Traffic congestion returns to Hanoi as social distancing period expires

More vehicles hit the roads in Hanoi when the stay-at-home order to prevent Covid-19 ended from 0:00 on April 23.

Starting from the morning of April 23, local residents returned to work after 22 days of staying at home. Hanoi would gradually relax social-economic activities from today.

Nguyen Trai street, Thanh Xuan district, was filled with vehicles. Bus routes of the Hanoi Transport Corporation (Transerco) have been reopened with less than 50% of capacity and a maximum of 20 passengers.

Traffic jam in Nga Tu So Overpass.

Despite the expiration of social distancing, Hanoi still bans a number of non-essential services such as bars, karaoke and games parlous to avoid mass gatherings.

The Chua Boc overpass area, Dong Da district, became a traffic bottleneck this morning with a surge in number of vehicles from 7:30 to 8:00.

During the recent anti-pandemic period, Hanoi was praised by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc as one of the exemplary localities in prevention and control of Covid-19.

However, Hanoi’s mayor Nguyen Duc Chung emphasized that the pandemic is not over yet and people should be vigilant.

As social distancing measures are phased out, people still have to wear face masks in public places and limit outdoor activities. Those who have signs of cough and fever should contact medical staff to be sampled.

In particular, cultural and sport activities are still banned.

 Photos: Ngoc Tu (Kinh te & Do thi)