Accordingly, starting July 19, Hanoi halts all non-essential services and its citizens are required to stay home and only go out when necessary such as business trip, food and medicine purchase, and other emergency cases like health check-ups and treatment.

The municipal authorities also asked residents not to gather more than five people outside the workplaces, schools and hospitals, and fill in health declarations.

Agencies, businesses, including foreign-invested ones, were urged to actively outline online working or work-in-shift plans.

Shopping malls, supermarkets, wholesale and wet markets in the city only sell necessities. Public transport means must reduce seats by half.

The city directed preparing sufficient food and necessities in every case./.

VNA