Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s largest COVID-19 hot spot at present, is building a plan with the aim for pandemic control before September 15 with two stages, Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong said on August 15.

In the first phase from August 15-31, the city is striving to minimise the fatality rate, expand safe areas and control the pandemic in Can Gio, Nha Be, Cu Chi and Phu Nhuan, and Districts 5, 7 and 11.

During the second from September 1-15, authorities will exert every effort to put the pandemic under control, strive for a 20 percent reduction in the number of fatalities and the number of cases in critical conditions, and over 70 percent of its population aged above 18 receiving the first infection and 15 percent given the second jab.

To that end, Phong requested stricter implementation of social distancing regulations, closer management of quarantine sites and better protection of areas that remain safe in face of the pandemic.

The city leader also urged relevant agencies to step up COVID-19 testing in specific areas, as well as conducting vaccination in diverse forms.

Regarding treatment, the city will continue effectively providing care for patients at home and at hospitals, stated Phong.

The city started to impose social distancing on July 9./.

Hanoi authorities issue resolutions to support pandemic-hit people

The Hanoi municipal People’s Council recently issued three resolutions to support people in the city and help them overcome the difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under a Resolution No. 15/NQ-HDND, the municipal People’s Council approved aid packaged worth VND345 billion for 10 groups of people in the city whose livelihoods have been affected by COVID-19 pandemic.

These groups include poor and near-poor households; social welfare beneficiaries; revolutionary contributors and wounded soldiers; employees who have had their labour contracts suspended or have taken unpaid leave, employees who have had their labour contracts terminated; owners of private kindergartens who had to stop working for at least 15 days due to COVID-19 from May 1-December 31, 2021; and pregnant employees, among others.

In Resolution No. 16/NQ-HDND, the municipal People’s Council implemented a 15% price cut in water bills of local households in the last four months of this year.

In addition, the city will cover 100% water bills for local concentrated quarantined areas and treatment facilities for infected and suspected COVID-19 patients, poor and near-poor households.

The city authorities have also decided to cover expenses for funeral services for deceased COVID-19 patients under Resolution No. 17/NQ-HDND.

Population database to help manage COVID-19 vaccinations

The Ministry of Public Security (MPS) will share data from the National Population Database to help manage COVID-19 vaccinations.

The database will be shared with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Information and Communications.

Last week, the MPS officially deployed the nationwide citizen management software in pandemic-affected areas on the basis of the National Population Database. The software is updated with medical declarations when people pass pandemic control stations.

Specifically, when citizens register medical declarations at https://suckhoe.dancuquocgia.gov.vn before going through pandemic control stations, the system will provide them with a QR code.

At the checkpoints, police officers will check information on the system and let them go through.

Data is processed on the National Population Database, then communicated to ward and commune authorities in order to manage their information, thereby tracing the movements of citizens easily, quickly and accurately, saving costs in the current pandemic situation.

At a meeting on August 12 with the MPS, Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long emphasised that the people's public security force performs resident management.

The force played a key role in tracing COVID-19 cases, while controlling the movement of people and vehicles, he said.

Therefore, information management on the basis of the National Population Database and QR codes was suitable for the actual situation, ensuring accuracy, contributing to the prevention and control of COVID-19.

Long proposed the MPS to unify the medical declaration form and use a unique QR code for each individual, avoiding confusion, simplifying procedures, saving time, and facilitating people in the medical declarations.

Speaking at the meeting, Deputy Minister of Public Security Nguyen Duy Ngoc asked the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Information and Communications to support and share experience in health management and vaccination databases.

Ngoc said the two ministries should provide professional and technical support so that the MPS can quickly use national data on population in the work of tracing COVID-19 cases, verifying citizen information for vaccination management, contributing to the pandemic control./.

Painting and writing contest for child patients launched

A painting and writing contest for child patients aged 4-16 nationwide has been launched in HCM City.

Vì Một Việt Nam Tất Thắng (For A Victory to Việt Nam) was organised by Foreign Trade University and Hope Foundation, a non-government organisation, to give the highest chance of survival to children with cancer across Việt Nam.

The contest categories include painting, poetry, short stories, essays and letters, reflecting hope for a brighter future and conveying messages of love to frontline workers and doctors fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Contestants can send multiple entries to the contest to Foreign Trade University - 91 Chùa Láng Street, Đống Đa District, Hà Nội, or via email VietNamtatthang@ftu.edu.vn by September 10.

The organisers have invited singer and music producer Hà Anh Tuấn to be the contest’s ambassador.

Tuấn, who has made great contributions to the COVID-19 fight, said: “While all people across Việt Nam have faced great challenges these days, paintings and literary works by children who are brave in their fight against cancer and incurable diseases will represent our gratitude to frontline forces who are devoting their life protecting all of us.

“These works will also send wishes to all Vietnamese people that the country will soon become peaceful after the pandemic,” said the 37-year-old singer.

Tuấn, a graduate of Technische Universitat Darmstadt in Hessen, Germany, rose to fame in the Sao Mai – Rendezvous TV singing contest in 2006.

He has released seven albums, including Acous’84, a production of nine R&B songs which helped the singer bring home the Golden Album of the Year presented by HCM City Television in 2010.

He works as a music producer for See Sing Share, which won Show of the Year and Music Series of the Year at the Cống Hiến (Devotion) Music Awards in 2019.

The show has had four seasons over the last six years, with a total of 40 music videos featuring Tuấn’s signature ballads and R&B songs which have been hits among Vietnamese youth for a decade, and favourite songs by other singers. His videos have attracted hundreds of millions of views.

