HCM City allows food and drink takeaway services, reopens IT stores

HCM City People’s Committee late Wednesday issued a new decision on COVID-19 prevention and control measures as the city continues to stay under the restrictive Directive 16 with outbreaks still not properly controlled yet.

After two months of complete shutdowns to deal with COVID-19 outbreaks, restaurants and other food and drink services can now resume delivery of takeaway orders, between 6am-6pm every day.

The southern city, currently the COVID-19 epicentre of the country, will allow postal service providers, telecommunications, IT devices and equipment and office stationery vendors to reopen, also within the same time frame and also only for delivery orders. The decision is made as millions of students in the city are starting the new school year via online learning.

All places must have household business/business licences issued by relevant authorities, must register with district (or Thủ Đức City) authorities to obtain travel permits, and follow the three on-site model (eat, rest, sleep in place).

Workers at these businesses must have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine and be tested for COVID-19 every two days (using rapid antigen method for each individual, or pooled samples of three persons).

Supermarkets, convenience stores and food stores are allowed to open. Shippers can operate within the perimeter of a single district or Thủ Đức City.

Establishments producing and trading in pharmaceutical materials, drugs, medical equipment and medical supplies are allowed to operate from 6am to 9pm daily to meet public needs.

The people’s committees of District 7 and Củ Chi District, considered to have the COVID-19 situation under control, can establish plans to allow their residents to go shopping for food and essentials once a week. The plan must be reported to the municipal People’s Committee before September 11.

Currently, residents in HCM City are not allowed to go outside for food and essentials amid worsening outbreaks, with their food orders delivered by local authorities, military personnel, volunteers, and more recently, e-commerce platform shippers.

Under today’s decision, two wholesale markets Bình Điền and Hóc Môn will be used as transhipment venues for agricultural produce and food – in addition to Thủ Đức wholesale market – to ensure supplies for the city’s residents at a reasonable price.