Vietnam Ho Chi Minh City Extends Lockdown Measures Until the 15th... Emergency as Over 7,000 Confirmed Cases Occur

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Ho Chi Minh City, the largest city in Vietnam, announced that it will extend the full lockdown measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 until the 15th, raising concerns about prolonged supply chain issues.

According to VN Express, a local Vietnamese media outlet, on the 7th, Phan Van Mai, Chairman of the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, appeared on an online live talk show and stated, "To curb the spread of COVID-19, the existing lockdown measures will be extended until the 15th of this month." He added, "However, in low-risk areas called 'Green Zones,' takeout services will be trialed."

Earlier, Ho Chi Minh City's health authorities said that if the situation improves after the 15th, they might consider resuming construction work, gas stations and restaurant operations, logistics, and online sales after assessing safety. They also mentioned that the end of the lockdown depends on the pandemic situation. However, as 7,122 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Ho Chi Minh City the previous day, indicating the situation remains severe, the lockdown was extended. On the same day, the total number of confirmed cases in Vietnam was recorded at 17,477.

Along with the lockdown measures, Ho Chi Minh City is accelerating vaccination efforts, but it is insufficient to stop the spread. According to the city's health authorities, as of the previous day, 6.8 million citizens have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and among them, 500,000 have completed their vaccinations.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.