The military will deliver food supplies to Ho Chi Minh City residents for the next two weeks, during which local residents are prohibited from leaving homes, heard a municipal meeting on pandemic prevention and control on Friday.

At the online meeting, which was joined by Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, Ho Chi Minh City leaders set out four major issues, including social distancing, social security, COVID-19 testing, and treatment, which they need to tackle in the next two weeks.

As fatalities and infections continue surging, despite weeks of lockdown measures in the business hub of nine million people, the municipal authorities are asking people to stay where they are starting Monday, with the motto of “each home, company, factory should be an anti-virus fort.”

Police and military are being mobilized to strengthen control over the social distancing implementation.

City authorities are also estimating the quantity of food according to nutritional value that needs to be delivered to households per day, with lower-level administrations requested to review their locals’ demand.

Two models of food supply, in which people either pay for food by themselves or get free aid, are being considered.

The military will be responsible for food delivery.

Speaking at the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Dam requested the Ministries of Public Security, National Defense, and Health to carefully prepare an optimal action plan to enforce the social distancing drive.

Nguyen Van Nen, secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, emphasized that functional forces continue sampling for COVID-19 testing at areas at a high risk of infections and conducting vaccinations during this period.

All residents, especially needy and disadvantaged people, must be cared for thoroughly, so that “no one is left behind.”

Nen also assured people that essential supplies would be provided.

Currently, relevant agencies are preparing specific plans and announce them to the people before Monday. 

The announcement is expected to give details on strict social distancing regulations, which forces and troops will be deployed, solutions for transportation and supply of food to households, mobile medical stations to provide care and treatment for COVID-19 patients, and COVID-19 testing and vaccinations.

As of Saturday morning, Vietnam has documented 323,268 COVID-19 cases, with 132,815 recoveries and 7,540 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health.

The country has detected 319,209 domestic transmissions in 62 out of 63 provinces and cities in this fourth bout.

Ho Chi Minh City is taking the lead with 167,717 patients and 5,939 fatalities.

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