Ha Long reopens public beaches, outdoor sports activities

The town of over 300,000 people has gone three months without community transmission of the novel coronavirus and 90 percent of its population aged 18 and above have got at least one dose of a Covid vaccine.

Football stadiums, gym, fitness centers and pool table services have been allowed to resume operations while observing pandemic prevention measures.

Around two hours east of Hanoi, the town is home to the famous Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO-recognized natural heritage site and several attractive beaches.

In August, provincial authorities had closed its beaches and suspended tourism activities more than a month after resumption as the pandemic situation became "complicated." They plan to reopen intra-provincial tourism activities next month.

The number of visitors to Quang Ninh fell by 37 percent last year to 8.8 million as Vietnam closed its borders in March 2020.

Quang Ninh has recorded only seven cases in the ongoing Covid-19 wave that has infected over 680,000 nationwide since late April.