VIETNAM'S capital Hanoi has suspended all Tet (Lunar New Year) activities in the city as Covid-19 cases continue to rise in numbers and its severity.
Authorities have now cancelled the popular Huong (Perfume) Pagoda Festival and also the traditional fireworks display amid concern that any gatherings may worsen the already complex Covid-19 situation.
The Vn Express reports that local authorities in My Duc district, where the pagoda is located, have already completed all the preparations for the Huong Pagoda Festival but had to cancel it for the second consecutive year.
The decision comes a week after the local People's Committee ordered the suspension of all unnecessary large gatherings and any celebratory activity with large crowds during Tet.
Authorities also said that the pagoda will be closed to visitors until further notice.
The Huong Pagoda festival starts on the sixth day of the first lunar month and will last until the end of the third lunar month, with about 80,000 people visiting the place on the first day.
During this period, there will be various activities such as dragon dance, boat racing and folk singing.
Hanoi authorities have also cancelled the annual Lunar New Year's Eve fireworks display at the Thong Nhat Park over similar concerns.
Hanoi People's Committee chairman Chu Ngoc Anh said the government had not given the approval for it and they were forced to cancel the 15 minute fireworks display in Thong Nhat Park.
Authorities had also previously cancelled the fireworks display on New Year's Eve over similar Covid-19 concerns.
The cancellations came as Hanoi has been recording the highest number of Covid-19 cases in the country with about 3,000 new cases daily over the past two weeks.
The Ministry of Health has also urged other cities and provinces not to have Tet fireworks display due to the same reasons and fears that any new outbreaks may overload the country's healthcare system.
According to a Vn Express report, the capital has recorded over 117,535 Covid-19 cases in the fourth coronavirus wave so far, which started in April last year.
Over the past week, the number of severe cases in Hanoi stood at 670 cases, up by 3.5 per cent compared to the week before.
On Tuesday, Hanoi also recorded its highest ever daily death toll at 18 Covid-19 fatalities.
The capital city now has about 68,500 patients under treatment, including 59,000 cases being treated at home.
Hanoi also confirmed its first community transmission of Omicron on Wednesday.
It involves a hotel employee who had close contact with foreign visitors who were infected with the variant.
However, health authorities have downplayed the risk, saying there was little risk of an outbreak as the employee had been quarantined at the hotel.