At around 5:20 a.m., swarms of vehicles could be seen on Thanh Khe District's Dien Bien Phu Street, with most heading to the market.
From Aug. 16 to 23, Da Nang residents would have to stay home at all times amid a rising coronavirus threat.
Officers in Hoa Khe Ward had to block all entrances to Thanh Khe Market.
Da Nang has instructed relevant authorities to ensure food and other necessities are available for the people. But for the last two days, locals have flocked to markets to hoard necessities. Large crowds have significantly hindered social distancing measures, while causing price hikes.
At 6 a.m., the road was unblocked to allow people with appropriate food stamps to enter the market, while others had to turn back. About 15 minutes later, the road was cleared.
"Starting at 1:30 a.m., we had to erect checkpoints to prevent people from entering in droves. But since Thanh Khe Market provides fresh meat, people from many areas have come there to purchase food, leading to congestion," said Nguyen Quoc Anh, police chief of Hoa Khe Ward.
"Vegetables at the market are twice as expensive as usual, so I decided to buy them outside instead," said Hoa, a local from Hai Chau District. Many others have gathered on Ong Ich Khiem Street like Hoa to buy cheaper food from street vendors.
At 7 a.m., several people traveled from Hai Chau to Ngu Hanh Son District via the Dragon Bridge, as most areas in Son Tra District had been put under lockdown.
During the one-week lockdown, Da Nang will suspend virtually all activities, except for truly essential tasks. Certain factories and offices are allowed to operate, but they must do so with few employees on-site as a coronavirus precaution.
At 7:50 a.m., people lined up in front of a Co.opmart outlet on Dien Bien Phu Street, even though the supermarket only opens from 9 a.m.
Only 20 customers may enter the supermarket at a time to ensure social distancing.
People pass through a railway crossroad on Tran Cao Van Street.
Da Nang has recorded 1,859 local Covid-19 cases since the fourth coronavirus wave hit Vietnam in late April. On Friday alone, the city recorded 58 new cases, 16 with unknown sources of transmission.
Meanwhile in Nha Trang, a beach town down south, many people still went out on the streets on the first day of a one-week lockdown period starting Saturday. Many were stopped at Covid-19 checkpoints, asked for approval documents to go out and had quick Covid-19 tests done.
Starting Saturday, over 500,000 people in Nha Trang would need to stay home all the time, except for necessities.
Bach Hoa Xanh supermarket on Le Hong Phong Street remained open to people carrying food stamps.
All customers have their body temperatures scanned before entry.
Several people at another Co.opmart supermarket on Le Hong Phong Street had to turn back after learning it had closed down. Instead, they ordered goods online, to be delivered by shippers.
