Hà Nội sets 3 plans for SEA Games ceremonies depending on pandemic

The Hà Nội City’s People's Committee has built three plans for organising the opening and closing ceremonies of the SEA Games, depending on the spread of COVID-19.

The opening ceremony will take place at 8pm on May 12 at Mỹ Đình National Stadium and the closing ceremony at 8pm on May 23 at the Hà Nội Athletics Palace, with both live on Việt Nam Television.

Three plans are proposed depending on the level of pandemic prevention.

Plan 1, if Hà Nội is at level 1, will hold the opening and closing ceremonies in a normal state but ensure regular pandemic prevention and control measures,

Plan 2, if Hà Nội is at level 2 or 3, will hold the opening and closing ceremonies with 50 per cent of the audience.

Plan 3, if Hà Nội is at level 4, will organise the opening and closing ceremonies in a closed bubble. Scenarios and plans for pandemic situations will be prepared by the Ministry of Health, Hà Nội Department of Health and the Sub-Committee on Health and Doping Control.

Officials, delegates, attendants, spectators attending the opening and closing ceremonies must ensure that they have had all three doses of COVID-19 vaccines and have negative COVID-19 test results within 24 hours and must comply with 5K preventive measures.

In addition, the organisers have a specific plan to welcome the audience, remove seats in the stands of the stadium and the athletics palace to ensure social distancing; check temperatures; and arrange hand sanitiser at entrance areas.

The organisers will also announce times for people to arrive, with QR codes and coronavirus prevention details on tickets.

The Hà Nội Department of Culture and Sports will organise the opening and closing ceremonies of the Games. The department will use billboards, slogans and banners on main streets and around the areas where the opening and closing ceremonies take place.

The capital’s police will coordinate with the Ministry of Public Security to develop a detailed plan to ensure security and traffic for the Games.

The 31st SEA Games is scheduled to take place on May 12 - 23 in Hà Nội and 11 other provinces and cities, comprising Bắc Ninh, Hải Dương, Hải Phòng, Quảng Ninh, Hà Nam, Nam Định, Ninh Bình, Hòa Bình, Vĩnh Phúc, Phú Thọ and Bắc Giang.

This is the second time Hà Nội has hosted the SEA Games.

The upcoming Games will feature a total of 40 sports in 526 categories and welcome around 10,000 participants.