Hanoi tourist sites close for disinfection

Hoa Lo Prison in Hoan Kiem District has stopped admitting visitors since Monday afternoon. Two British tourists who tested positive for the coronavirus and are now quarantined in Da Nang in central Vietnam, visited the prison on March 3, Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy, its director, said.

"Ticket sellers did not come in close contact with the infected tourists. But we have still stopped admitting tourists to disinfect the entire prison," Thuy said.

The Temple of Literature in Dong Da District has also stopped admitting visitors, Le Xuan Kieu, a manager of the temple, said on Monday.

"Due to the Covid-19 epidemic, the number of visitors coming to the Temple of Literature has fallen. However, protecting tourists’ and the community's health and safety is our foremost priority. Therefore, we have decided to disinfect the place."

The Temple of the Jade Mountain (Ngoc Son Temple) and several ancient houses in the old quarter have also closed for disinfection, Nguyen Doan Van, head of the Hanoi Monuments and Landmarks management, said.

So far there have been 35 confirmed Covid-19 cases, the latest being a 29-year-old Vietnamese saleswoman in Da Nang who received two British customers on March 4, four days before they were confirmed infected.

The Covid-19 has spread to 119 countries and territories, killing over 4,200.