Many pubs, cafés, and other eateries in Ho Chi Minh City are still busy at night regardless of local authorities’ prohibition of gatherings of more than 30 people amidst the complicated coronavirus spread.

On Wednesday and Thursday evening this week, customers fully occupied most of the joints located along the Thanh Da embankment and Truong Sa Street in Binh Thanh District.

Many venues were bustling with more than 30 guests while servers did not wear face marks as required by the current COVID-19 prevention rules.

Most tables and chairs at such roadside diners were arranged close together, despite the city administration’s order that food and beverage caterers must ensure a distance of at least one meter or more between people and must not serve more than 30 people at a time.

An eatery at the end of Truong Sa Street in Ward 19, Binh Thanh District was crowded with dozens of tables where people were drinking, talking, and laughing freely.

Sometimes, its tables and chairs encroached on nearly half of the roadway.

The same scenes could be sighted at many cafés, like the ones along the Thanh Da embankment in Binh Thanh District, where drinkers sat about half of a meter apart and were served by staff without wearing face masks.

V.T., hailing from Thu Duc City, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters that when he and his friends came to the venue, it had just a few guests.

But it got crowded and guests were arranged to sit closer later.

“I’m aware that mass gatherings are not advised during this pandemic outbreak," T. told reporters.

"We will leave here in about 15 minutes.”

Meanwhile, at some parks as well as on Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street in District 1, many people sat close to one another and chatted freely without wearing face masks.

Since Friday last week, the city government has suspended the operation of indoor fitness and sports service establishments like gyms, billiard halls, yoga centers; wedding banquet centers; buffet caterers; karaoke bars; and events or activities gathering more than 30 people at a time.

Events allowed to take place must comply with regulations on pandemic prevention and control, maintaining a distance of at least one meter between people and ensuring the number of attendees below 50 percent of the capacity of the venue.

At noon on Friday, the Ministry of Health reported 16 local coronavirus cases, all of which were detected in isolated areas, taking the country’s tally to 3,756 patients, including 2,657 recoveries and 35 deaths.

Since April 27, Vietnam has recorded 729 domestic cases in 26 provinces and cities, according to the ministry’s data.

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