The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has requested relevant provincial and municipal authorities under its jurisdiction to cancel firework displays for the Lunar New Year to avoid a spike in COVID-19 cases.
In an official dispatch shared with Dan Tri, the ministry said that, during the "new normal" ushered in by the pandemic, extra steps were needed to protect public health. In addition to ceasing the crowd-gathering firework shows typically held during the holiday, officials say various other sporting, cultural and public events need to increase their security in light of the virus.
A number of municipalities have discussed plans to celebrate the Year of the Tiger. Notably, Hanoi plans to launch fireworks from a single location, and Hải Phòng will have three sites. Cần Thơ, Đồng Tháp, Bạc Liêu and Đắk Lắk have already announced they will welcome the lunar new year without the colorful displays.
Saigon has not officially announced its plan for lunar new year fireworks, though it didn't employ festive pyrotechnics during last year's Tết and the most recent solar new year to minimize pandemic risks.
While Vietnam has eased restrictions on home firework displays in recent years, this will be the third year that major displays have been curtailed in order to discourage large gatherings for the sake of public health.
[Photo: A firework show in Đà Nẵng/Khoi Tran via Unsplash]
