Vietnam's business hub of Ho Chi Minh City has announced that its residents will be prohibited from leaving their homes, as the country's biggest city turns to drastic measures to slow a spiralling rate of coronavirus deaths, Reuters reports.

Vietnam's toughest order yet comes amid a spike in fatalities and infections, despite weeks of lockdown measures aimed at limiting movement in the city of nine million people, the epicentre of the country's outbreak.

"We are asking people to stay where you are, not to go outside. Each home, company, factory should be an anti-virus fort," said Pham Duc Hai, deputy head of the city's coronavirus authority.

The details of the order, which takes effect on Monday, have yet to be announced.