Hanoi authorities have required immediate closure of sidewalk eateries, coffee and iced tea stalls in the entire Vietnamese capital as risk remains high in the community with more COVID-19 infections reported in recent days.

The suspension came into effect from 0:00 Tuesday by order of Hanoi’s deputy chairman Chu Xuan Dung at the municipal Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control meeting on Monday afternoon.

Dung emphasized that this is an urgent measure to prevent and fight the virus in the community that needs people’s understanding and sympathy.

The deputy chairman’s decision was made following a report by Hoang Duc Hanh, deputy director of the Hanoi Department of Health, at Monday afternoon’s meeting that the risk of an outbreak in Hanoi remains high, especially after the Lunar New Year holiday when people come back to the city from other localities to work.

Hanh said during three days of the Lunar New Year holiday from February 13 to 15, Hanoi recorded five cases of COVID-19, including four community infections and one imported patient.

Therefore, it is necessary to continue drastic COVID-19 prevention and control measures, the health deputy director suggested.

In addition, according to Hanh, special attention should be paid to epidemic prevention in areas with complex environments such as industrial parks, factories, production sites and offices with a high density of workers. 

Hanh also suggested the district authorities require people to comply with the 5K recommendations, which stands for "Khau trang" (face mask) - "Khu khuan" (disinfection) - "Khoang cach" (distance) - "Khong tu tap" (no gathering) - "Khai bao y te" (health declaration) in Vietnamese, by the Ministry of Health.

In his conclusion at the meeting, Dung showed his agreement with Hanh in requesting people returning to Hanoi from other localities after the holiday to make medical declarations.

Those who came back from Cam Giang District in northern Hai Duong Province must be tested and refrain from going out unless under truly necessary circumstances.

Vietnam has documented 2,271 COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday morning, with 1,541 recoveries and 35 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health.

A total of 679 local infections have been recorded 13 provinces and cities since January 28, when Vietnam was hit by a new wave, including 501 in Hai Duong Province, 59 in Quang Ninh Province, 34 in Hanoi, and 36 in Ho Chi Minh City.

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