Ho Chi Minh City Municipal People’s Committee has announced a financial support package worth VND 2,576 billion (nearly US$112.7 million) for poor families and freelancers in the city.

Lottery ticket sellers receive financial assistance in the first relief package
in April last year. Photo plo.vn

Of the total figure, VND1,572 billion will be given to one million poor households while the rest will be provided to 669,170 freelancers.

Last month, the city approved second financial relief package worth VND886 billion (US$38.58 million) to support 230,000 informal and freelance workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Freelancers and workers in the informal economy have been the hardest hit by the pandemic as they have lost jobs during social distancing requirements, according to Director of the Municipal Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs Le Minh Tan.

These workers include street vendors, garbagemen, porters, lottery-ticket sellers, the self-employed or workers in household businesses in catering, accommodations, tourism and health care, among others in the informal sector.

Each worker would receive VND50,000 a day for the lockdown period.

The city allocated VND611 billion (US$26.5 million) and VND181 billion (US$7.85 million) for businesses and informal sector workers in the first relief package last year. 

Lam Dong province gifts 5,000 tons of vegetables to HCMC 

The Central Highlands province of Lam Dong has planned to gift 5,000 tons of vegetables to Ho Chi Minh City from August 22 to September 15, according to the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The vegetables, including cabbage, carrot, tomato, potato, will be transported to the southern metropolis by the army, added the Department.

Ha Noi authorities provide VND460 bln to pandemic-hit residents

* As of August 20, Ha Noi has provided financial support worth VND460 billion (US$20.15 million) to residents affected by the COVID-19, according to Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Quoc Khanh.

District-level authorities are working to update lists of people who need support, Nguyen said.

The city also put aside additional credit package totaling VND500 billion to provide loans to individuals and businesses to restart economic activities.

The capital city began to impose social distancing order since July 24 but it still recorded 60-80 new COVID-19 cases each day, prompting the municipal authorities to extend to order until August 23. 

Since the four COVID-19 wave began in late April, the city confirmed more than 2,700 infection cases, of which 1,439 were detected in the community, according to Director of the Department of Health Tran Thi Nhi Ha.

The city is ramping up testing in high-risk areas to early detect infections, Tran added./ VGP