The city reported 42 new Covid-19 locally-transmitted cases on July 18 with some found outside locked-down areas. 

Accordingly, Hanoi citizens are required to stay at home and only go out when necessary such as business trip, food and medicine purchases, and other emergency cases like health check-ups and treatment. 

They were also ordered not to gather more than five people outside workplaces, schools and hospitals. Agencies and businesses are urged to actively outline online work or work-in-shift plans. Shopping malls, supermarkets, and wholesale and wet markets only sell necessities. Public transport means must reduce seats by half. 

Hanoians flocked to supermarkets on the evening of July 18 and July 19 morning to buy necessities. Many supermarkets in Hanoi have run out of food and necessities. 

Meanwhile, the director of Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade, Tran Thi Phuong Lan, warned people not to flock to crowded shopping centers and supermarkets to avoid possible virus spread. According to the official, they have built goods supply plans for three scenarios of the Covid-19 outbreak. 

VietNamNet reporters took photos at supermarkets in Hanoi on July 18:

At VinMart supermarket in Times City urban area

At VinMart supermarket in Times City urban area

At VinMart supermarket in Times City urban area

At VinMart supermarket in Times City urban area

At VinMart supermarket in Times City urban area

At BiG C Thang Long supermarket

PV

Hanoi halts all non-essential services from 0am on July 19

Chairman of the Hanoi municipal People's Committee Chu Ngoc Anh on July 18 ordered halting all non-essential services amid the complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic