Vietnam has demonstrated its resilience to the global pandemic, welcoming huge crowds of tourists to vacation hotspots over the recent holiday weekend.
On April 30, for example, visitors flocked to the popular beach town Bai Sau in Vung Tau Town near Ho Chi Minh City.
Over 70,000 people were at the Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province beaches, and provincial authorities dispatched over 500 officials to encourage mask use.
Of course, such travel carries risks. A Vietnamese citizen returning from Japan tested positive two days after completing his two-week mandatory quarantine, which led to 16 new domestic cases following a month of zero reported Covid-19 community transmissions.
Nevertheless, Da Lat’s “Am Phu” night market in the Central Highlands was packed by nearly 125,000 people on May 1, who participated in the brisk trade in food, drinks, clothes, souvenirs, and other items between 6PM and 7AM.
Tran Phu Beach in Nha Trang was likewise crowded on April 30 with happy vacationers enjoying the beautiful beaches and scuba diving in the famous local bay.
Likewise, huge crowds flocked to Sam Son Beach in Thanh Hoa province.
Vietnam has discouraged crowd formation to limit Covid-19 community spread, and some fireworks shows and festivals have been postponed. Swimming, however, remains unrestricted, and beaches have therefore been packed.
The My Khe beach “paradise” in Da Nang, for example, saw many groups of tourists, as did the nearby ancient town of Hoi An in Quang Nam Province.
Popular camping destination Yen So Park near Hanoi was likewise packed on May 1. And locals and foreigners alike piled onto boats from Hai Phong City to Cat Ba Island on April 30.