Local people shop at a mobile store in Hanoi. The capital city will put into service 2,500 mobile stores if many wet markets and supermarkets in the city have to suspend operations in droves due to the impact of Covid-19 – PHOTO: VNA

HANOI – The capital city of Hanoi will put into service 2,500 mobile stores if many wet markets and supermarkets in the city have to suspend operations in droves due to the impact of Covid-19, according to the city’s recent plan.

The plan was put forward to ensure the sufficient supply of food, foodstuffs and other necessities during the stay-at-home order, after Covid-19 cases shut a host of local markets and supermarkets.

Hanoi is home to around 10 million people. The amount of necessities consumed and transported during the stay-at-home period in the city has tripled that of normal months, as residents have stocked up on goods for fears of uncertainties.

Under the plan, the city will open 2,500 mobile stores at culture houses, community houses and vacant land plots to sell food and necessities to the local people. Besides, 472 transaction locations run by post offices will also offer food and necessities to residents.

Vacant land plots will be designated for local vendors of suspended markets to continue to run their business or for local people or businesses that want to sell food and necessities. In addition, the city asked operators that do not sell food to switch to selling these items to residents.

The city added that it will mobilize goods from enterprises in the city as well as other localities that had registered to supply an adequate amount of goods to the city.

If provinces and cities that usually supply goods to Hanoi have a limited amount of goods or face obstacles linked to quarantine or lockdown orders, the Hanoi departments of Industry and Trade, Agricultural and Rural Development have to work with other localities and direct suppliers citywide to take measures to purchase goods to serve the points of sale.

Over the past few days, many districts in Hanoi have set up mobile stores with available price lists to help local people feel safe while shopping during the pandemic and reduce the transmission risk of Covid-19 as the shopping model would restrict large gatherings.