Why are discos, bars, karaoke parlors, and indoor sports facilities excepted from the non-essential businesses and services which have been allowed to be reopened in Ho Chi Minh City from March 1?

A number of readers have written to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper to raise this question after authorities in Ho Chi Minh City decided to reopen non-essential businesses and services from early March, except for discos, bars, karaoke parlors, and indoor sports facilities. 

“Because those enclosed spaces provide a higher risk of virus transmission when they operate if someone at the places is infected with COVID-19,” Nguyen Tri Dung, director of the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control and Prevention, responded on Saturday.

“So the city will continue to consider the time when we can reopen those places."

Earlier, the municipal People’s Committee sent a document to relevant agencies regarding COVID-19 prevention and control measures in the coming time, saying non-essential services and businesses were allowed to resume operations from March 1 with strict pandemic prevention and control measures to be applied.

All activities at these venues must ensure that all patrons maintain social distancing of one meter.

Eateries and cafés must not serve over 30 people at a time.

Religious activities must not include more than 50 participants at a time, while a one-meter-distance rule must be kept.

Meanwhile, discos, bars, karaoke parlors, pubs, beer clubs, and sports facilities in enclosed space will remain shuttered until further notice.

The city has also required relevant agencies and people to continue the 5K message which stands for Khau trang (face masks) - Khu khuan (disinfection) - Khoang cach (distance) - Khong tu tap (no gathering) – Khai bao y te (health declaration) to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Ho Chi Minh City authorities ordered the suspension of discos, bars, wedding centers, karaoke parlors, massage parlors and movie theaters from 12:00 pm on February 9 onward, amidst the complicated developments of a new outbreak in the city at the time.

The city has recorded zero new local infections since February 11, with its domestic case count standing at 36, as recorded from January 27, when Vietnam was hit by a new wave of transmissions in nearly two months.

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