Eight million people living in the Vietnamese capital have been under a strict stay-at-home order since late July, allowed out only for trips to get food or hospital visits.
With daily Covid case numbers refusing to budge, restrictions on movement have become even tighter. The city is divided into tiny segments, with movement between each extremely difficult.
Vietnam, widely praised last year for its handling of the pandemic, has been badly hit by coronavirus since a fourth wave began in April.
The country has reported more than 500,000 infections and over 13,000 deaths.
Several cities and provinces, including the southern business hub, Ho Chi Minh City, have been under lockdown for months.
Although Hanoi’s case numbers remain relatively steady – with the city recording between 50 and 100 cases each day – there is huge anxiety over the escalating crisis in Ho Chi Minh City
In some parts of Hanoi the barricades are cobbled together by volunteers.
With outdoor exercise banned, it’s not uncommon to see people linger for hours in their limited outside space.
One resident said: “It’s good we set up barriers like this … it means our area is free of the virus.”
Although the lockdown is beginning to ease in some parts of the city, most residents must stay at home for at least another two weeks as the nationwide death toll from Covid continues to climb.