The military forces have been deployed in many areas in Ho Chi Minh City since midnight Sunday to tighten its coronavirus restrictions from August 23.
A military officer guards at a Covid-19 checkpoint in Ho Chi Minh City on August 23
According to the Ho Chi Minh City Military Command, more than 30,000 troops have been sent to Covid-19 checkpoints at 312 wards and communes throughout the city to ensure people strictly conform to the tightened social distancing rules.
Speaking at a troop departure ceremony held at 11 pm on Sunday in Ward 10 in Go Vap District, Major General Le Ngoc Hai, Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff of the Ho Chi Minh City Command, stressed that the military were determined to help Ho Chi Minh City bring the Covid-19 pandemic under control following directions from the prime minister and the defence ministry.
"We’ll co-operate with local authorities and people and the police to carry out strong and strict measures with an aim to soon curb the virus outbreak and restore a normal life for the people," the official said.
Hundreds of troops have been sent to guard around the clock at checkpoints in 16 wards in Go Vap District. The troops will ensure people stay at home.
In Ward 10 of Go Vap District, nearly 50 military personnel have started patrolling streets and monitoring checkpoints in the area.
500 other troops have been sent to 30 checkpoints in 11 wards of District 12.
Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, Nguyen Thanh Phong, on Sunday issued a directive to order social distancing and other anti-Covid-19 measures to be tightened in an effort to bring the pandemic under control by September 15.
According to the directive, leaders of local departments, sectors, and localities, along with enterprises have been asked to follow the enhanced social distancing and measures against Covid-19 in a “thorough, strict, drastic, and effective” manner.
It demanded tightening control over persons granted travel permits, rapidly conducting mass Covid-19 testing citywide to detect infected cases as soon as possible, speeding up vaccination, and setting up another 400 mobile health clinics.
HCM City has recorded approximately 4,000 new cases daily, becoming the largest coronavirus hotspot in Vietnam. The city has so far confirmed nearly 176, 000 cases or more than half of the country’s total since the resurgence of the virus started in late April.