The Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens, or Thao Cam Vien, in Ho Chi Minh City will welcome back visitors on November 5, after six months of closure due to COVID-19, according to director Pham Van Tan.

The municipal People’s Committee had approved the reopening of Thao Cam Vien, which is the oldest zoo in Vietnam and among the most ancient still in operation in the world, Tan told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Monday morning.

Tan said the management board of the zoo has yet to decide on the number of entrance tickets issued on the day of reopening.

There may be no entry limit as visitors do not stay long at the venue, which may not result in large gatherings and raise COVID-19 transmission risk, he added. 

Admission charges will remain at VND60,000 (US$2.62) for adults and VND40,000 ($1.74) for children, while kids under one meter tall will enjoy free admission. 

“We are currently preparing for a smooth, safe, and meaningful reopening day,” said the director.

At 156 years old, Thao Cam Vien, located in District 1, is housing over 1,500 animals and growing 900 plants.

The venue has closed since May 23 under the adverse impacts of COVID-19.

The months-long closure prompted its management board to seek more than VND23 billion ($1 million) from the city’s budget to pay staff wages and cover food and care expenses in the July-December period.

Ho Chi Minh City has been the biggest epicenter in the country since the fourth outbreak began on April 27, with over 432,000 local cases and around 16,500 deaths.

The national government has relaxed pandemic control curbs over the past few weeks as transmissions have slowed down, due in part to larger vaccine coverage.

The city of about nine million people had administered over 13.2 million vaccine doses as of Sunday afternoon, with more than 5.7 million people fully inoculated.

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