HCMC supplies foods, essential items to households in blocked areas

A vegetable handcart donated by benefactors arrived at the gate of the People's Committee of Nhon Duc commune of Ho Chi Minh City’s Nha Be District at 9 PM on July 23.

After a long day of work, officials in the commune had to unload and sort out vegetables so that they can deliver these goods to poor people in the blocked areas and rental houses.

According to Nguyen Phuong Toan, Chairman of Nhon Duc Commune People's Committee, administrators and staff members have done the work during prolonged social distancing. Since the city implemented Directive 12 of the Standing Committee of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, the commune administrators had to work hard to hand essential goods over to residents.

Elsewhere in the city, District 7 reported 87 restricted areas and medical isolation areas with 13,800 inhabitants. District 7 Party Secretary Vo Khac Thai said the district has directed administrators in wards to prepare rice and instant noodles to provide to households, ensuring supplies of food in 14 days.

Along with that, the locality also distributed vegetables, fruits, and eggs donated by benefactors to each household in the quarantined area, medical isolation every three days.

The district in coordination with Co.op mart and Bach Hoa Xanh systems organized mobile vehicles to supply fresh food for blocked and medical isolation areas in the first seven days of implementing Directive 12. Women's groups will announce lists of available food items through Zalo groups summarizing each household’s demand of food, then deliver food to the doors of each household.

Authority in District 11 where has 128 blocked zones set up a hotline so that dwellers who need to buy something can phone to order essential items. After that, youth volunteers in the District will pick up goods at supermarkets and deliver to residents in blocked areas. Chairman of District 11 People's Committee Tran Phi Long said that the district set up a hotline for food and food supply for people, in addition to buying goods to help people.

Moreover, the district will provide food free of charge to difficult households. The District receives five tons of vegetables, fruits, meat, fish, rice, and noodles every day donated by benefactors. The Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee in District 11 ensures enough supplies of food for all households in the District.

Similarly, residents in District 1 can place orders of food through an app on their smartphones meanwhile the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee in District 6 where has 88 blocked zones with more than 1,000 people also receives donations of food to distribute to locals. Last but not least, many unions and departments of District 6 have shopped to help people in restricted areas.

Meanwhile, Chairwoman of the District 6 People's Committee also said that the district's community Covid-19 teams both reminded people to strictly observe the social distance rule and understood dwellers’ difficulties for timely support. The district also provided boxes of lunches to people in rental houses every day.

Le Thi Bac, Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Thu Duc City, said that to ensure supplies of goods, Thu Duc City called up more volunteers. On average, Thu Duc City supports each family with five kilograms of rice weekly. Particularly, vegetables and fruits will be distributed to residential areas, ensuring people have fruits and vegetables during these days. The government in Thu Duc City will deliver ready-to-eat meals to public houses where lonely elderly people and people with disabilities are residing.

Furthermore, Thu Duc City will give each difficult household one gift including necessities and cash, medical treatment worth VND800,000 each. As of July 23, Thu Duc City has approved to spend more than VND1.8 billion to support approximately 2,300 households.