VOV.VN - The People’s Council of Ho Chi Minh City on August 24 elected incumbent vice secretary of the HCM City Party Committee Pham Van Mai as chairman of the municipal administration.

VOV.VN - Ho Chi Minh City, the largest coronavirus hotspot in Vietnam at present, had vaccinated nearly 5.1 million people as of August 18, according to the municipal Department of Health.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) has consulted community businesses to develop the Government's resolution on supporting businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

VOV.VN - The Ministry of Health (MoH) on August 17 distributed 30,000 vials of Remdesivir, a broad-spectrum antiviral medication, to intensive care unit (ICU) centres and eight localities in the south to assist them with the COVID-19 fight.

VOV.VN - The number of new coronavirus infections recorded in the community has increased considerably across Ho Chi Minh City over recent days, said Nguyen Thanh Phong, head of the municipal administration.

VOV.VN - Vietnam has put a number of well-equipped intensive care unit (ICU) centres into operation, with experienced doctors making great efforts to treat critically-ill patients in an attempt to minimise the mortality rate.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had great impact on the labour market, with an increase in the unemployment rate, according to the Department of Employment of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA). ​

The liquidity of the banking system has risen recently, helping cool interbank interest rates.

The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) will continue directing commercial banks to reduce interest rates for customers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, said Deputy Governor Dao Minh Tu at the Government’s press conference on August 11. ​

VOV.VN - Experts believe that Ho Chi Minh City’s goal of containing the latest COVID-19 outbreak by September 15 is feasible, only if social distancing measures are strictly implemented alongside virus localisation, extensive testing, and vaccinations.