Are we ready for the new normal?

June 8, 2020

Busy time at Nong Chan fresh market in Vientiane Capital. Photo by: UNDP Lao PDR.

It was at least 6 weeks since the last visit to Talat Nong Chan, one of the busiest fresh markets in the heart of Vientiane Capital City. The lockdown was being eased, as no additional COVID-19 cases had been reported in over a month.  We were excited. Following public health advice, we put on our face masks, dropped small bottles of hand sanitizer in our bags, ready to head out for fresh groceries at 6:30 a.m., on that Saturday morning. 

When we arrived at the market, a few hand-washing stations with soap were seen along the way to the fresh produce quarter. But hardly anyone stopped by to wash their hands. A few who did, washed their hands for just a few seconds with no soap. At that point, we were starting to feel nervous. 

A hand-washing station with soap installed at the market to adapt to “New Normal”. Photo by: UNDP Lao PDR.

It is understandable that weeks of being unable to go out, meet or live “normally” must have been taken its toll. But isn’t it too early to throw caution to the winds?

Some people had no face masks, some others that had put them under the chin, physical distancing was gone, and people pushed through the crowds, brushing shoulders to shoulders. These were dangerous behaviors that had helped spread COVID-19 widely in other countries. 

We headed home from the market with some concerns, but decided to meet again to check out the situation a week later. 

Physical distancing hardly seen during the rush hour. Photo by: UNDP Lao PDR.

At the exact same time, a week later, we entered the same way. Although people knew COVID-19 was present in the neighboring countries, with borders still closed, the precautions appeared to have decreased.

There were about the same number of people shopping, more were seen without masks, or with masks under the chin. We were surprised by what we saw. We approached two vendors, to get more information.


Ms. Noy Chanthavong, 30, selling garlic to a customer. Photo by: UNDP Lao PDR.

Ms. Noy Chanthavong, 30, a garlic and potato vendor from Xieng Khuang Province, shared that the crowds, who visited were about the same, except for a drop, during the first week of lockdown. “People shopped normally, but when the first cases broke, the market was almost empty. I think the fear was new. When no additional people contracted the virus, and patients started to return home, the crowds came back,” she added. 

We turned to another vegetable vendor, four meters away on the opposite side, Ms. Sy Khannavong, about the way people used masks and how distancing was observed.


Ms. Sy Khannavong, 40, selling her vegetable and herbs. Photo by: UNDP Lao PDR.

 “A majority of vendors have been wearing masks long before we heard about the virus, because of the dirt and dust we have to breathe in while sitting here every day. But it seems that all of our customers had masks on specifically during the lockdown. As for physical distancing, it’s difficult to control as there are so many people buying and selling things in this crowd,” said Sy, as she served a customer.

Before we left at 8:00 a.m., the fresh market was also closing. The area was about to turn into a motorcycle parking lot and the monitoring officers strolled around blowing into their whistles ensuring vendors packed up quickly. Only then, did we see people stopping to wash their hands, was it because their hands were soiled?

We have been fortunate in Laos. The lack of COVID-19 cases could have easily fed into the growing complacency. With travel restrictions being lifted, we do hope that prevention measures will be better observed.

The threat still exists. We should still do physical distancing and observe hand hygiene. Masks on the other hand, only if worn and disposed correctly, would be beneficial. The concern isn’t because of the virus itself, but the need to care for one another if, and when a second wave were to come.

Written by:

Aksonethip Somvorachit, Communications Analyst, UNDP Lao PDR and Somlith Khounpaseuth, Communications Officer, WHO Lao PDR.

The views expressed in this article are those of the authors alone and not the United Nations Development Programme.