HCMC to partly reopen two wholesale markets

Managers of Thu Duc Market in Thu Duc City said they started trialing transporting scheme with six vendors Sunday evening, delivering a total 249 tonnes of fruit and vegetables.

"We hope vendors can arrange more workers to unload goods to increase volume as both HCMC and Binh Duong Province are under lockdown," an anonymous manager said.

In Hoc Mon Market of Hoc Mon District, managers have submitted a plan to partly reopen the facility to city authorities.

Nguyen Tien Dung, CEO of the market operator, said an over 2,000 square meter area will be allocated to host around 10 container trucks to transfer goods to smaller trucks in the distribution channel.

Drivers will need to test Covid-19 negative while the whole process is conducted with stringent social distancing measures.

If the plan is approved, over 100 tonnes of fruit and vegetables would be transported through Hoc Mon a day.

On Monday noon, Nguyen Nguyen Phuong, deputy director of HCMC’s department of industry and trade, said Thu Duc’s plan would be officially initiated Monday while that of Hoc Mon awaits approval.

The only wholesale market remaining, Binh Dien in District 8, remains closed until further notice.

Ho Chi Minh City has recorded over 13,500 local cases in the latest Covid-19 wave.

At present, many supermarket shelves stand empty as people stockpile amid the 15-day social distancing campaign.