HCM City ensure food supply during social distancing
- PM commits all possible support to HCM City in COVID-19 fight
- 355 positive cases confirmed in 16 localities, HCM City tops 200 at midday
- 10,000 medical workers to join COVID-19 fight in HCMC
According to the HCM City's authorities, up to 106 markets, 124 traditional markets, and more than 2,000 mini-markets and convenience stores across the city will be used to ensure sufficient supply of food and essential items for residents.
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| HCM City to ensure food supply |
The city has also developed a plan together with6 neighboring provinces to create favorable traffic conditions for and issue QR identification code to their vehicles transporting foodstuffs and other goods through its COVID-19 quarantine checkpoints to ensure adequate retail supply.
With all three of its largest wholesale markets and half the traditional markets, supermarkets and food stores closed, the city is publicizing information about 2,833 food supply points with locations, contact phone numbers and delivery methods for people to easily access them.
The city Department of Industry and Trade said the list of these places would be sent to each district, ward and commune, adding the number of places is high and they are widely distributed, and so the public could be assured of uninterrupted supply.
In the past few days people have flocked to supermarkets and food stores to buy goods and stock up, mainly foodstuff, leading to temporary shortages, especially of fresh produce like meat and vegetables at the end of the day.
Food supply businesses assured that these shortages are temporary and only occur because staff are unable to replace the goods on the shelves fast enough because of the huge buying. Supply is abundant and enough to meet all needs.
According to the department, the city consumes 5,000-6,000 tons of foodstuffs a day but has stocks of over 120,000 tones, triple the normal volume, to ensure demand is fully met.
