As more non-essential businesses except for bars, discos, and karaoke shops are allowed to reopen at full capacity in Ho Chi Minh City from Tuesday, the owners make sure that COVID-19 prevention and control measures are strictly applied.

Due to the complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, authorities in the city previously required all beauty salons, karaoke shops, discos, pubs, bars, clubs, beer clubs, massage parlors, saunas, online game centers, wedding reception centers, cafés, theaters, cinemas, gyms, and other sports facilities to cease operations on February 9.

Ho Chi Minh City has not recorded any community transmission since February 11, after Vietnam was hit by a new wave of local infections on March 27.

The city confirmed 36 domestic COVID-19 cases between February 6 and 11.

From March 1, non-essential services and businesses were allowed to reopen, but discos, bars, karaoke parlors, pubs, clubs, beer clubs, and sports facilities in an enclosed space remained shuttered.

In the latest decision that took effect from Tuesday, only bars, discos, and karaoke shops keep suspended.

Welcoming customers back after the month-long suspension, the permitted non-essential businesses can operate at full capacity.

Maintaining vigilance against the virus, they also stick to safety measures recommended by the Ministry of Health.

From late Tuesday afternoon, Restaurant C. on Truong Sa Street in Phu Nhuan District has offered all of its tables to customers, instead of only 50 percent like the last one month.

Resuming its full operations, a café on Phan Dang Luu Street in the same district spaced seats and arranged tables one meter from one another. In addition, customers must wash their hands with sanitizer before entering the shop.

However, the return to normal of the non-essential businesses got lukewarm reception.

Restaurant C.’s manager Tran Bao Le said that it is too early for businesses like hers to expect large numbers of customers because many people are still afraid of COVID-19 infection.

Le’s concern is evidenced by Pham Van Dong Boulevard in Binh Thanh District, where many restaurants and drinking establishments are situated, becoming far less crowded on Tuesday than before. 

Nguyen Thi Be, owner of the drinking establishment named T.K. on the boulevard, said that the number of its customers was more than halved, with people mainly opting for takeout.

Other non-essential businesses like gyms and sport facilities have also received fewer customers than before.

For wedding reception centers, it may take at least over a week to see the crowded wedding parties back to these venues again as customers need time for sending out invitations with rescheduled dates, said Ho Thi Diem Phuc, general director of the leading chain of convention and wedding centers Asiana Plaza.

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