The 31st Southeast Asian Games, which were set to take place in Vietnam this year, have been postponed until next year amid Coronavirus concerns.
The Vietnam Olympic Committee has submitted a request to the International Olympic Committee and the Southeast Asian Games Council to postpone the SEA Games in the country to July 2022, according to a report by Lao Post.
The Southeast Asian Games was scheduled to take place in November and December this year in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Since April, the number of virus cases in Vietnam has more than tripled, to over 9,000 despite being low in contrast to most of its Southeast Asian neighbors, but Vietnam’s vaccination rate per capita is the lowest in the area and among the lowest in Asia.
Vietnam previously hosted the multisports competition in 2003. It has set a budget of approximately USD 69 million for the Games.
Vietnam’s Ministry of Health confirmed today a total of 10,630 cases of Covid-19. However, 3,998 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospitals. Vietnam has also recorded 59 deaths due to the pandemic.
Recent community transmission events have also been recorded in Bac Giang, Bac Ninh, Ho Chi Minh City, and Ha Tinh.
