Ho Chi Minh City residents hold memorial for 14 Covid-19 victims

Residents of an alley in Ho Chi Minh City organized a collective memorial service to honor 14 neighbors who died during the Covid-19 pandemic. The ceremony took place in alley 68/17 Tran Quang Khai, Tan Dinh Ward, marking five years since the height of the crisis.

During the service, 14 candles were lit, each inscribed with the name, age, address, and date of death of the deceased. The community gathered near a small shrine to reflect on the period of strict lockdowns in 2021, which lasted over 100 days and caused significant hardship for the approximately 80 households living in the area.

Local residents and neighborhood leaders used the occasion to remember the isolation and anxiety experienced during the pandemic, when social distancing prevented families from caring for their sick relatives in person.