Hanoi allows restaurants, cafes to open until midnight

The relaxation of opening hours is one of Hanoi’s measures on safe adaptation and resuming tourism activities issued Tuesday afternoon.

Last November, the capital city had ordered food and beverage establishments to close up before 9 p.m. as part of measures to curb the spread of Covid-19.

The latest move comes as Vietnam lifts most travel restrictions starting Tuesday, allowing foreign tourists to visit without booking tour packages.

However, Hanoi continues to maintain its suspension of bars, massage and karaoke parlors. The capital city also requires people to follow Covid-19 prevention protocols including wearing masks, frequently disinfecting their hands, keeping a safe distance from each other, avoiding crowds and completing health declarations.

The administration also requires limited participation in events like weddings and funerals.

Hanoi has led the nation in daily tally of new Covid cases since last December.

In the past 14 days, the average daily confirmed cases in the city surged 477 percent against the previous two weeks to around 58,000.

But the city has a high vaccination rate and most infected cases have had mild symptoms not requiring hospitalization.