Authorities of Dong Nai Province, in southern Vietnam, have allowed karaoke parlors, discos and bars, among others, to reopen from Friday after months of pause due to COVID-19 impacts, as the province has been classified as a low risk area.

The resumption has begun from 0:00 on January 28, local authorities announced in a directive issued on Thursday evening.

The move came as Dong Nai has been categorized as a 'green zone,' a locality at low risk of COVID-19 transmission, since January 20, based on assessments of concerned agencies.

The restoration of these services is as part of the implementation of the central government’s strategy of safe and flexible adaptation to and effective control of COVID-19 that has been applied nationwide since October 1, 2021.

Specifically, restaurants and other food and beverage service providers are allowed to reopen at 100 percent capacity provided they meet epidemic safety requirements. 

Meanwhile, establishments such as discotheques, karaoke parlors, bars, massage facilities, spas, beauty salons, and Internet shops are allowed to operate at 50 percent of their capacity.

Public events including weddings and funerals are allowed to be organized without limits of participant numbers.

No gathering limits is also applied to religious or worship activities, resorts, hotels, museums, cinemas, physical training and sports, and medical facilities.

Street peddlers and lottery ticket hawkers who have received full coronavirus vaccination are allowed to work again.

People engaged in the above services and activities must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or have recovered from the disease for no longer than six months, and are required to strictly comply with epidemic control rules, the directive said.

The province’s administration called on locals to proactively protect and take care of themselves and their families against COVID-19, strictly implement epidemic prevention regulations, make health declarations using required apps, and self-test for coronavirus when having symptoms such as fever, cough, difficulty breathing, and loss of taste.

All enterprises inside and outside industrial parks are required to take effective measures to prevent and control COVID-19.

The provincial authorities also asked management boards of industrial parks, the provincial Department of Labors, Invalids and Social Affairs, and all district authorities to coordinate with each other to inspect the compliance with epidemic prevention and control rules at enterprises.

The directive came about nine months since April 30 last year, when local administration suspended the operation of bars, discos, karaoke parlors and tea rooms to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

As of Thursday, Dong Nai, with a population of over 3.2 million, had documented 99,849 COVID-19 infections and 1,683 fatalities since the pandemic erupted in the country since early 2020, the Ministry of Heath’s data shows.

The first-dose vaccine coverage for people aged 12 years and older in the province had reached 103.26 percent of its plan, while the coverage rates of the second and third shots had amounted to 99.36 percent and 16.27 percent, respectively, the provincial Center for Disease Control reported on Tuesday.

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