Covid - 19: Oxford AstraZeneca vaccines shows effectiveness in slowing down the virus
	Hanoi scales down Tet’s firework display to stamp out COVID-19
	Hanoi proposes to halt Hoan Kiem Lake pedestrian street since February 5

The Walking Street has been left deserted in recent days (Photo: VNE)

Vice-Chairman of the Hoan Kiem District People's Committee Dinh Hong Phong initiated the proposal at the meeting of Hanoi’s of the Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention on February 3. Phong emphasized the temporary closure would help curb the imminent thread of the pandemic, adding that the number of pedestrians at the Walking Streets in recent weekends stayed low.

“In the past week, the pedestrian street was still opened under the close management of the related force. However, the number of people coming here is small, only a few dozen. If the street continues to be operating, people from different places would flock here, which is difficult for pandemic control works", Phong was quoted as saying.

The vice Chairman also proposed if firework displays were to be performed at Hoan Kiem Lake, there would be no people allowed to enter the area, except for the organizers.

The COVID-19 patient recorded on January 28 broke the streak of 163 days without any community infections in the city. As of February 4, its tally since the recurrence of the virus hits 28.

The municipal Party Committee has earlier decided to narrow down firework display scale to solely one site from 30 as previously scheduled. Hanoi is seeking a suitable venue for a high-altitude firework performance on Lunar New Year’s Eve. There would be no large gatherings but the organizers around the venue as usual, with anti-pandemic measures strictly applied. The firework show will be live-broadcast on national television channels.

The municipal authorities have also called on people to avoid large gatherings and cancel year-end parties amid rising fears of the latest outbreak.

All schools within the city are closed starting February 1. Entertainment services such as karaoke, bar, pubs, game, and Internet cafes were also put under temporary shutdown over coronavirus fears.

Hanoi is less than two hours from Hai Duong, currently the biggest hotspot with 277 cases, and a major transport link to northern localities, VNE said.

This marks the third time the Walking Street closed due to COVID-19 (Photo: Vietnam Plus)

On February 4, 19 locally-transmitted and one imported COVID-19 cases were detected from 6 am to 6 pm on February 3, according to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control. Of the 19 community infection cases, 14 are in the northern province of Hai Duong, four in northern Quang Ninh province, and one in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai. Most of the cases were linked to the latest outbreaks in Hai Duong and Gia Lai.

Northern Hai Duong Province registered 37 more Covid-19 cases Thursday morning, raising Vietnam's domestic tally to 366 since community transmission resurfaced a week ago. All of the patients are workers at an industrial park in Chi Linh Town where the first case of Hai Duong and also one of the first cases of the ongoing community outbreak was detected.

With the new confirmed cases, Vietnam has registered 366 domestic Covid-19 cases in 10 cities and provinces ever since infections returned to the community on January 28. Hai Duong now has 277 cases, Quang Ninh 42, Hanoi 21, Gia Lai 14, Binh Duong four, Bac Ninh three, Hoa Binh two, HCMC, Hai Phong, and Bac Giang one each. The nation has so far recorded 1,948 Covid-19 patients and 449 are active.

Hanoi residents required to stay home and restrict Tet travel over Covid-19 concerns Hanoi residents have been ordered to stay home and restrict travel during the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday as a way to prevent Covid-19.

China: Police detain 80 for selling fake Covid vaccines, worries over vaccines's reliability Forgery Covid vaccines raises concerns about the efficacy and reliability of Chinese shots and local supplies, sparkling skeptisim among Chinese citizens.

NZ Embassy, CARE support female workers tackling COVID-19 impacts New Zealand Embassy and CARE provided financial support to female workers in the informal economy to bounce back better from COVID-19.