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Rice ATM feeds Vietnam's poor amid COVID-19 lockdown

Rice ATM feeds Vietnam's poor amid COVID-19 lockdown
As of April 16, Vietnam has reported 268 Covid-19 cases, and no deaths so far, but as a result of a 15-day social distancing programme that began on March 31 many small businesses have been shuttered and thousands of people temporarily laid off from work.

A Vietnamese entrepreneur in Ho Chi Minh City has invented a 24/7 automatic dispensing machine providing free rice for people out of work following an ongoing nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. For these people who are suddenly without income, businessmen and donors have set up machines that dispense free rice at several cities across Vietnam.

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In Hanoi, rice contained in a large water tank pours out into residents' bags from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, according to state-run news agency VNA.

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In the central city of Hue, a rice ATM located at a college provides 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) of free rice for local residents. In Ho Chi Minh City, a rice ATM dispenses rice 24/7. And in Da Nang, two rice ATMs will be set up next week, according to VNA.

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