Hanoi bans outdoor New Year's Eve programs over Covid

People attend a countdown event near Hoan Kiem (Sword) Lake in downtown Hanoi, December 31, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy

Hanoi will allow no outdoor programs on New Year's Eve while the central towns of Hue and Hoi An will suspend a series of countdown events due to the worsening pandemic situation.

Authorities in Hanoi have decided not to organize fireworks shows and outdoor countdown events on New Year's Eve as in previous years in order to prevent the gathering of large crowds amid the surge in daily infections over the past weeks.

The capital city of more than 8 million people has recorded over 42,000 infections during the fourth coronavirus wave that hit the country late April. It has seen a surge in daily infections over the past two weeks, becoming the country's Covid epicenter, prompting local authorities to suspend on-site dining in many downtown districts and tighten pandemic prevention measures.

Full Story: https://e.vnexpress.net/news/travel/hanoi-bans-outdoor-new-year-s-eve-programs-over-covid-4409950.html