The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry and Trade on Tuesday issued a resolution on directly delivering goods from other provinces to city markets, skipping the transit step at the wholesale marketplaces, given their temporary closure due to new COVID-19 cases.

The trade department on Tuesday evening imparted the resolution to its counterparts in 22 other provinces, which have the responsibility to announce the new regulation to the affected parties.

Before, traders from retail markets across Ho Chi Minh City would go to the wholesale markets to pick up goods for resale every day.

Now, they are encouraged to reduce direct contact by placing purchase orders and carrying out transactions by phone or online.

Goods will be then transported directly from suppliers to retailers at city markets.

In addition to the resolution, authorities in Ho Chi Minh City also have plans to strengthen the supply capacity of conventional markets and supermarkets to ensure providing essential goods to the city’s people.

Up to now, nearly half of the traditional markets in Ho Chi Minh City, three large wholesale markets, and about 60 supermarkets and convenience stores have been suspended after new coronavirus infections were detected there.

Ho Chi Minh City is taking the lead in the number of locally-transmitted infections in Vietnam with 8,002 cases recorded since April 27, when a new virus wave erupted in the country, according to the Ministry of Health's data.

In this round, Vietnam has documented 18,889 domestic cases across 55 out of its 63 provinces and cities.

The national tally has reached 22,741 infections since the pandemic first hit the nation early in 2020.

Of that, 8,077 patients have recovered, while 102 have died. Most of the fatalities were old and had underlying diseases.

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