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The Hanoitimes – Vital transport projects in Hanoi have been suspended until April 15 with a view to curbing mass gatherings and preventing Covid-19 from spreading.

Construction of Hanoi’s vital transport projects, including the Nhon – Hanoi Station sky train and the viaduct of Ring Road 2, has been temporarily stopped following the government directive on enhancing social distancing, VnExpress reported.

Those works have been suspended until April 15 with a view to curbing mass gatherings and containing the Covid-19 pandemic.

A section of the Nhon – Hanoi Station metro project on Kim Ma Street on April 2. Photo: VNE

Currently, no workers are seen on the construction site of the Nhon – Hanoi Station sky train but only a dozen of machines which are gathered in one place and covered. Before Hanoi entered social distancing, around a thousand workers and experts were present at the site day and night. After 10 years, the project’s underground sections are still being dug.

The Hanoi Metropolitan Railway Management Board said that the resumption of works depends on the Covid-19 evolution.

Similarly, the construction site of Viaduct of Ring Road 2 is empty as workers have 15 days off though the viaduct is expected to be inaugurated at the end of this year.

Works on the Ring Road 3 viaduct project from Mai Dich overpass Thang Long bridge are still underway, however only a dozen of workers are seen on their site.

Pham Anh Tu, head of Project Management Department 1 under Ministry of Transport, explained that this is a key project, and needs to be completed as the earnest time possible. However, workers have to comply with preventive measures such as body temperature check, hand sanitization and use of face masks.

Some 90% of the project has been completed and it is expected to be inaugurated and opened to traffic by the year-end.

As of April 3, Vietnam has recorded 233 Covid-19 patients, of which 75 have been cured and discharged from hospital. Hanoi reported 105 active coronavirus-infected cases, the largest number in the country.

The Hanoitimes – The number of tourists to Hanoi dropped 91.2% from April 30 to May 2 compared to the same period of 2019.

During this year’s holiday season, Hanoi welcomed just 1,123 international tourists, a decrease of 97.7% compared to the same period of last year, data of the municipal Department of Tourism showed.

Most of them have been stranded in the city due to the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the Immigration Management Division of the Hanoi Municipal Police Department. They came from 50 countries and territories in Asia, Europe, the Americas and Oceania.

International tourists in Temple of Literature before the order of closure for tourist destinations. Photo: Lai Tan

From April 30 to May 2, tourist arrivals to Hanoi plunged 91.2% over the same period in 2019 to 21,123. Total revenue from tourism reached VND68 billion (US$2.9 million) during the three days, down 84.4% inter-annually.

From April 30 to May 3, the prices of hospitality services remained unchanged. The average occupancy of three- to five-star hotels reached about 13.4%.

It’s noteworthy that hospitality businesses around Hanoi, especially those in Son Tay and Ba Vi, saw demand for their services increase on the national holidays of April 30 and May 1, according to the Hanoi Tourism Department.

As the social distancing order was loosened, many local residents wished to spend their leisure time at facilities near Hanoi. Some resorts in the city’s outskirt reached occupancy rate of 65%, in the case of Asean Resort, or 60% of Tan Da and 30% of Khoang Xanh, the vacation spots nearby.

Despite reopening before the holiday season of April 30 and May 1, shopping malls and catering facilities witnessed experienced a 90% drop in visitors from the same period of 2019.

The number of tourists coming to the places of interest including the Hanoi Old Quarter Cultural Exchange Center, Hanoi Ancient House at 87 Ma May street, Hanoi Book Street, Bao Son Paradise Park, Ba Vi National Park also fell sharply compared to a year earlier.

Other relic and tourist destinations in Hanoi remain closed due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, such as Huong Pagoda, Temple of Literature, Hoa Lo Prison, Thu Le Park, Ngoc Son Temple, and museums.

The Hanoitimes – Hanoi city’s leaders expressed deep gratitude for the great merits of President Ho Chi Minh and his glorious revolutionary life and career.

A delegation of Hanoi leaders led by Ngo Thi Thanh Hang, member of the Party Central Committee and Permanent Deputy Secretary of the municipal Party’s Committee, on September 1 offered incense and laid wreath to pay tribute to late President Ho Chi Minh on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of National Day (September 2), Kinh Te & Do Thi reported.

The delegation of Hanoi municipal Party Committee and People’s Council. Photo: Kinhtedothi.vn

The visit also saw the presence of Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee Dao Duc Toan, Member of the Standing Board of the Party Committee Nguyen Van Suu, Member of the Standing Board of the municipal Party Committee Nguyen Ngoc Tuan.

The city’s leaders expressed deep gratitude for the great merits of President Ho Chi Minh and his glorious revolutionary life and career. Their wreath was placed with the words “Everlasting gratitude to our great President Ho Chi Minh”.

On September 2, 1945, Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence, giving birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in Hanoi’s Ba Dinh square.

