Vietnam PM asks major cities to prepare for lockdown to stop virus

Vietnam's prime minister has asked major cities to prepare for possible lockdowns to stop the spread of the coronavirus as the number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country almost reached 200, a government statement said on Monday.

"Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have to review and update plans to battle the virus, and have to stand ready for city lockdown scenarios," Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said in the statement.