People who have received at least one Covid-19 vaccination shot or who have recovered from the disease will be allowed to engage in socio-economic activities in Vietnam’s pandemic hotspot Ho Chi Minh City.
According to the Xinhua news agency, this is part of the city’s administration’s temporary measures designed for the flexible, safe, and effective regulation of Covid-19, which were published earlier this week.
Children who have not yet attained the age of immunisation can participate in socioeconomic activities, but they must be accompanied by people who have been vaccinated.
The activities include participating in large gatherings such as festivals, cultural and sports events, using public transport, working at public workplaces, and attending classes, among others.
The activities themselves can also be subject to certain restrictions depending on the Covid-19 risk levels of each area, which are classified mainly by vaccination rate and the number of infections among the population.
Since Tuesday, the city has also allowed non-essential businesses like bars, nightclubs, and karaoke parlours to resume full operation in low-risk areas and at half capacity in medium-risk ones.
These services cannot operate in places still classified at “high” or “very high” risk.
These are among the final services to reopen in the southern Vietnamese city after more than six months of suspension due to Covid-19 restrictions.
After months of strict social separation measures, most normal activities and services have been resumed since early October.
With over 1,000 new cases reported every day, Ho Chi Minh City is Vietnam’s greatest pandemic hotspot.
According to the municipal centre for disease management, the newest wave of infection, which began in late April, has resulted in almost 446,000 Covid-19 infections.
(With IANS inputs)