HCMC – The HCMC Department of Culture and Sports has proposed reopening karaoke lounges, discos and dance clubs in the city as the pandemic has been brought under control.
Vo Trong Nam, deputy director of the department, said the department had submitted the proposal to the municipal government, the local media reported.
On December 24, the department also submitted the proposal to the municipal anti-Covid steering committee following a petition from karaoke service providers.
Specifically, the department on October 6 received a proposal from Icool Food Services Co. Ltd to reopen its karaoke lounges. On December 22, a similar proposal was made by karaoke service provider Nnice.
According to the HCMC Department of Culture and Sports, the Covid-19 vaccination rate in the city has been high, and most production and business activities and services have been resumed.
In addition, Covid-19 safety requirements for karaoke lounges, discos and dance clubs have been issued. The reopening of these services will boost the tourism sector.
The city has some 500 karaoke lounges, discos and dance clubs, which had suspended operations for nearly eight months due to the pandemic.
If the proposal to resume these services is approved, the providers of these services must ensure a minimum area of four square meters for each customer.
On November 16, the HCMC government issued a decision on temporary solutions to live safely with Covid-19, allowing karaoke lounges, massage parlors, spas, bars and cinemas in low-risk areas to reopen. However, employees must have received two vaccine doses or recovered from Covid-19. Guests must also meet the same requirements or test negative for Covid-19 within 72 hours before using these services.
These services were asked to operate at 50% and 25% capacity in moderate- and high-risk areas, respectively, but were still banned in extremely high-risk areas.
However, two days later, the city asked karaoke lounges, massage parlors, spas, bars and discos to shut down due to fears over Covid-19.
