President Nguyen Xuan Phuc works with key leaders of Ho Chi Minh City on COVID fight. Photo: VOV

Working with key leaders of Ho Chi Minh City on Friday, President Phuc extended sympathy to the people of the City and 18 other localities in the southern region, which are struggling with the pandemic.

The President said the Delta variant is dangerous and highly contagious and he assigned tasks to Ho Chi Minh City.

“The first and foremost goal at this time is to protect the health and safety of the city's people and to minimize the number of deaths. We have a low mortality rate compared to the world, but for the sake of people's lives, we don’t  allow it to happen. To slow the virus spreading, it’s necessary to continue to implement social distancing regulations specified by Directive 15 and Directive 16 of the Prime Minister. From the top to bottom, the whole grassroots political system goes from alley to alley, knocks from door to door, and checks every suspected person, then the pandemic will definitely be under control.”

The President said social distancing must be combined with taking care of people's lives, without letting people go hungry. He added that he had mobilized domestic and foreign benefactors to help the city with 4.4 million USD plus 10 ventilators and medical supplies.