Buddha&Grill Bar is the place where a new coronavirus outbreak occured. The bar was forced to close on March 25 (Photo: Buddha)

At Thursday’s meeting to discuss prevention measures, Mayor Nguyen Thanh Phong call on people to work together, saying the city may have to sacrifice short-term economic benefits to protect people's health.

Municipal Party Committee Secretary Nguyen Thien Nhan stressed the importance of face masks and  social distancing in preventing the spread of the epidemic: “Wearing face masks is an effective way to minimize the risk of infection. The municipal People’s Committee should issue a directive asking people to wear masks whenever they are in public and give out hefty fines to those who fail to comply.”