HCM City to hold requiem in remembrance of COVID-19 victims on Friday

HCM City to hold requiem in remembrance of COVID-19 victims on Friday

HCM CITY — Buddhist temples and establishments in HCM City will ring their bells, light candles, offer incense, and pray for those who died from COVID at  八pm on Friday at the Independence Palace in District  一 as part of a national requiem.

The ceremony will be broadcast live on Việt Nam Television in remembrance of more than  一 七, 二 六0 people who died in the city, accounting for more than  七 四 per cent of the total number of deaths from COVID- 一 九 in the country.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday (November  一 七) in HCM City, Võ Trọng Nam, deputy director of the municipal Department of Culture and Sports, said the ceremony will share the pain and loss suffered by tens of thousands of families who have lost their loved ones to the pandemic. 

It will be organised in the safest and most solemn manner. Only  一00 people will be allowed to attend the event to ensure safety. 

Floating lanterns will be placed on Thị Nghè canal as part of the ceremony.

People will be encouraged to turn off their lights, light candles, offer incense, and pray for the victims at public places and residential areas.

The ceremony will be attended by city leaders and families of the victims. 

Nguyễn Hoài Nam, deputy director of the Department of Health, said of more than  一 七, 二 六0 people who died in the city, there were  三 八 children and  六 一 pregnant women. Three medical staff died of the virus in the city.

Hà Nội will also organise a requiem for the victims at the same time. 

Other cities and provinces will also organise requiems for the victims based on local conditions and in compliance with pandemic prevention rules.

HCM City has had about  四 五0,000 infections since late April when the fourth and most serious COVID outbreak began.

Việt Nam has recorded more than one million cases and about  二 三, 三00 deaths up to November  一 七. 

More than  二 五 五 million cases have been recorded around the world, and around  五. 一 million people have died of the virus. — VNS