District 1 Looking Somewhat Vacant

I'm staying at the Hotel Continental Saigon for the next five evenings as I prepare to exit the country and head back to the states.

If you've ever been walking in the evening between this hotel and the Park Hyatt,  you had to have noticed the big crowd of young people on motorbikes who congregate every night at the street vendors behind the opera house, near the Highlands Coffee shop.

They are totally gone; both the street vendors and ANY young people.

In fact, virtually all street vendors between the opera house and the Rex Hotel have vanished.

According to the front desk clerk here at my hotel, small, street food type eateries are closed.

Larger indoor restaurants with good seating capacity are allowed to operate if social distancing is maintained for no more than 20 customers.

I haven't seen the government order myself, and that doesn't sound exactly right (the way he's saying it) but the effect is in line with that.

Takeout and delivery are still allowed, but I'd say 1 in 10 restaurants are totally closed, sometimes with shortened operating hours.

I didn't see any restaurants with diners seated inside, except for here at my hotel.

Vincom Plaza is still open, but all of the restaurants I saw downstairs were closed.

I was able to get some Granny Smith apples, and other quick foods at the full-sized Vinmart store in the basement floors of Vincom.

Other shops can be open selling clothing, etc, but I guesstimate about 50% of them are closed as well.

Since there's virtually no foot traffic anywhere to be seen, and very little vehicle traffic of any kind, it's not surprising to see so many businesses shuttered...or "taped".

You may have heard that a kitchen worker at the Sheraton Hotel tested positive and now that place is "blocked".

It was a sad scene to see all entrances by foot or by vehicle there closed off by police tape.

I've now personally witnessed this phenomenon in two of the major cities here.

It's really sad to think that the same thing that's happened to Đà Nẵng  could be happening now to Sài Gòn.