Hanoi has allowed take-away and repair services to resume since September 16 and the facilities must require customers to scan the QR code available at the entrance to declare their health status.

Accordingly, restaurants and stores for stationery, textbooks, school supplies, as well as those repairing vehicles, electronics, refrigeration, and home appliances have reopened throughout Hanoi’s 19 districts where no new community infections have been detected in the last 10 days.

This is part of the urgent document regulating Covid-19 prevention and control in the capital city signed by Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Chu Ngoc Anh.

Tam Thu Rice Shop at 118 Doi Can Street in Hanoi has a QR Code that requires visitors to san and makes the medical declaration. Photo: Khanh Huy

To be generated a QR code, business owners have to register at the website qr.tokhaiyte.vn, select “Register for a location”, fill out all the information, and fulfill other instructions.

Hanoi’s 19 districts that reported no new community infections over the last 10 days are Tay Ho, Ba Dinh, Hoan Kiem, South Tu Liem, North Tu Liem, Long Bien, and 16 others in the rural areas of the capital city.

Business and service establishments are to operate under the close management, supervision, and inspection of local authorities and are required to close before 9pm every day.

Besides, they have to strictly abide by all pandemic prevention measures including 5K for staff, require consumers to limit direct contacts.

The city’s leaders asked the people and civil servants not to let their guard down, be complacent or be hasty in lifting restrictions when preparations and safety precautions are not ready.

At present, only three districts (Hoang Mai, Thanh Xuan, and Dong Da) carry high risk of coronavirus infection.

More measures to resume production and business will be announced after September 21, based on the outcomes of the current measures.

A bread shop opened for delivery/takeaway orders in Hang Bong Street in Hanoi. Photo: Thanh Hai

Sharing about Hanoi’s fight against the pandemic, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Center for Disease Control (CDC) Khong Minh Tuan said that the capital city has basically put the Covid-19 situation under control and that infection cases are decreasing each day.

"The city can maintain or impose social distancing measures of varying intensity. High-risk districts and areas will need to maintain social distancing rules before the restrictions can be gradually lifted," Tuan told The Hanoi Times.

To prepare for the reopening, Hanoi has launched a massive testing and vaccination campaign for all residents aged 18 and over. The city has quickly tested 3.2 million people last week and detected 19 new infections.

The city’s competent authorities are asked to devise plans for the resumption of businesses and production activities and accompanying Covid-19 measures after September 21, Tuan noted.

Since September 6, Hanoi has been enforcing strict lockdown under Directive 16 on urgent measures to prevent and control Covid-19 in ten districts and partly in five others. Directive 16, considered the most stringent, requires people to stay at home and not go out unless for buying essentials and other emergencies.