Da Nang to reopen bars, dance clubs

The reopening is being allowed after the central city has put Covid-19 infection risks under control, Le Trung Chinh, deputy chairman of the city's People's Committee, said Thursday.

Covid-19 prevention measures like wearing masks and hand sanitization must still be followed, he stressed.

Da Nang became the epicenter of Vietnam's second novel coronavirus outbreak after a local transmission case was detected late July, after Vietnam had gone for more than three months without recording a community transmission. Soon after, hundreds of other new cases were detected in at least 15 localities and the national death toll went from zero to 35.

The city imposed social distancing measures on July 28 before slowly lifting them earlier this month, first with the resumption of food take-out services, then the reopening of entertainment, sports and religious venues.

With the reopening of bars, karaoke parlors and dance clubs, Da Nang would basically return to normalcy, save for existing disease prevention measures.

Since July 24, Da Nang recorded 389 new Covid-19 cases, 31 of whom succumbed to the disease, according to the Ministry of Health. The city discharged its last Covid-19 patient, a 56-year-old man, on Wednesday morning.

Da Nang has gone almost a month without a single local transmission.

Vietnam has recorded 1,069 Covid-19 cases, 40 of which are still active.