The Vietnamese government has requested Ho Chi Minh City to put the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak under control prior to September 15.

On Tuesday, the government issued Resolution No. 86 on urgent COVID-19 prevention and control measures to soon quell the pandemic and prevent health, economic, and social crisis.

The resolution stated that localities where social distancing measures under the prime minister’s Directives No. 15 and 16 are being imposed must make sure all regulations are strictly followed.

Depending on the actual situation, authorities in each province and city can implement stricter pandemic response measures.

Ho Chi Minh City must strive to control the ongoing outbreak before September 15, while the southern provinces of Binh Duong, Long An, and Dong Nai must achieve the same goal prior to September 1.

Other localities in the country will strive to put the pandemic under control by August 25.

Local authorities are also required to provide sufficient food and necessities as well as emergency medical services for residents during social distancing drives.

The resolution also stressed the importance of COVID-19 treatment, testing and vaccination, minimizing coronavirus-related deaths, ensuring labor and goods supply chains, assisting people in need, and dealing with fake news about the pandemic.

Vietnam had documented 232,937 COVID-19 cases by Wednesday morning, with 80,348 recoveries and 4,145 deaths.

The country has recorded 228,990 local infections in 62 out of 63 provinces and cities since the fourth wave began on April 27.

Ho Chi Minh City is taking the lead with 131,879 patients, followed by Binh Duong Province with 32,787, Long An Province with 11,807, and Dong Nai Province with 9,617.

Ho Chi Minh City has undergone various levels of social distancing since May 31 to struggle with the worst-ever outbreak.

It currently follows the prime minister’s Directive No. 16, which bans gatherings of over two in public and requires all residents to stay indoors unless they need to go outside for food, medicine, and other emergencies.

The municipal administration has also mandated that all people not go outdoors from 6:00 pm to 6:00 am, except in emergency health situations, from July 26.

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