(Illustration: tuoitre.vn)

At the working session, Senior Lieutenant General Vo Minh Luong, Deputy Minister of National Defense and Head of the Group, agreed with the city's proposal of relaxing social distancing and but he said safety must be ensured in the relaxed areas.

He called for speeding up the vaccination, implementing social distancing by regions, and ensuring social security. He urged the city people and authority to stay united to overcome difficulties and soon return to a fast and sustainable development pace.

Ho Chi Minh City has been Vietnam's largest COVID-19 hotspot with nearly 287,000 cases reported so far.