1,000 troops, medicos on their way to HCMC, provinces to help contain Covid

They include 120 doctors from the Vietnam Military Medical University in Hanoi and 180 of their students.

A majority of them will be on duty in HCMC with the rest fanning out to other southern localities.

They will be divided into small teams for testing and vaccinating people, treating Covid and other patients and provide food in the city.

There are already around 2,300 military medical personnel in the city.

The troops and their colleagues from the 7th Military Region based in HCMC will ensure people stay at home.

The city announced Friday a further tightening of coronavirus restrictions from August 23 that require everyone to shelter in place.

Deputy Defense Minister Senior Lieutenant General Vo Minh Luong, head of the government's Covid-19 special task force in HCMC, said at a government meeting Friday that troops would deliver food and other essential items to each household in the city for 15 days starting Monday.

The police, military and industry-trade agencies would work jointly for this, he said.

Lieutenant General Do Quyet, director of the Vietnam Military Medical University, said medical teams, each with two doctors and three students from the university, will visit and treat Covid-19 patients staying at home.

The city Department of Industry and Trade will coordinate with authorities in all districts and Thu Duc City to survey demand for food, both given by the government for free and purchased.

In the latest Covid wave that hit in late April, HCMC has had 167,717 infections and 5,939 deaths. The national tally is 319,210 and 7,505.

The city of 13 million has serially mandated social distancing, with the latest one being until September 15.

People are banned from going out between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. except for certain reasons like medical emergencies.

The government has said it wants HCMC to get the coronavirus situation under control by September 15.