HCM City has emerged as the country’s largest COVID-19 hotpot, recording over 6,400 new cases following the resurgence of the virus in late April.
Amid hundreds of new cases being detected on a daily basis, the southern metropolis has swiftly moved to impose and extend social distancing rules, with tighter measures put in place in an effort to bring the latest outbreak under control.
Among the new measures, anyone wishing to enter or leave the city must undergo a COVID-19 test, whilst on-duty officials at local checkpoints will use a QR code scanner in order to validate the testing.
These measures must be considered necessary as a way of ensuring the smooth circulation of commodities within the city, Deputy PM Dam said during a meeting with Ho Chi Minh City’s leadership on July 5.
He also cited the fact that the southern metropolis is the most populous city in the country and typically sees a huge number of vehicles and people enter and depart the locality.
However, any new regulations relating to the movement of people must be made public at least 24 hours in advance, he requested.
The Deputy PM also hailed the city’s efforts to conduct an extensive testing campaign, although he warned that individuals with negative test results are not 100% safe.
During an online meeting with southern provinces on July 4, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh noted that the fresh outbreak in HCM City has also had a significant impact on neighbouring localities. He therefore asked these localities to apply social distancing measures, swiftly conduct tests and isolate all positive cases.