Pedestrian streets around Hoan Kiem Lake before they were closed due to COVID-19. — VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Dat

The streets around the lake are usually cordoned off from traffic from Friday night till late Sunday, allowing people to walk freely and cultural events, community activities to take place right on the road, which has been one of the capital city's biggest attractions since its debut in 2016.

Hoan Kiem District's authorities announced the closures of the streets in April last year as the fourth wave of infections in the country began to show complicated developments.

The district has recently said it is proposing the city's authorities allow the reopening of the streets from March, on the back of the city's very high COVID-19 vaccination rate and its under-control outbreak level despite rising cases.

In the proposal, people going to the pedestrian area will need to be fully vaccinated and comply with basic COVID-19 prevention and control measures like mask wearing, hand sanitation, and avoiding large gatherings, and submitting self-declaration health status via QR codes.

A final plan is being developed for the reopening by city authorities.

Source: Vietnam News

New pedestrian and flower streets open in Hanoi

In preparation for the upcoming Tet (Lunar New Year) festival, a flower and a pedestrian street has been set up in the west of the capital city. So far, hundreds of people, including many foreigners, have visited the area.