Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has issued an urgent directive, rallying authorities to brace against a tropical depression that is rapidly intensifying and barreling toward central Vietnam, posing significant risks of heavy rainfall and severe flooding.

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health has developed a response plan for a scenario in which the number of COVID-19 patients reaches 10,000 – 15,000, including 500 severe cases.

The Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang has developed a plan to respond to drought, water shortage, and saline intrusion in the dry season in late-2020 and early-2021, a conference held by the provincial People’s Committee on October 5 heard.

Vietnam has sent urgent appeals to international communities, asking for 48.5 million USD to deal with the impact of increasingly severe drought and saltwater intrusion caused by the El Nino.

Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai has asked localities to improve their response plans for severe storms before September 20 to send to ministries and relevant agencies.