Authorities in several districts of Ho Chi Minh City have been evacuating residents from alleys at high risk of COVID-19 transmission in a bid to prevent the virus from spreading further into the community.

More than 83,000 coronavirus patients are being treated and monitored at home, according to the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control.

Aside from treating patients, protecting residents from the disease is also a top priority, the center said.

However, it can be difficult to ensure compliance with social distancing regulations in crowded alleys.

Last Thursday, authorities in Binh Thanh District began evacuating about 2,000 poor tenants from neighborhoods and alleys at high risk of COVID-19 infection.

The residents are allowed to stay at Cong Doan Hotel and Apartment Building 1050 in the district for 22 days, with food, cash, and vaccination provided. 

They had given their consent and tested negative for the novel coronavirus prior to the evacuation.

All residents are required to strictly follow pandemic prevention and control regulations during their stay, while security and healthcare units are tasked with taking care of them.

“We are planning to turn local schools into temporary shelters if more people wish to move away from high-risk areas,” said Dinh Khac Huy, chairman of the Binh Thanh People’s Committee.

A similar plan is also being prepared in District 7, Vo Khac Thai, secretary of the district’s Party Committee, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Monday.

Authorities in the district have been encouraging residents, especially people over 65 and obese individuals, in high-risk neighborhoods and alleys to move to local hotels.

Those who wish to participate in the evacuation plan can register at ward-level people’s committees, Thai added.

Le Van Chien, chairman of the People’s Committee in District 4, said that the local administration has considered moving dwellers away from high-risk areas, but has yet to find a suitable venue for their temporary stay.

In the meantime, local authorities will tighten management in residential areas and alleys to make sure everyone strictly comply with pandemic prevention and control regulations, Chien continued.

In District 5 and Binh Tan District, many community-based COVID-19 prevention teams have been established to monitor the situation in each neighborhood.

Vietnam has documented 462,096 COVID-19 cases as of Wednesday afternoon, with 238,860 recoveries and 11,064 deaths.

The country has recorded 457,882 local infections in 62 out of 63 provinces and cities since the fourth wave broke out on April 27.

Ho Chi Minh City is the largest epicenter with 221,254 cases.

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