At an urgent meeting on March 19, he stated that 55 provinces and cities have prepared plans to cope with the outbreak at five levels, including the scenario of large cities being placed under lockdown.
He also asked ministry agencies to establish inspection teams to learn about the situation in a number of hotspots as well as to work with enterprises to verify that they have adequate stocks of goods and distribution is not disrupted.
In the meantime, the Department of Market Surveillance was requested to take bold measures to stabilise the market and prevent the hoarding of goods and the spread of counterfeit goods.
On March 19, in Hanoi, the capital city, supermarkets told mayor Nguyen Duc Chung that they have prepared plans to increase their reserves by up to 300% over normal times.
Retailers also affirmed that they have worked with manufacturers to ensure a stable supply of goods amid the complicated developments of the coronavirus outbreak.
