Expats keep their guard up against Covid

Foreigners living in Vietnam, though glad that authorities and most people act carefully, remain very watchful against Covid-19 and admittedly a bit worried.

As the Christmas and New Year holidays approach, Vietnam has been seeing a rapid increase in the number of cases.

Laura Dawes Vu, a Canadian living in Hanoi, says she is worried because she has never seen Hanoi having such many cases since Covid first broke out in early 2020.

"When people are going out and carrying out their daily activities, I am not sure who around me could have Covid, which is a concern."

However, one good sign is that both people and authorities are aware of the risk and act carefully, she says.

People do not gather in large numbers unlike in the past and try to keep a safe distance from one another, she notices.

In public, authorities require people to follow the 5K safety rules and scan QR codes, which is a great way to keep track of people's movements, she says.

But she and her family are not letting their guard down. She strictly follows safety rules when she goes out. Her husband and two children wear masks, avoid large crowds and do not talk in elevators. They have rescheduled birthday parties and other events for a safer time.

Alex Pike, an American in Hanoi, thinks people are reckless. Around the West Lake, where he lives, he sees roads extremely busy with people cycling and walking all day long, and restaurants seem full, all cause for concern, he says.

But he too hails what city authorities are doing as a great job in keeping people safe, and assumes they will shut things down if the number of infections continues to be large.

In recent days Hanoi has been recording more than 1,000 cases a day. On Tuesday the number topped 1,700, the highest in the country.

Some downtown districts like Hai Ba Trung and Dong Da, five wards in Hoan Kiem District and two wards in Tay Ho District have suspended non-essential activities and will allow only food and drink takeout until further notice.

Citing heightened coronavirus risk in these areas, they also urge local residents to limit non-essential activities and encourage the use of the Internet for their requirements.

Nguồn: Vnexpress