A restaurant in downtown Ho Chi Minh City has been fined VND65 million (US$2,800) for running karaoke services despite an ongoing ban due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The People’s Committee in District 1 confirmed on Monday it had imposed the fine upon The King Restaurant on Le Lai Street in Ben Thanh Ward for operating karaoke services without a permit and failing to comply with authorities’ decision to suspend certain businesses due to the coronavirus.

The administration in Ben Thanh Ward was tasked with reviewing all permits and documents regarding the operations of the restaurant.

The District 1 administration added it had requested the municipal Department of Planning and Investment to consider revoking the business permit of the venue.

A team of COVID-19 prevention and control officers led by vice-chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Duong Anh Duc previously inspected The King Restaurant on April 4.

They found that the restaurant was operating karaoke services inside six VIP rooms while local authorities had already banned all karaoke parlors since April 30 due to the complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A total of 98 people were singing in the rooms, including four Chinese and four Japanese nationals.

Among the Chinese, a 45-year-old man previously completed his quarantine period in the northern province of Hung Yen on April 21 and was required to undergo home quarantine for another 14 days.

The man was on his 13th day into the home quarantine period when he was detected at the restaurant.

All 98 customers later tested negative for COVID-19.

The Ben Thanh Ward administration has asked its counterpart in Thuan My Commune in the Mekong Delta province of Long An, where the Chinese man is working, to fine him for violating COVID-19 prevention and control regulations.

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