Da Nang to suspend non-essential activities after Covid-19 surge

Le Trung Chinh, chairman of the central city's People's Committee, has requested non-essential events to be suspended to prevent Covid-19, including festivals, cultural, religious and artistic events; gyms, and sporting events, beach bathing and kindergartens.

Businesses that provide non-essential services like beauty parlors, bars and pubs, dance clubs, karaoke and massage parlors, gaming cafes, pedestrian streets and night markets would be shut down as well, he added.

Feasts with large gatherings, including weddings and funerals, are allowed but limited to 30 participants maximum. Large gatherings are discouraged, he said.

Restaurants, cafes and other food and beverage businesses need to adhere by coronavirus prevention measures while encouraging takeaways, he added.

Public transport services, including ride-hailing services like GrabCar, are allowed but cannot carry more than half the number of people they're allowed to carry.

Businesses and services which do not adhere by Covid-19 prevention measures would be forced to be suspended, said Chinh.

Events with political, economic or social purposes that are deemed truly necessary must be approved by authorities to be carried out.

The decision came after Da Nang recorded a coronavirus-positive case within the community on Monday, a 28-year-old male hotel employee in Hai Chau District.

The incident has caused a local hospital, where the man was initially admitted, to be locked down starting Monday afternoon, and the hotel where the man worked at was locked down as well along with 11 hotel employees.

Vietnam has recorded 34 community transmission cases since last Thursday in Ha Nam, Hanoi, Hung Yen, HCMC and Vinh Phuc.

The total coronavirus tally is at 2,981, with 35 deaths.