HCM City to close more non-essential service businesses

The decision is being applied to indoor sports facilities (gyms, fitness centres, yoga centres, billiard halls), wedding venues, buffet restaurants, dining establishments providing karaoke and singalong services, and karaoke parlours.

Events and activities gathering more than 30 people in public places are also to be banned.

Other events and activities can still be held but organisers must ensure that participants maintain a distance of at least one metre between each other, and the number of participants should not exceed 50 percent of the venue’s capacity. They must also undergo temperature checks, wear face masks, and use hand sanitiser to prevent the spread of the virus.

The city had previously suspended the operation of bars and discos, massage and sauna services, cinemas, theatres, and online gaming centres.

HCM City last week discovered one case of COVID-19, linked to the recent outbreak in the northern province of Ha Nam. It has confirmed 264 cases to date, 240 of which have recovered while 24 remain under treatment.