Vietnam orders Covid test for millions in Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh ordered Covid-19 tests for all of Ho Chi Minh City after the government dispatched the military to dispense food in the nation’s commercial hub amid new drastic measures to contain a worsening outbreak.

Uncertainty swept across the city of almost 10 million through the weekend, triggered by conflicting information from authorities about food shopping restrictions. Local media depicted crowds of residents descending on food markets and standing in lines for hours. The curbs on shopping are set to be in place starting Monday until Sept. 6. Officials estimate the city needs to provide 11,000 tons of goods to residents daily and the government is capable of doing that, an unnamed official from the city’s trade department was cited as saying by Tuoi Tre. The military will work with volunteers, veterans and some unions to deliver food to households, Vo Minh Luong, deputy minister of national defense, said in a meeting on Friday with city officials. His comments were made available on a government website, which didn’t give details on the scale of the distribution in the city.