Authorities in Ho Chi Minh City imposed fines topping VND8.6 billion (US$377,360) on 6,296 cases violating social distancing rules and helped 411,922 households shop for food in the first week of an ongoing shelter-in-place mandate.

The municipal Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control reviewed those figures at a press conference on Sunday afternoon.

The city administration gave out 115,973 food aid packages to poor people in local districts and Thu Duc City last week, increasing the total number of the packages donated between August 15 and Sunday to 960,210.

Authorities also persuaded more than 20,000 landlords to either reduce or exempt rents worth over VND158 billion ($6.96 million) for tenants of 273,728 accommodations.

The Ho Chi Minh City chapter of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee granted 465,000 travel permission certificates to organizations and individuals to participate in charity activities.

Functional forces and volunteers in 312 wards, communes, and towns helped 411,922 out of 508,666 households that contacted them go shopping for food with the frequency of once a week.

The city has also received support in terms of manpower from central agencies in many provinces and cities, including 4,666 health workers from hospitals run by the Ministry of Health, 786 officers and soldiers under the Ministry of Public Security, and 11,777 medics of the Ministry of National Defense and military zones.

It also mobilized reinforcements of 754 officers to COVID-19 prevention and control task forces in Thu Duc City and 21 districts.

On August 23, city authorities issued a shelter-in-place order, requiring everyone to stay home to stall coronavirus spread.

Police, soldiers, and local officers have been mobilized to help residents buy essentials daily.

The order takes effect until September 6.

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