HCM City will provide food, medicine and essential goods for people at home under new social distancing regulations in HCM City. Photo tphcm.chinhphu.vn/

HCM CITY — The military force will establish rapid reaction teams to provide food, medicines and essential goods for people in HCM City beginning on Monday (August 23), according to Senior Lieutenant General Võ Minh Lương, head of the Government's Special Working Group and Deputy Minister of National Defence.

The teams will work with the city’s War Veterans’ Association, Women Veterans' Association, Women's Union and the Hồ Chí Minh Communist Youth Union to carry out food delivery and supervise locked-down and quarantine areas.

Lương has asked military and police forces, Government agencies and the trade and industry sector to work together to ensure food and essential goods for the city’s people in the next two weeks.

Phạm Thị Thắng, vice chairwoman of the city People’s Committee, said the city has assessed the nutritional value of food and specific quantity and kinds of essential goods (rice, sugar, fish sauce, cooking oil, etc) needed for daily use.

The Department of Industry and Trade has been asked to work with the city's 24 districts and Thủ Đức City authorities to collect people’s opinions about whether the food should be free or paid for.

The city People’s Committee has proposed that the Ministry of National Defence and General Staff of the Việt Nam People's Army send 4,000 soldiers from the Military Region, 7,400 doctors and 1,600 medical staff, and 30 ambulances with drivers and emergency medical workers to help the city.

Senior Lieutenant General Lương said a military medical force has been mobilised to support the city.

More than 300 doctors and students from the Military Medical University in Hà Nội on Friday were sent to HCM City.

An additional 1,000 military medical workers from Hà Nội and northern provinces are expected to arrive from August 21-23. They will work with the city’s mobile clinics and community-based COVID-19 prevention teams to provide treatment and medical support to COVID-19 patients isolated at home.

They will also give COVID-19 tests and vaccinations, and deal with other emergency cases.

Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam said at an online conference with city leaders on Friday that the city must focus on social welfare and safety for people during the strict social distancing period.

Đam asked the city and the ministries of National Defence, Public Security and Health to issue specific plans and tasks for forces on duty, all of whom must be tested and vaccinated.

The city on Friday announced it was tightening prevention measures from 12am on Monday (August 23) for 15 days with the aim of controlling the outbreak by September 15 under the Government's Resolution 86.

The city asked people to "stay where they are” at all times, and strictly follow safe distancing among individuals, families, residential areas and wards. — VNS

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The Vietnam Military Medical University this morning sent 60 teams with a total of 295 staff and students to HCM City and southern provinces to serve COVID-19 prevention and control. Each team, including two doctors and three students, will go to COVID-19 patients' homes to treat both physical and psychological problems. 

Next week, more than 100 teams will be sent to HCM City and southern provinces. Previously, the Vietnam Military Medical University set up five teams and a testing centre in HCM City. On July 23, the university sent 100 students to assist the 5D infectious-diseases field hospital in the neighbouring province of Bình Dương.

The Traffic Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security has also sent its staff to HCM City to ensure social order and COVID-19 prevention and control. VNS