The Hanoi government has decided to shut down non-essential services like spas, massage parlors, cinemas and theatres, gyms, and stadiums from May 5 as it attempts to curb Covid-19 community transmissions.

National Cinema Center in Hanoi is shut to cope with the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak. Photo: NCC

Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Chu Xuan Dung made the statement at a meeting on May 4 afternoon.

Dung stressed that events like birthday parties, death anniversaries, weddings, grand openings of establishments and unnecessary large gatherings of people will be also limited.

The latest order came as the capital city recorded five domestically transmitted cases since April 29 in five districts of Dong Anh, Hai Ba Trung, Hoang Mai, Bac Tu Liem and Me Linh with some locations under lockdown, Dung noted.

Several days ago, the city suspended street food vendors, cafes, bars, dance clubs, karaoke parlors, pedestrian streets and halted all festivals.

Hanoi’s students from kindergarten to high school levels have also been told to stay home and continue their online lessons. Some universities in the city have also switched to distance learning.

As of May 5, Vietnam has recorded 37 Covid-19 community cases in the ongoing outbreak that started April 29 after the country had gone clean for more than a month. Of these, 35 are linked to hotspots in the northern provinces of Vinh Phuc and Ha Nam, with sources of transmission being people who found with Covid-19 after they had completed the mandatory 14-day quarantine and tested negative two or three times.