Videos of the illicit race were recorded by local residents
Hundreds of street racers on motorbikes gathered on Nguyen Huu Tho Street in Tan Hung Ward, District 7, Ho Chi Minh City to take part in a drag race early Tuesday morning, sparking concerns from local residents over the group’s violation of the city’s social distancing mandate.
Videos of the illicit race were recorded by local residents and circulated on social media that same morning.
The video shows hundreds of motorcyclists lining up on Nguyen Huu Tho Street around 2:50 am, continuously revving their engines and disturbing the entire neighborhood.
Leaders from District 7’s police department told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Tuesday morning they had been informed of the case and were working to identify the racers.
The race took place a few days after Ho Chi Minh City intensified social distancing measures with the enforcement of Directive 10 on June 19.
The directive requires the suspension of all non-essential businesses and unofficial markets, public gatherings of no more than three people, and a minimum distance of 1.5 meters between people in public.
Residents are required to stay home unless purchasing food and supplies, seeking emergency treatment, or going to work.
On Thursday morning, Vietnam’s COVID-19 caseload rose to 16,863, with 6,840 recoveries and 81 deaths.
Since April 27, when the pandemic’s latest wave broke out in the country, it has documented 13,631 local infections across 50 of its 63 provinces and cities.
Currently, the city is accelerating its mass COVID-19 vaccination drive, which started on June 19, thanks to 836,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine donated by the Japanese government.
