Vietnam's coronavirus epicentre Ho Chi Minh City, which has kept residents confined at home under lockdown, is considering reopening economic activity from Sept 15, shifting from a “zero Covid-19” strategy to a policy of living with the virus.

The city of nine million people is targeting a phased reopening and the full vaccination of its citizens by the end of this year, according to the draft seen by Reuters, which has yet to be endorsed.

Ho Chi Minh City last month deployed troops to enforce its lockdown and prohibited residents from leaving their homes to slow a spiralling rate of deaths. Just three per cent of Vietnam's 98m population has been fully vaccinated.