A food deliveryman drives through an isolated area
in Da Nang. Photo by VnExpress/Nguyen Dong

After Da Nang authorities allowed delivery companies to resume operations, they have been deluged with orders.

On September 6, online delivery app Loship got more than 1,300 orders, of which food accounted for 58 percent, followed by groceries and general items, its spokesperson said.

ShopeeFood has also been delivering thousands of orders a day, especially food and other essential goods. AhaMove had some 3,000 orders on the first day of resumption, September 6.

But the Loship spokesperson said the order completion rate was low because most establishments have yet to reopen, the number of delivery persons is low and many areas in Da Nang remain locked down.

To operate, shippers must have had at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine and test every three days using the PT-PCR method.

Besides identification and vaccination documents, they also need to carry a card issued by the police authorizing travel.

Loship covers the cost of medical protective equipment and anti-drop glasses and pays delivery people double for each order. ShopeeFood offers a bonus for those deliver more than 15 orders a day.

The city had banned delivery services between July 22 and August 21.

It first allowed nearly 800 people working for supermarkets and trade centers to deliver before further easing restrictions on September 5 in areas that had no Covid cases for 14 days or were not locked down.

Now around 1,000 delivery persons working for AhaMove, Grab, ShopeeFood, and Loship operate from 6a.m to 8p.m.

Da Nang has recorded more than 4,700 Covid-19 cases in the ongoing wave starting April 27.