Da Nang, Can Tho scrap Tet firework shows amid coronavirus fears

Authorities in Da Nang had earlier said there would be fireworks at three venues on February 11.

Can Tho had planned to set off fireworks from six venues.

HCMC and many other localities have already announced the cancelation of firework shows to limit crowds, with the latest Covid outbreak spreading to 12 localities with 422 cases as of Monday morning.

Hanoi, where 23 people have been diagnosed with Covid-19, will have one show instead of the originally planned 30, and no spectators will be allowed.

Setting off fireworks on Lunar New Year’s Eve has for long been a tradition in Vietnam.

The new wave of Covid-19 began just a few weeks before Tet, Vietnam's biggest festival and an occasion for family reunions, big gatherings and home parties, which peaks on February 12.