A residential area under lockdown in Phu Nhuan district of HCM City (Photo: VNA)HCMCity (VNA) – Ho Chi Minh City is considering stronger movement restrictionsgiven the COVID-19 situation remaining complicated, a local official said onJuly 25.
PhanVan Mai, Standing Vice Secretary of the municipal Party Committee, told themedia that HCM City has imposed social distancing at differentlevels for 55 days since May 31, and it is applying stronger measures detailed in the Prime Minister’s Directive 16.
However,the local COVID-19 situation has yet to ease, he said, blaming the situation on the insufficient enforcement ofsocial distancing by both anti-pandemic forces and residents, apart from thehighly contagious Delta variant.
Hewarned that the situation will get worse if the distancing is not practicedseriously, calling on authorised forces and people to unanimously andstringently apply anti-pandemic measures, including staying at home and notgoing outside for non-essential reasons.
Patrol will be increased to strictlyimpose social distancing, he noted.
Mai said on July 26 at the latest,the municipal People’s Committee will issue a document detailing the groups ofpeople allowed to go outside and the permitted outdoor activities, which mayalso be restricted to certain time slots.
The city will increase goodssupply as well as assistance for people with disadvantages, he added.
The application of Directive 16 isscheduled to last until August 1, but worse scenarios also need to be takeninto account to make preparations, which should be done by both relevantagencies and local residents.
HCM City is also making use of everyresource to ensure effective treatment and minimise COVID-19 deaths, accordingto Mai.
The number of domestic cases sinceApril 27, when the fourth outbreak began, stood at 91,165, and HCM City posted the largest number of infections, 57,917.
Facing the surge in COVID-19 infections, the municipal People’s Committeeproposed the Prime Minister send 5,000 health workers to assist the city intreatment and another 2,000 to help with sample collection for testing.
As of July 15, 24 delegations with 4,473health personnel from other localities, hospitals, andmedical universities and colleges nationwide were deployed to HCM City to help with the COVID-19 fight.
On July 8, the Ministry of Healthdecided to mobilise 10,000 health personnel from its subordinate units and localitiesin the northern and central regions to assist HCM City. It also sent 25 leadersof its agencies to support the pandemic combat in the southern economic hub./.
