No live spectators for HCMC's New Year countdown

From 10 p.m. Friday to midnight Saturday, Ho Chi Minh City will organize its yearly New Year's Eve countdown program on Nguyen Hue Street in District 1, not Le Duan Street as previously planned. The program will be broadcast on television, radio and online instead of allowing people to come and visit.

Local police forces will ensure that vehicles do not enter Nguyen Hue Street or park around the area during the event.

Previously, the municipal Department of Culture and Sports had planned to conduct the countdown program on Nguyen Hue and Le Duan streets. The event was to have only 1,000 invited participants who are fully vaccinated and abide by coronavirus prevention measures.

HCMC's countdown events and firework displays are an annual New Year’s Eve feature that draws hundreds of thousands of people on to the streets in celebration. The firework displays have been cancelled for this year.