HCMC restaurants allowed alcohol sale

By Huu Cong November 17, 2021 | 08:44 pm PT

A restaurant in HCMC's Go Vap District is packed with people, November 3, 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Dinh Van

Food and beverage establishments in HCMC can stay open another hour late and those in low and medium-risk areas can serve alcoholic drinks.

Dining venues can remain open until 10 p.m. instead of 9 p.m. as required earlier, while still maintaining Covid-19 prevention protocols, according to a city's regulation issued Tuesday. The rule is applied on a trial phase until the end of this month.

During this period, establishments in areas with low or medium coronavirus risks can serve alcoholic drinks.

Areas with high coronavirus risks still see the alcohol sale ban and establishments could only operate at half their maximum capacity.

The southern city currently has 20 districts and Thu Duc City deemed as having low and medium coronavirus risks. Only Can Gio District is deemed as having high coronavirus risk.

While on-site dining returned in the southern city since late October, following five months of suspension, only establishments in Thu Duc and District 7 had been allowed to sell alcoholic drinks.

HCMC has also allowed bars, cinemas, massage parlors and bike ride-hailing services to resume operation from Tuesday. All staff must be fully vaccinated with two doses or have recovered from Covid-19 within six months.