Chairing a meeting of the National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control on Sunday at a time when 23 cities and provinces have imposed stringent lockdowns under Directive 16, he said, "Localities that have made economic and social sacrifices to impose social distancing measures should bring the Covid-19 outbreak under control in return for that."

Any locality that does not achieve the target should "scrutinize themselves, review and clarify the causes and responsibilities of organizations and individuals".

"Those who do not fulfill their responsibilities must be dealt with." He did not elaborate on how they should be dealt with.

Directive 16 prohibits people from leaving home except for buying food, seeking medical treatment or working at entities that are still functioning.

The 23 cities and provinces imposing lockdowns include Da Nang, Hanoi and 19 southern localities including HCMC.

Since the PM recently visited HCMC and its neighboring provinces of Binh Duong and Dong Nai, the three worst sufferers in the current Covid wave, their leaders did not attend the meeting.

Only the six southern provinces of Binh Phuoc, Soc Trang, Ben Tre, Hau Giang, Bac Lieu, and Ca Mau have basically brought the outbreak under control, while 13 others seem on their way to achieving it, the PM said.

In HCMC and Binh Duong, Long An and Tien Giang, the pandemic is still developing dangerously, "especially in HCMC," he said.

"We aim to contain and control the pandemic, but we also have to identify that the fight against it would be a long-term one and we cannot completely control it but would have to live with it and adopt a suitable approach."

A government resolution issued earlier this month said HCMC needs to control the outbreak before September 15.

The country’s biggest city has mandated various degrees of social distancing since May 31.

Binh Duong, Long An and Dong Nai should control their outbreaks before September 1 and other localities by August 25, the resolution had said.

The fourth and latest wave began four months ago, and 431,073 cases have been recorded in 62 out of the nation’s 63 cities and provinces, leaving just northern Cao Bang uninfected.

Over 10,700 people have died.