More vehicles turned up on the roads, stalls and vendors prepared to reopen, and joggers filled public parks for their morning exercise once again in Ho Chi Minh City on Thursday morning, the first day of relaxed social distancing measures after weeks of restrictions.

Introduced on April 1 as a response to complicated developments of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the enhanced social distancing measures — which include closing schools, stores, and entertainment venues and banning gatherings of more than two people in public spaces — were finally eased in the southern metropolis from Thursday, after a drop in infection rates.

Vietnam has confirmed 268 COVID-19 cases, with no new patient having been recorded for the past seven days.

From early Thursday morning, Gia Dinh Park, Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street, and a few other public spaces in Ho Chi Minh City saw joggers and sightseers enjoying the laid-back atmosphere of a sunny day.

Major roads of the city including the Hanoi Highway, Cong Hoa Street, and Ho Van Hue Street were noticeably busier on Thursday morning than in the previous weeks of April.

Stalls and street vendors have started to re-appear on several streets, as many restaurants and eateries were spotted getting ready for their reopening by cleaning and sanitizing their venues and tableware.

The city has not made an official announcement on whether such catering services — which have been banned since April 1 — can reopen now that social distancing measures have been eased.

On Hoang Sa Street, customers were seen queueing outside a barbershop for a much-needed haircut, some whiling away their time by sipping Vietnamese coffee bought from a nearby stall.

Barbershops were among non-essential services asked to close during the enhanced social distancing period in Ho Chi Minh City.

Nguyen Hung, owner of the barbershop, said he had had to decline service to many customers due to overwhelming demand.

“To avoid mass gatherings, I have set up chairs far apart and advise customers to wear a face mask while waiting for their turn,” Hung said.

To its dwellers, life in Ho Chi Minh City is gradually gaining back its bustling rhythm after a prolonged social distancing period.

However, restrictions on gatherings of more than ten people outside of schools, offices, and hospitals as prescribed in Directive No.15 of the prime minister are still in place and should not be taken lightly.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!