Hanoi man fined over false capital lockdown claim

The 39-year-old man, who resides in Hoang Mai District, on May 4 posted on his Facebook account that "Hanoi was clear of people on its first day under lockdown," according to the municipal Department of Information and Communications. Such information is false and socially disruptive, it added.

The man has admitted to his mistake and removed the information.

Vietnam is experiencing one of its toughest Covid-19 waves yet, seeing 442 Covid-19 community cases in 26 cities and provinces since late last month. The national Covid-19 community transmission tally on Monday has reached 109 cases, breaking the previous all-time daily new cases high of 92 on Sunday.

Hanoi has recorded 141 cases within the new wave, 49 of them recorded in the community and the rest related to two major hospitals. The capital has suspended non-essential services like bars, dance clubs and karaoke parlors, as well as outdoor restaurants and cafes, and closed its pedestrian streets to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Secretary of Hanoi Party Committee Dinh Tien Dung on May 6 said Hanoi would not be put under lockdown "at this moment," while still requesting that citizens not to go outside unnecessarily.