Small restaurants and street vendors banned in HCM City

HCM City authorities have temporarily banned small restaurants and street vendors from offering on-site services in an attempt to prevent Covid-19 outbreak.

On May 21, during an online meeting with the city Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention, Nguyen Thanh Phong, chairman of HCM City People's Committee, ordered a ban on festivals with a gathering of over 20 people. A meeting room must not have more than 30 people and crowds of over 20 people are also banned in public places.

Phong officially issued the order to ban small restaurants with less than 10 employees and street vendors from offering on-site services. Other restaurants must not have more than 20 customers at the same time.

Nguyen Tri Dung, head of the city CDC, said, "The transmission risks at street vendors and small restaurants are high so it's necessary to take action during this urgent time. At large restaurants, employees must wear face masks constantly and dividers must be installed between tables. The restaurant will be suspended if any violation is detected."

He went on to say that public transportation also has high risk of virus transmission and asked all buses and taxis to open windows while travelling.

"The risks are not high if drivers and passengers wear face masks. However, there are still risks if they let their guards down when paying with cash. We have to be careful and promote online payment," he said.