As parks across Hanoi reopen their gates after weeks of closure for COVID-19 prevention, people flocked to these venues to exercise and enjoy a sunny Saturday morning.

The Hanoi People’s Committee has permitted the resumption of certain outdoor physical and sport activities from 0:00 Saturday, given the local COVID-19 situation basically brought under control.

This is part of the local authority’s move to further ease restrictions on several activities.

Accordingly, some physical and sport activities, including outdoor exercise in parks, with no more than 20 people in one place at the same time are allowed, but participants still have to comply with the requirements of wearing face masks, disinfection, keeping distance, no gathering, and health declaration.

Early on the park-reopening day, many residents in the Vietnamese capital city were keen to get out of homes and stretch their muscles after a long time of being bound by four walls.

“I left my house when it just passed 5:00 am,” said Nguyen Thanh Ha, a resident in Hai Ba Trung District.

“I went around the West Lake at 7:00 am and will head for Truc Bach Lake,” she added.

“Early in the morning, my child and I cycled here to wait for the moment when the soldiers performed the daily national flag raising ceremony at 6:00 am,” Hoang Duong, a 35-year-old local in Ba Dinh District, said as enjoying the fresh air at Ba Dinh Square.

At a meeting on Friday, deputy director of the Hanoi Department of Health Hoang Duc Hanh said the city had stayed free of COVID-19 community transmission for 11 straight days.

Since April 27, when the fourth wave of infections began, 106 places across the city have been sealed off, with 98 places already seeing lockdown removed, according to the Vietnam News Agency. 

The eight remainders include five in Dong Anh Districts, two in Long Bien District, and one in Soc Son District.

Below are photos capturing people at parks across the city on Saturday:

A sign reminding people of COVID-19 safety measures remains in place at a garden near Truc Bach Lake in Hanoi, June 26, 2021. Photo: Ha Quan / Tuoi Tre

People jog around Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi, June 26, 2021. Photo: Ha Quan / Tuoi Tre

People walk and cycle around the West Lake in Hanoi, June 26, 2021. Photo: Ha Quan / Tuoi Tre

Women do Yang Sheng exercises near Ba Dinh Square in Hanoi, June 26, 2021. Photo: Ha Quan / Tuoi Tre

People cycle on a street in Hanoi, June 26, 2021. Photo: Ha Quan / Tuoi Tre

Women take a group photo after cycling around the West Lake in Hanoi, June 26, 2021. Photo: Ha Quan / Tuoi Tre

Women practice aerobics in Hanoi, June 26, 2021. Photo: Ha Quan / Tuoi Tre

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