The municipal delegation laid a wreath and offered incense at a monument dedicated to all heroic fallen soldiers in Bac Son street. They expressed their gratitude to the people who sacrificed their lives in the fight for national independence and reunification as well as the people’s happiness.

The delegation’s wreath was placed with the words “Everlasting gratitude to heroic fallen soldiers”.

The Hanoitimes – Many benefactors are giving free meals, face masks and essential items to alleviate the hardships of the destitute in Hanoi city every day during Covid-19 pandemic time.

Times of crisis can often bring out the best in people. The Covid-19 evolution remains unpredictable in Hanoi, thus deeds of many kindhearted Hanoians’ have been of great encouragement for the poor’ hearts in the capital city to overcome the pandemic time.

The shining examples not only show kindness of Vietnamese people amid the pandemic, but also surprise a lot of foreigners in Vietnam and in the world.

Donation of food and essential items

Many benefactors are giving free meals, face masks and essential items to alleviate the hardships of the destitute people in Hanoi city every day during Covid-19 pandemic time.

The Hanoi city government has urged shops that sell non-essential goods and provide services to temporarily shut down to prevent Covid-19 from spreading. Although people agreed with the authority move, it has also made life of the poor more difficult, leaving some with no means to earn a living from.

Therefore, kindhearted Hanoians have provided food for free to the destitute who have been left with no livelihoods due to the nationwide business shutdown to prevent the pandemic, working under the motto “Take one if you are in hardship. But if you are well, leave it for others” (XQ group).

XQ group prepares donations for the poor at a point near the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion. Photo: Ngan Nguyen

Another charity program has been underway in the capital city is “Sharing food every day, together overcoming Covid-19″ – “You need it, you take it” to provide free meals to the destitute people.

“The enthusiastic support of the community surprises me. Many join my campaign quietly. The pandemic reveals many people in dire situation and need special attention from the community,” said Nguyen Phan Huy Khoi, a businessman who initiated the program.

‘Zero dong’ Happy supermarket in Hanoi aids vulnerable people

Besides food charities to help the underpriviledged overcome Covid-19 pandemic, a ‘zero dong’ Happy supermarket chain has opened its store in Hanoi’s Cau Giay district since April 13 to provide essential goods for the underprivileged people who are struggling with difficulties.

The supermarkets aim to supply people with essential goods such as rice, cooking oil, eggs, salt, sugar, among others. People can “buy” items worth a maximum street value of VND100,000 (US$4.3) each visit at no cost.

‘Zero dong’ Happy supermarket in Hanoi aids vulnerable people. Photo: Duy Khanh

The “Zero dong” Happy stores have been opened in Hanoi and seven other provinces, and will stay on until the end of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“On the first day, 400 local residents came to the supermarket in Hanoi and throughout the chain, a thousand people visited our supermarkets,” said Nguyen Quang Huy, a representative of the program.

Rice ATMs operated in Hanoi to help needy people against Covid-19

Starting from April 11, the two rice dispensers operated in Hanoi are really of great support for underprivileged people.

Automatic rice dispensing machines, more commonly known as rice ATM dispensers in Hanoi, have been set up to help those who are stricken by the Covid-19 pandemic and become international media spotlight.

The rice dispenser starts giving out rice for free from 8:00 to 17:00 every day until April 30. Photo: Duy Khanh

CNN reported that “a machine that gives out free rice – it sounds too good to be true”. Other international media agencies also paid attention to Vietnam’s rice ATM dispensers.

The article titled “Rice ATMs’ provide free rice for people out of work in Vietnam” on CNN have been reposted by many other international newspapers and numerous comments on social networks praised this idea of rice ATMs. The article has been shared thousands of times in the past days.

Little kids act big

In the early days of the pandemic, when hand sanitizers and face masks at pharmacies became somewhat scarce, a fourth grader in Hanoi, Nguyen Ngoc Trinh, donated VND3,180,000 (US$140) of her lucky money to the Hanoi Youth Union so that more face masks and hand sanitizers can be purchased to help poor people in the community.

Nguyen Ngoc Trinh donates US$140 of her lucky money to help poor people. Photo: Mai Anh

Trinh shared her idea that she would work with her classmates in a project on raising awareness of Covid-19 prevention. In addition to spreading information about the outbreak and common preventive measures, they also donated face masks and hand sanitizers to needy children across Hanoi.

Trinh’s kind support was replicated in many other provinces, one such is Nghe An, where the Northwestern Nghe An General Hospital received over VND14 million (US$600) from a pair of sisters, eight-year-old Tran Bao Ngan and five-year-old Tran Bao Tran.

Deep gratitude and appreciation from the poor

Many patients and their relatives at the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion (NIHBT) cried when they received donation from XQ group when the Covid-19 pandemic is raging.

Vu Thi Nhan burst into tears when receiving donation from the charity group. Photo: Ngan Nguyen

Vu Thi Nhan, 50, from Hai Duong province burst into tears and told Hanoitimes that her 25-year-old son is a patient of blood cancer. “These days are so difficult for my family as we fight against the epidemic and look after our son,” Nhan said.

