Organizers of a government-sponsored shrimp exhibition in Vietnam have decided to reschedule the event for a second time over fears of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Vietshrimp Aquaculture International Fair 2020, sponsored by Vietnam’s General Department of Fisheries and the Can Tho City government, will now take place from 7 to 9 October in Can Tho, in the Mekong Delta area.
This is the second time that the organizers have postponed the event. In early February, they shifted the exhibition from 25 to 27 March to 3 to 5 June. Both changes were made due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in a complicated and unpredictable manner, affecting Vietnam and most every other country in the world, the organizers said.
The show, which typically features around 200 booths, is focused on shrimp, and both domestic and foreign companies in shrimp and other seafood sectors were expected to be present at the show, which was set to include seminars on shrimp seed production, feed management in shrimp farming, disease management, and equipment.
The organizers said last year’s show – the second annual edition – hosted more than 10,000 visitors, including companies and individuals from the U.S, China, Europe, and India.
Vietshrimp is one of several activities postponed in Vietnam since the outbreak of the virus, which has forced the Southeast Asian nation to take significant actions to prevent the virus from spreading further. Currently, all official flights to and from Vietnam have been canceled until 30 April. The country has also stopped issuing travel visas for citizens from other countries since 18 March.
In addition, the government has issued an order on nationwide social distancing for 15 days, starting 1 April, as an emergency measure to keep the virus from spreading further. On 8 April, Vietnam’s Government Office Chairman Mai Tien Dung told reporters the social distancing order, which bans public gathering of more than two people, may be extended after 15 April if the outbreak is not under control by that time.
As of 8 April, Vietnam had more than 250 confirmed cases of the COVID-19, but no deaths.
