Let shippers deliver food, says Grab

"Since Hanoi authorities have been limiting the number of people at supermarkets and retail locations to lower the risk of contagion, services like GrabFood, GrabMart and GrabExpress have provided valuable assistance," it said in a proposal, referring to its food, retail and parcel delivery services.

They could help meet the city’s desire to ensure adequate supply of essential goods, it said.

It assured its delivery people would meet social distancing requirements and it would limit delivery to essential items.

Hanoi on Saturday ordered five ride-hailing and delivery platforms, Grab, Gojek, Be, MyGo and FastGo, to suspend their services, but still let other delivery platforms operate.

Grab said the decision was inconsistent with the city’s policies and feared could cause unfair competition.

Hanoi began a 15-day social distancing order starting 6 a.m. Saturday amid rising coronavirus concerns in both the capital and nationwide.

It has recorded over 900 cases in the latest wave.