Shoppers at a supermarket in Hà Nội.  The Hà Nội department of industry and trade said the city will face no shortage of goods during the isolation period. VNA Photo

HÀ NỘI — There will be no shortage of goods for the capital city as Hà Nội starts prepping for a two-week nationwide isolation order to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), said Trần Thị Phương Lan, deputy head of the Hà Nội department of industry and trade.

Lan said the city’s supply of goods is working normally, delivering to 26 shopping centres, 142 supermarkets and thousands of stores across the city. They have also been following rigorous sanitary protocols and regularly inspected to ensure food safety and to combat the spread of the virus.

Under the isolation order, the city’s supermarkets and traditional markets will remain open. Firms have been told to submit their transport vehicle numbers for special permits to deliver goods during the isolation period. Mobile stores and make-shift supply centres are also considered as additional options. The army and the police have been ordered to assist with the transport of goods and logistics if necessary.  

The city’s authority has been working closely with suppliers and firms in the city as well as the nearby provinces to make sure there will be sufficient supply of goods for the city in all scenarios.

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According to Hà Nội department of industry and trade, the city increased reserves by 300-500 per cent over normal demand.

Specifically, Hà Nội prepared more than 46,400 tonnes of rice, 9,200 tonnes of pork, 2,600 tonnes of buffalo meat and beef, 3,000 tonnes of poultry meat, 62 million eggs, 3,000 litres of oil, 356 tonnes of salt, 51,650 tonnes of vegetables, 2,580 tonnes of seafood, 2,582 tonnes of processed food and 464 million packs of cereal.

More than 250 million face masks and 123.9 million rolls of toilet paper will be on hand for distribution.

The municipal department would spend VNĐ174 trillion to double the volume of goods for reserves in the second quarter of this year.

At a recent meeting with chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyễn Đức Chung, retailers reported that they had increased the supply of goods by 300 per cent. — VNS