Festivals and firework shows should not be organized during the coming Lunar New Year holiday as a measure to celebrate Tet safely and economically amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism requested.

The ministry made the request in a dispatch issued to its units nationwide on Friday, calling for efforts to ensure a joyful, healthy, safe and thrifty Tet, in line with the government’s strategy of safe and flexible adaptation to and effective control of COVID-19 that has been applied since early October last year.

Particularly for traditional festivals, their ceremonial part can be maintained but their entertaining part, including recreational and sports activities, should be cancelled, the ministry stated.

Prior to the dispatch, authorities of many localities have decided to cancel festivals in general, except for traditional ones that will cover rituals only and allow no participants at some venues.

All cultural events, sports activities, and entertainment operations – including movie screening, art performances, and karaoke and disco services – during Tet should be performed in compliance with epidemic prevention rules and in accordance with actual COVID-19 developments in each locality, the ministry said.

Tourist establishments must have plans for serving travelers on the basis of meeting all epidemic safety requirements.

The ministry also asked authorities at all levels to advise locals to protect themselves and others from the coronavirus while taking part in Tet celebration activities.

Vietnam has documented 2,218,137 coronavirus infections, with 1,950,244 recoveries and 37,432 fatalities, since the pandemic erupted in the country in early 2020, the Ministry of Health reported on Friday.

With such data, the Southeast Asian nation has ranked 31th in COVID-19 infections and 24th in deaths among 225 countries and territories in the world.

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