Several streets in HCMC stood empty on the first day of a new social distancing period requiring residents to "stay where they are." 

Hanoi Highway, leading toward Saigon Bridge and downtown, was virtually devoid of traffic at around 8 a.m. Monday.

A Covid-19 checkpoint on Dien Bien Phu Street near Saigon Bridge saw few vehicles.

Starting Monday, military forces were deployed to reinforce Covid-19 checkpoints across Ho Chi Minh City to enforce strict social distancing.

Until Sept. 6, the military and other authorities would purchase and deliver food to the people once a week.

A military officer checks the travel papers of a person on Dinh Bo Linh Street. Those venturing out were mostly health workers and other frontline forces in the Covid-19 fight.

As seen from above, a roundabout that intersects Ly Thai To, Le Hong Phong, Dien Bien Phu, Ngo Gia Tu and Ba Hat streets is nearly empty.

A Pham Van Dong Street section in Thu Duc City saw no vehicles at times. It is an important traffic route to reach Tan Son Nhat International Airport.

About 5 kilometers away, no vehicles were spotted on the Nguyen Thai Son-Pham Van Dong overpass, a main route leading to Tan Son Nhat airport.

Pham Ngu Lao Street in Go Vap District stands idle, in stark contrast to its usual traffic jams just a day before when people rushed to supermarkets.

Both lanes on Quang Trung Street saw almost no vehicles.

A pharmacy on Nguyen Kiem Street closed down Monday morning. Days prior, it was packed with people trying to buy medicine.

A section of Hoang Van Thu Street, which intersects Nguyen Van Troi Street, was empty at 9:30 a.m. There are two Covid-19 checkpoints at this location.

Nguyen Tri Phuong Street saw only a few vehicles in the morning.

About a million people have gone out onto the streets every day in Ho Chi Minh City despite an ongoing social distancing order, according to police.

A Covid-19 checkpoint on Hoang Minh Giam Street.