Breaking news: reopening plan in HCMC and Vietnam

26 July, 2022

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After a tough year fighting against Covid-19, the officials in Vietnam have finally decided to make a couple of adjustments for the upcoming reopening of the country. Sadly speaking, things will never be the same. This new reality does not only happen in Vietnam but also in other countries in the world.

The government of Vietnam has stated that we all have to accept “The new norm” and prepare for whatever comes next. As any period that humanity has gone through, we adapt, survive, and progress.

The statistics on the 20th of September

So far, the country is going toward the right direction. The number continues to show good signs of the effort the country has made to reduce the number of cases. Solely in Ho Chi Minh City, cases have been reduced by half compared to August. The latest update from The Health Ministry has confirmed the total of 5.496 new cases as of today in Saigon, which is 50% less than the 10/000+ cases/day in August.

This video presents you :

“green pass” initiative for locals and foreigners in Vietnam
reopening of Saigon
travel updates within Vietnam
reopening of the country
situation in other South-east Asian countries

Vietnam has had 682.617 Covid cases until now. 457.505 patients have been cured.

Services and businesses

Since the government has decided they must do something to save the country’s economy, many small businesses such as restaurants are now allowed to operate. So far, different adjustments apply to certain cities. Therefore, not everywhere is going to be the same. For example, everything in Da Lat is pretty much back to being active again. Entertainment services and restaurants are now welcoming people to come but with a restricted number.

In Ho Chi Minh city, things are still under many restrictions. Directive 16 still applies until the end of September. However, some restaurants and coffee shops are allowed to open for takeaway only. 82.000 shippers in the city have signed up for covid check so that they can start delivering and helping the community again. Shippers can now deliver to different districts as long as they are tested negative to Covid. Also, people in D7, Cu Chi, and Can Gio are allowed to go shopping once a week as these are the three areas in Saigon that have had the situation under control.

The situation in Hanoi is a lot more optimistic compared to Ho Chi Minh. The capital of Vietnam expects to loosen the lockdown after the 21st of September. The city only has three new cases on the 20th of September.

Some “green areas” of Can Tho – the largest city in Mekong delta, are having businesses open. People can freely move around, as long as they don’t travel to other “red areas” within where they live. Nghe An has shown some optimistic signs when having zero cases for the last ten days. Dong Nai expects to reopen after the 20th of September since the Covid case is decreasing quickly over time.

The green pass

Those who have got the vaccines are given a pass to travel around the country for different purposes. The pass is valid on a mobile application which is a lot easier to carry around instead of bringing along a piece of paper.

The green card also applies to those who have fully recovered from Covid including the people who are medically treated at the hospital and the people who isolate themself at home.

For the people who don’t use smartphones, the government will provide them with a code via mobile message or make them a physical card with the QR code.

There are still a lot of concerns about implementing the green pass campaign. However, this is one of the only options that Vietnam can immediately apply to quickly approach “The new norm” reality and get the economy back on its feet.