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In Vietnam, social distancing and charity go hand in hand with the installation of “rice ATMs.”
Rice dispensers have been set up in different parts of the country to help the poor as some areas have been put under lockdown during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, affecting the livelihood of residents.
The rice and the dispensers are provided through donors. Citizens can collect up to 2 kilograms of rice grains each, reported the Vietnamese News Agency on Monday, April 13.
These “rice ATMs” were first put up in Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi. The city of Hue, in central Vietnam, had one dispenser installed last Saturday, April 11.
The coastal city of Da Nang will have two “rice ATMs” by next week through the Da Nang City Young Businessmen Association, the report said. The organization tapped donors to collect 40 tons of rice and plans to operate the dispensers until June.
A developing nation, Vietnam has been hailed for its handling of the COVID-19 crisis. It swiftly suspended flights to and from China in February, imposed mass quarantines and followed strict contact-tracing procedures, according to the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada on April 6. The country has 267 cases and zero deaths as of this writing. Niña V. Guno /ra
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