A police officer stands at a checkpoint on a street in HCM City (Photo: VNA) In a directive issued on August 22, the mayor requested leaders of local departments, sectors, and localities, along with enterprises, to follow the enhanced social distancing and measures against COVID-19 in a “thorough, strict, drastic, and effective” manner.
The directive stressed that people is the centre and also the main player in the pandemic combat. It is the responsibility, obligation, and interest of each people to protect themselves, their families, and the community.
It demanded tightening control over persons granted travel permits, rapidly conducting mass COVID-19 testing citywide during the social distancing period to detect infected cases as soon as possible, speeding up vaccination, and setting up another 400 mobile health clinics.
Besides, social security must also be ensured, the directive said, requiring that the second support package must reach all those who have not gained access to previous support, two million bags of relief aids be prepared for the underprivileged and nutritious meals delivered for disadvantaged COVID-19 patients, and sufficient supply of food and essential goods must be ensured for local residents under lockdown.
The mayor also ordered stronger communications to strengthen people’s trust in and awareness of enhanced social distancing and anti-pandemic measures, and to deal with wrong information in a timely manner.
HCM City recorded 4,193 new cases in 24 hours as of 6pm on August 22, raising the number of local infections to 175,994 in the fourth wave of COVID-19 that began on April 27./.
VNA
