The renowned Ben Thanh Market in District 1 reopened on Oct. 3 after three months of closure.
Of its 1,442 tenants, 70 have returned, most of them vendors of fish, meat, vegetable, and other food items.
Customers and sellers are separated by transparent screens and boundary lines.
The market, which spreads over 13,000 square meters, is however deserted since there are no thronging tourists.
Sellers are required to be fully vaccinated and buyers should have had at least one shot and need to report their travel details.
Loan, who has been selling vegetables at the market for more than two decades, said she has never seen it so deserted except during Lunar New Year holidays.
“We are glad to see each other again after nearly four months. I am selling modest quantities to get started”.
Nearly 10 eateries are open, but only for delivery and takeaway.
Huynh Thi Lien, a noodles vendor, said: “My customers are mainly other vendors. There is mostly no profit because of low demand and high prices of ingredients. I have not raised prices though because everyone is in difficulty because of the pandemic”.
Some vendors use baskets to receive cash, which they disinfect before handling. There are some 200 customers a day, most of them vendors, shippers and people living nearby.
Luu Nguyet Quynh, a local resident, has been coming to the market every day since it reopened.
“It feels good to be back at the market and talk to people, and to select the right food and quantity without having to order online.”
Well over 1,000 stalls are yet to reopen, most of them selling jewelry, souvenir and clothes. These are considered ‘non-essential’ items, which were sold mostly to foreign tourists before the pandemic.
Five kilometers away, An Dong Market in District 5 began to stir Tuesday with 30 out of 200 stalls opening.
Only fully vaccinated vendors are allowed to reopen.
Customers need to have been vaccinated at least once or contracted and recovered from Covid-19 in the previous six months.