“I am truly grateful to kindhearted people who give food to the poor like us,” Nhan said, weeping that she currently has no income due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Nguyen Xuan Bach, 70, from Hai Phong city, also lined up to receive food donations from the charity group. “The donation we received today are not only food and necessities, but also a powerful source of encouragement for us,” said Bach.

Nguyen Hoai Anh, a member of XQ group, said that the group aims to share with people in difficult circumstances and encourage each other to try to overcome the hard time.

“In the pre-pandemic time, we did many charity programs at the NIHBT. During the pandemic, we have given donations to the poor from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm daily at ten points across Hanoi city. Not only once, we come here every day to help them,” Hoai Anh told Hanoitimes .

The Hanoitimes – The Hanoi Center for Disease Prevention and Control will set up quick Covid-19 testing booths in all 30 districts in the city.

The Hanoi city government has decided to set up five more rapid Covid-19 testing booths for mass testing in urban districts, VnExpress quoted Deputy Director of the Hanoi Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) Khong Minh Tuan as saying.

Tuan said that the total nine booths are located in eight urban districts of Hoan Kiem, Long Bien, Cau Giay, Hoang Mai, Ha Dong, Dong Da, Hai Ba Trung, Ba Dinh and suburban Thanh Oai.

Citizens are sampled at a quick Covid-19 testing station in Hanoi’s Dong Da district. Photo: Giang Huy

The Hanoi CDC will set up rapid Covid-19 testing booths in all 30 districts in the city. However, the process depends on the number of test kits to be delivered.

Besides, in face of the shortage of health workers with expertise in sampling and testing, the Hanoi CDC is organizing training courses for 800 employees.

People who will be sampled for quick testing are Covid-19 patients, caregivers, interns and those who visited Bach Mai Hospital’s canteen between March 10 and 28. About 16,000 people are subject to this category, according to statistics of the Hanoi Department of Health.

Hanoi began rapid Covid-19 testing on March 31. Quick test kits made in South Korea will be used at the booths and they will show results after 10 minutes analyzing blood samples. As of April 2 night, 1,782 people have used this testing service, six of them were positive for coronavirus but the tests came out negative when diagnosed again by Realtime RT-PCR in labs.

At the time of writing, Vietnam has recorded 233 Covid-19 patients, of them 85 have been cured and discharged from hospital. Hanoi reported 105 active coronavirus-infected cases, the largest number in the country.

The Hanoitimes – Pharmacies are requested to ask clients buying medicines for cold and common cold symptoms such as cough and fever to make health declaration.

The Hanoi city government has asked 7,000 pharmacies citywide to report people buying medicines for cold, cough and fever in recent days as the municipal government has been making efforts to curb Covid-19 spread, local media quoted mayor Nguyen Duc Chung as saying at a meeting on April 13.

Accordingly, pharmacies are requested to ask clients buying medicines for cold and common cold symptoms such as cough and fever to make health declaration.

A drug store on Vu Trong Phung street in Thanh Xuan district, Hanoi. Photo: Thanh Hue

“If any of these pharmacies fails to report, they will be dealt with in accordance with the law, even see their licenses revoked. This is their duty to prevent and control the pandemic,” Chung said.

Besides, the Hanoi’s leader requested all private clinics and medical centers to take samples for Covid-19 testing from any visitor seeking treatment for ailments like fever, cough and shortness of breath.

He added that small pandemic outbreaks in Hanoi have basically been put under control. The lockdown on Bach Mai Hospital, Vietnam’s largest Covid-19 outbreak, was lifted on April 12.

However, there are complications at Ha Loi village in Me Linh district, which has emerged as Hanoi’s second largest outbreak with at least 12 infections linked to it so far.

“The city must focus on putting down the Ha Loi outbreak and identifying all those who come into contact with the Covid-19 patient No.243, the first infection detected there,” Chung said.

The Health Ministry has announced a list of places that the 243th patient had visited between March 8 and April 4, and called for everyone who had been to those places to report in person for health monitoring as soon as possible.

Health workers have been asked to immediately impose a 14-day home quarantine on anyone related to Ha Loi village and Bach Mai hospital.

According to Vice President of the Vietnam Association of Infectious Diseases Nguyen Hong Ha, in addition to controlling the two above-mentioned outbreaks, the local authorities need to keep supervising other cases. The reason is that some people with coronavirus infection can travel around and infect others, Ha said.

Nguyen Quoc Thai, a doctor in the Center for Tropical Diseases under Bach Mai Hospital, said that people buying drug for self-medication if infected with coronavirus would transmit to people around them.

Dr. Pham Duc Hung from Children’s Hospital of Cincinnati, Ohio, the US stressed that medical declaration for any manifestation of cough and fever before purchasing at pharmacy is necessary. People infected with Covid-19 buying at drug store could make it a transmission center of the epidemic.