They will remain open 24 hours a day to offer consumers instant access to daily needs like rice, milk, eggs, cooking oil, sugar, salt and fresh groceries, according to the city Department of Industry and Trade.

Since vegetables are in high demand, Bach Hoa Xanh has been supplying double or triple the usual volume.

The 24-hour stores will be widely distributed across the city.

Long queues and shortages at supermarkets have become common in recent days, making access to groceries difficult.

With demand expected to increase in the coming days, Bach Hoa Xanh plans to increase the number of 24-hour outlets.

The department has also announced plans to reopen traditional markets with Covid safety measures in place. Alternate locations will be used for markets unable to comply with them.

The Covid surge prompted authorities to close many traditional markets, including wholesale ones, in the last few weeks, causing difficulties for consumers.

According to the department, 46 traditional markets remain open while 191 are closed.

The city, home to 13 million people, is now the most infected locality in the country with nearly 36,000 cases recorded in the ongoing Covid wave that hit Vietnam on April 27.