Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - Non-essential services like clothes and cosmeticsshops have been barred from opening earlier than 9am in Hanoi toreduce morning traffic density, Chairman of the municipal People’s CommitteeNguyen Duc Chung said on April 29.
Mallsand supermarkets located in the inner city and new urban areas, except forrestaurants, pharmacies, petrol stations, food stores in the market, will notbe allowed to open early, in order to reduce contacts and the risks ofcongestion.
Hanoieased social distancing policies on April 23, allowing restaurants, cafes,clothes and cosmetics shops to reopen but customers have to keep their distancefrom each other.
Religiousgatherings, celebrations and all sporting and cultural activities arestill banned. Bars, karaoke venues and massage parlours will remain shut.
Ata meeting of the city’s steering committee for COVID-19 prevention and controlthis week, Chung said according to a study conducted by experts, the mostworrying problem in the capital city is high traffic density in themorning.
Whenpeople stop at traffic lights, the requirement of keeping a minimumdistance (one metre) between vehicles might not be easy to follow, hesaid.
“Revenuesof non-essential service shops from 6am to 8.30am are very low. The city doesnot encourage business owners to open their shops during this time,” he said.
OnApril 28, Chung ordered restaurants and coffee shops which pose directinfection risks to keep a minimum distance of 2m between customers or 1m withplastic divides. Customers are advised not to share bowls, cups and other itemswhile eating and drinking.
Restaurantand shop owners have been encouraged to sell takeaway food and drinks.
Factoriesand construction sites are allowed to resume operation but must take necessaryhygiene measures for their workers and employees.
Inter-provincialcoaches are allowed to run as long as drivers and passengers follow preventivemeasures.
Thecity’s authorities also decided to reopen universities, colleges, vocational trainingschools, secondary and high schools from May 4, while primary grade studentsand lower will be returning from May 11.
Schoolswill have to reduce the number of students in a classroom and avoid biggatherings during meal and break times.
Chungsaid the pandemic might last long although the country has not recorded newcases in recent days.
Heasked local authorities at district and ward levels, clinics and hospitalsto offer training to medical workers and COVID-19 quick response teams for takingtesting samples and tracking patients’ travel history.
Thecity’s health care sector needs to improve its capacity to be able to conduct3,000 to 5,000 RT-PCR tests daily, he said.
Thecity can currently test between 2,500 and under 3,000 a day.
Accordingto Director of the Hanoi Department of Health Nguyen Khac Hien, the city hasnot recorded any new cases since April 15. Eighty-five out of 112 patients inthe city have recovered.
However,Hanoi is still prone to risks because flights carrying Vietnamese from overseaswill arrive in the city in the coming days.
Thedepartment urged the public to stay vigilant with preventive measures while thehealth care sector will continue to curb transmission from foreign sources byquarantining people from overseas and prevent the virus from being transmittedin the community.
Chungemphasised that people must strictly follow preventive measures like wearingmasks, washing hands and keeping their distance.
“Thesemeasures are not for the short term but must be followed in the long term,” hesaid.
Chungasked departments and agencies in the capital to maintain the spirit of“fighting the pandemic as if fighting an enemy” and called for the involvementof the entire political system and all people in the fight.
Hanoiwill maintain the principles of prevention, detection, quarantine, sealing offepidemic clusters, treatment, and minimising fatalities, he said, stressingthat it will remain vigilant against the outbreak.
MeLinh and Thuong Tin districts, two among the few localitiesnationwide still classified in the high-risk group due torecent outbreaks, will need to continue following instructions until risk levelsare reviewed and revised, he said./.
Mallsand supermarkets located in the inner city and new urban areas, except forrestaurants, pharmacies, petrol stations, food stores in the market, will notbe allowed to open early, in order to reduce contacts and the risks ofcongestion.
Hanoieased social distancing policies on April 23, allowing restaurants, cafes,clothes and cosmetics shops to reopen but customers have to keep their distancefrom each other.
Religiousgatherings, celebrations and all sporting and cultural activities arestill banned. Bars, karaoke venues and massage parlours will remain shut.
Ata meeting of the city’s steering committee for COVID-19 prevention and controlthis week, Chung said according to a study conducted by experts, the mostworrying problem in the capital city is high traffic density in themorning.
Whenpeople stop at traffic lights, the requirement of keeping a minimumdistance (one metre) between vehicles might not be easy to follow, hesaid.
“Revenuesof non-essential service shops from 6am to 8.30am are very low. The city doesnot encourage business owners to open their shops during this time,” he said.
OnApril 28, Chung ordered restaurants and coffee shops which pose directinfection risks to keep a minimum distance of 2m between customers or 1m withplastic divides. Customers are advised not to share bowls, cups and other itemswhile eating and drinking.
Restaurantand shop owners have been encouraged to sell takeaway food and drinks.
Factoriesand construction sites are allowed to resume operation but must take necessaryhygiene measures for their workers and employees.
Inter-provincialcoaches are allowed to run as long as drivers and passengers follow preventivemeasures.
Thecity’s authorities also decided to reopen universities, colleges, vocational trainingschools, secondary and high schools from May 4, while primary grade studentsand lower will be returning from May 11.
Schoolswill have to reduce the number of students in a classroom and avoid biggatherings during meal and break times.
Chungsaid the pandemic might last long although the country has not recorded newcases in recent days.
Heasked local authorities at district and ward levels, clinics and hospitalsto offer training to medical workers and COVID-19 quick response teams for takingtesting samples and tracking patients’ travel history.
Thecity’s health care sector needs to improve its capacity to be able to conduct3,000 to 5,000 RT-PCR tests daily, he said.
Thecity can currently test between 2,500 and under 3,000 a day.
Accordingto Director of the Hanoi Department of Health Nguyen Khac Hien, the city hasnot recorded any new cases since April 15. Eighty-five out of 112 patients inthe city have recovered.
However,Hanoi is still prone to risks because flights carrying Vietnamese from overseaswill arrive in the city in the coming days.
Thedepartment urged the public to stay vigilant with preventive measures while thehealth care sector will continue to curb transmission from foreign sources byquarantining people from overseas and prevent the virus from being transmittedin the community.
Chungemphasised that people must strictly follow preventive measures like wearingmasks, washing hands and keeping their distance.
“Thesemeasures are not for the short term but must be followed in the long term,” hesaid.
Chungasked departments and agencies in the capital to maintain the spirit of“fighting the pandemic as if fighting an enemy” and called for the involvementof the entire political system and all people in the fight.
Hanoiwill maintain the principles of prevention, detection, quarantine, sealing offepidemic clusters, treatment, and minimising fatalities, he said, stressingthat it will remain vigilant against the outbreak.
MeLinh and Thuong Tin districts, two among the few localitiesnationwide still classified in the high-risk group due torecent outbreaks, will need to continue following instructions until risk levelsare reviewed and revised, he said./.
VNA
