HANOI -- Vietnam wants Ho Chi Minh City and nearby provinces to take more aggressive measures against a wave of coronavirus infections sweeping the country's southern commercial hub.
The central government in Hanoi sent a document to authorities in those regions Wednesday, calling for actions including lockdowns to stop the spread of COVID-19. The country, which stood out for its containment of the virus in the early months of the pandemic, is now struggling to control the situation amid vaccine shortages.