Referring to the task in the next two weeks, Chief of Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen said that the southern metropolis can’t relax social distancing measures unless the pandemic is under control.

According to Vice Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Duong Anh Duc, the city will need about 8,145,900 doses of Covid-19 vaccine to vaccinate people aged 18 and above from now until the end of 2021.

Testing for Covid-19 for people in orange (high risk) and red (very high risk) zones in HCM City was completed on August 27.

HCM City will allow shippers to return to work in Thu Duc City and seven districts hit hard by Covid-19, but they must undergo a Covid-19 test every morning.

HCM City detected 54,498 Covid-19 cases in the community through rapid tests on August 23-27.

HCM City plans to allocate VND4,500 billion from the city budget for 12 key irrigation projects between 2021 and 2025.

HCM City is implementing social security policies to help people have peace of mind in fighting against the epidemic.

A total of 12,976 fresh COVID-19 cases, including 12,663 local and 44 imported infections were confirmed on August 29 by the Ministry of Health.

After six-day tighter social distancing implementation, almost all residents in HCMC have strictly abided by regulations on social distancing and showed awareness of pandemic prevention and control measures.

It is estimated that 17,449 shippers have received the first dose of vaccine, as of 0:00 on August 28.

After registering to take a train to return to her hometown, Thuong and her family members are still waiting for their turn. Her son has also tested positive for the coronavirus.

Images of soldiers helping local citizens in their daily life have become familiar as HCM City tightens restrictions on movement amid an increasing surge of coronavirus cases. 

Ministry of National Defence’s Air Defence - Air Force is using two container trucks as mobile oxygen-production stations to meet oxygen demand of hospitals treating COVID-19 patients in HCM City.    

On August 17, when hearing from a volunteer that two members of a family with four Covid patients were getting worse, Nguyen Van Chanh of the ‘Thay thuoc dong hanh’ network (Companion Physicians) immediately picked up the phone.

By August 26, Ho Chi Minh City had 401 mobile medical stations in operation and it is now establishing 12 more stations.

The General Department of State Reserves is giving 14,500 tonnes of rice from the national reserve for free distribution to HCM City's struggling populace.

The Ministry of Health has announced that the antiviral drug molnupiravir will be part of the medicine package provided to COVID-19 patients in HCM City, while three robots will be used to deliver food to patients at a resuscitation hospital.

A number of industry trade groups have called on the Government and HCM City to issue travel permits to employees of their member companies to enable them to carry out some urgent tasks amid the city’s social distancing.

Vietnam recorded 11,575 new COVID-19 cases, including 11,569 domestic and six imported, in the past 24 hours to 6pm on August 26, the Ministry of Health announced.

Children aged below 16 who are direct contacts of Covid-19 cases are permitted to self-quarantine at home for 14 days, instead of staying at centralized quarantine centers as earlier, according to new Ministry of Health guidelines.