The Da Nang Department of Industry and Trade has developed a food security plan to ensure the city's food supply during the city’s stay-at-home order.

Under this plan, the city will distribute food items including rice, instant noodles, canned meat and fish, dried fish, chicken eggs for 50,000 very poor households across the city, equivalent to 16.6% of the city’s total households.

In addition, 1,000 tons of root and tuber vegetables will be provided for people in the entire city. Moreover, the focus will be on asking for food donations for local residents during this period.

Supermarkets, convenience stores, and distribution businesses are operating at 100% capacity. They are allowed to hire app-based delivery people on motorbikes, locally known as 'shippers', to join their delivery staff to meet growing demand for delivery services from their customers.

Authorities in districts across Da Nang will look at the coronavirus situation in their local areas to consider reopening grocery stores with proper precautions in place. Allowed stores will be encouraged to open more selling points for vegetables, meat and fish.

However, citizens in Da Nang are required to not directly order food and essential goods from these stores but through the help of management boards in their places of residents.

Authorities in local districts will create a proactive approach to reopen traditional markets but ensuring stringent compliance with the recommended COVID-19 control measures. In addition, the heed will be paid on considering opening mobile selling points and temporary markets to partially satisfy local people's needs.

The municipal Department of Industry and Trade is asking for permission from the government to allow supermarkets and convenience stores to bring 100% of their employees to back to work but not require the adoption of the ‘stay-at-work’ solution.

The high priority should be given to issuing travel permits to delivery staff and app-based shippers of accredited food retailers. Taskforces at checkpoints across the city should create the most favourable conditions for these people to ensure timely delivery for their customers.

Youth union members, women, and volunteers are encouraged to actively get involved in helping with the delivery of food and essentials to people in their residential areas.

The municipal Department of Transport is working with its counterpart in Quang Nam Province to ensure a continued smooth transport of goods between the two localities.

Reporting by QUYNH TRANG – translating by H.L