In the five years that he has lived and worked in Vietnam, Daniel Woollacott has developed a tradition of "escaping" Tet , when shops and services are normally shut down and major cities become deserted for a few days. But this year, he has decided to stay behind in Hanoi, dropping plans to go to Phu Quoc Island in the south. His decision is influenced by the latest Covid-19 outbreak in Vietnam. "No one can be in the mood for vacationing now, so I will try to enjoy my first Tet in Hanoi," Woollacott said, adding that it would be exciting to see the capital become quiet on the first day of the Lunar New Year. The 31-year-old Brit is among a host of expats getting to celebrate the traditional Vietnamese holiday differently this year. Many have canceled or postponed their travel plans, not wanting to risk contracting the novel coronavirus. Foreigners celebrate Lunar New Year in HCMC. Photo by VnExpress/Tam Linh. "I had planned to go to Hue, but seeing the surging number of Covid-19 cases, especially in airports, I decided to stay in Hanoi," said Ashley Jones, English teacher at an international school in Hanoi’s Long Bien District. "It is a pandemic, not a holiday," she said, adding she does not want to be infected by the virus and stay in hospitals for weeks instead of going to school and seeing her students. In a 140,000-member Facebook group of expats living in Hanoi, many netizens who have had an earlier than scheduled start to their Tet outbreak are calling on others to be responsible with their planned trips. Several have chosen to stay behind, meet friends in town or just stay at home and minimize infection risks. Expats in Hanoi and Saigon know that the two cities become "ghost towns" for the festival as stores and services are shut, so they have stocked up on food. Just three days before Tet , Monday evening, HCMC recorded 25 new Covid-19 cases, prompting authorities to close bars, karaoke parlors, cinemas and …
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