Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City administration Nguyen Thanh Phong has advised residents above 60 years old to avoid going outside given the increasingly complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic.

During a meeting on Monday, chairman Phong assessed that the pandemic situation in Vietnam is very serious, with a continuous rise in the number of local cases originating from various infection sources and circulation of multiple coronavirus variants.

The country has recorded 2,506 domestic infections since April 27, of which over 66 percent were detected at industrial parks.

Local residents must focus on protecting their own health, as well as the safety of their family members and the community, the official said.

People above 60 years old should stay at home as they tend to have weaker immune systems, he added.

From Tuesday, all public employees and visitors to public offices must fill out health declaration forms.

Each agency should have a team dedicated to COVID-19 prevention and control.

The number of caretakers at local hospitals should be limited to only one person per patient, while all medical centers must prepare a temporary quarantine facility.

Managers of industrial parks and export processing zones are required to stagger working hours to minimize the number of people working in each factory at a time.

Local authorities are also obliged to prepare for all scenarios if a cluster is detected at industrial parks and export processing zones.

Vietnam has documented 5,461 coronavirus cases as of Tuesday morning, with 2,794 recoveries and 44 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health.

Ho Chi Minh City has recorded seven domestic infections since the fourth wave of transmissions hit the country on April 27.

Most non-essential businesses in the metropolis have been suspended, while residents have been told to refrain from going outside unless necessary.

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