The relief package worth 2.6 billion USD, 1.5 billion USD of which is from the State budget, will be provided for the next 3 months directly to the pockets of revolutionary contributors, people under social protection, the vulnerable, the poor, household businesses, and employees who take time off without pay.

Nguyen Thu Huong, who runs a small restaurant in Thanh Xuan district, Hanoi, said: “It’s good news. We have to stay home for 10 to 15 days without any income. Now that the State and government support ordinary people like us, we couldn’t be happier.”

Minister Dao Ngoc Dung called on local authorities to give the aid package effectively and to right persons. He said: “The Ministry has instructed how to implement related policies, particularly the unemployment insurance policy. We have proposed the Prime Minister and worked with the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Planning and Investment on adopting policies to provide timely support to people.”

The Ministry of Planning and Investment says some 153,000 people have lost their jobs or registered to unemployment insurance, while millions of workers have their work suspend in garment and textile, leather footwear, transport, tourism, and catering services.