrying a vaccination certificate, waited nearly two hours for a haircut.
"I asked to take the the morning off to go get a haircut," he said.

Im happy to be back to work again because I have an income. This morning many people came to get a haircut, but due to social distancing, I didnt dare to accept many customers, said Dang Khoa, a barber on Ngo Tat To Street, District 1. Binh Thanh said.According to regulations, hair cutting services are only allowed to operate up to 50% of their capacity to ensure safety against epidemics.

"I'm happy to be back at work again and able to earn a living. This morning many people came to get a haircut, but due to social distancing, I didn't dare to accept many customers," said Dang Khoa, a barber in Binh Thanh Disitrict.
According to regulations, barbershops and salons are only allowed to operate at half capacity.

The car repair and wash shop on Nguyen Gia Tri street, Binh Thanh district is also crowded with customers on reopening. Motorcycles and cars are waiting in line to be washed and repaired after a long time without travel.

The car wash, repair shop in Binh Thanh District is also crowded with customers on reopening day.

Nearly 3 km away, a car repair shop on the sidewalk of Dien Bien Phu street also welcomed the first customers when it opened.This morning, many people passed by me waiting to pump and repair their car after a few months of not going, said Mr. Van Tan, the shop owner.

Nearly three kilometers away, another repair shop on the sidewalk of Dien Bien Phu Street also welcomes its first customers.
Van Tan, the shop owner, said: "This morning, many people passed by waiting to pump their wheels and repair their vehicles after days of inactivity."

For more than a month, depending on the form of shopping for households, many people went to the store this morning to buy vegetables and fruits. The owner of the shop on Pham Van Dong Street, Thu Duc City said that on the first day of resale, he imported 2 tons of vegetables and a ton of fruit and will increase the number in the coming days.

After more than a month depending on military personnel and task forces to buy and deliver food and essential products, many people finally had the chance to go out this morning to buy vegetables and fruit.
The owner of a shop in Thu Duc City said on the first day of reopening, he imported two tons of vegetables and a ton of fruit and would increase the number in the coming days.

I buy a few kilograms of vegetables and fruits, enough to eat for two days, now I dont need to hoard, and I dont have to worry about lack of food like before, said Mr. Hoan, from Thu Duc City.

"I bought a few kilograms of vegetables and fruits, enough to eat for two days. Now I don't need to hoard and don't have to worry about food shortage anymore," said Hoan, a Thu Duc City resident.

At the Social Insurance Center on Pham Van Dong Street, Go Vap District, dozens of people came to apply for unemployment insurance but were rejected. I came here to receive unemployment benefits, they said to take my account number to the post office to receive it, when I went to the post office, the staff said to come back, the 41-year-old female worker expressed disappointment after many hours of waiting.Ho Chi Minh City entered the new normal phase from October 1, after 10 million people spent more than 120 days of isolation with different levels. Since the fourth outbreak on May 26, Ho Chi Minh City has so far recorded more than 380,870 infections (nearly 50% of the countrys infections), treating about 35,000 patients; 14,631 people died.

On Pham Van Dong Street, Go Vap District, dozens of people came to apply for unemployment insurance but were rejected.
"I came here to receive unemployment benefits. I was instructed to bring documents to the post office to receive it. But when I went to the post office, staff said to come totheinsurance center," a disappointed 41-year-old female worker said after many hours of waiting.
Except for some sectors considered to pose a high Covid infection risk, most public and private production and service facilities in HCMC are allowed to reopen from Friday.
HCMC previously went through more than 120 days under many different levels of social distancing.
Since the fourth Covid-19 wave hit Vietnam in late April, the city has recorded over 392,000 infections, accounting for almost half of the national tally, and 14,814 have died.