Since the pandemic’s outbreak in Việt Nam last year, Tuấn and his friends have donated medical equipment and supplies, food, and essential items worth tens of billion đồng to hospitals, frontline forces and COVID-affected people.

The organisers will present a total of 12 top prizes and dozens of consolation prizes worth more than VNĐ100 million (US$4,360).

The winners will be announced in November.

HCM City cranks up assistance programmes to reassure asymptomatic COVID patients in home quarantine

With an increasing number of asymptomatic COVID-19 patients isolating themselves at home in HCM City, healthcare agencies are providing free medical consultancy through hotlines and Zalo groups, and oxygen cylinders and concentrators in case of emergencies.

HCM City was the first locality in Việt Nam to allow asymptomatic patients with a low viral load, no underlying disease or obesity, and stable underlying medical conditions to quarantine at home.  

This helps reduce the overload at medical facilities, according to the city Department of Health.   

Local health officials monitor them every day.

When they start to have symptoms such as temperature of above 38 degrees Celsius, sore throat, diarrhoea, loss of taste, or shortness of breath, they can call 1022, extensions 3 and 4, to get advice from doctors at the HCM City Medical Association, the city Centre for Diseases Control and Prevention, hospitals, or the Thầy thuốc đồng hành network of physicians.

“I am experiencing shortness of breath. Has my condition worsened?” was a question a patient asked at 1022, Assoc. Prof. Dr Nguyễn Thị Bay of the HCM City University of Medicine and Pharmacy, one of the doctors on 1022, said.  

“After hearing a patient say that, I told her to lie down and place a hand on her abdomen to count the number of times it rises and falls in one minute.

“More than 20 breaths per minute would be worrisome.

“The patient was reassured with the clear explanations about her health status and instructions on what she should do next.”

Through calls from asymptomatic patients at home and their relatives, she has realised that many of them are anxious and fearful, and timely consultation by a doctor is imperative.

The doctors providing consultancy on the hotline have also been asked many questions about vaccination such as side effects and ambulances to transport them to designated hospitals after their condition worsened.

In the case of the latter, doctors also guide patients’ relatives about emergency aid for patients while waiting for the ambulance besides sending patients’ information to the Department of Health and other relevant agencies for assistance with transporting to and admission at designated hospitals.  

The hotline 1022 is available 24 hours a day.The Department of Health has collaborated with the Thầy thuốc đồng hành network of physicians to set up one more hotline at 093.95.96.999 for COVID patients and those who suspect they have contracted it and are isolated at home.

The consultancy is provided by health centres in all 22 districts and Thủ Đức City in co-operation with the Thầy thuốc đồng hành network of physicians.

It also helps classify high-risk groups who need to be hospitalised for treatment by sending their information to community-based COVID teams, task forces in districts, wards and communes and the 115 Emergency Aid Centre.

If a person takes more than 30 breaths per minute and their peripheral oxygen saturation is less than 95 per cent, they should call 115 or commune, ward or districts task force for emergency aid and transportation to hospitals.

Dr Trương Hữu Khanh, former head of the infectious and nervous diseases department at the city’s Paediatrics Hospital No 1, has a Facebook fanpage and Zalo group for patients and their relatives, and his consultancy has guided helped many patients’ families.     

In Tân Bình District’s Ward 5, the local health centre and Hồ Chí Minh Communist Youth Union have also set up a similar Zalo group.

Trương Nguyễn Phong, secretary of the ward youth union, said free oxygen cylinders and concentrators would be provided to COVID patients at home whose condition becomes worse and need life support while waiting for transportation to hospital.

The union has 10 cylinders and three concentrators, all small and easily taken to homes of patients living in alleys, he said.

The youth union’s 17 members are available 24 hours a day to take them to patients’ houses, he said.   

Nguyễn Lê Trung Hiếu, chairman of the Bình Tân District unit of the Việt Nam Youth Federation, said members of the federation and district youth union are providing free oxygen cylinders to patients at home under a programme called Oxygen ATM carried out in co-operation with the Vietnam Young Entrepreneurs Association and PHG Smart home.

To get oxygen cylinders for patients quarantined at home, people need to contact 08.1934.1900 or phone numbers or the Facebook fanpage of the federation at districts and wards.

Lại Đình Hoàng, chairman of the Việt Nam Youth Federation in the district’s Bình Trị Đông A ward, said he got information about a senior couple with COVID needing oxygen because one of them got an asthma attack.

They did not have a flow regulator available, and so he rode to many medical stores around the ward to buy one, he said.

“We young people want to contribute as volunteers to assist people living in locked-down areas, with contact tracing, taking samples, vaccinating, and other tasks.” 

Late writer's fiction books about women issues released

Vietnamese women and family values are the themes of six books by late author and journalist Bà Tùng Long issued by the Trẻ (Youth) Publishing House.

Long was a leading female writer in South Việt Nam in the 1960s-70s. She wrote more than 400 short stories and 68 novels. Her works describe the culture and lifestyle of urban areas in the southern region.

The books include Tình Yêu Và Hận Thù (Love and Revenge), Hồng Nhan Đa Truân (Beautiful Women are Unlucky in Love), Nghĩa Tình Ràng Buộc (Love Ties), Người Của Oán Thù (A Woman’s Revenge), Một Thoáng Mây Bay (A Moment) and Hành Trang Vào Đời (The Luggage for Life ). 

The stories were published in magazines before 1975 and were discovered by the writer’s son, author Nguyễn Đông Thức. 

The publication celebrates the writer’s 106th birthday anniversary. 

All of the publications feature Vietnamese culture, southern women and their lifestyle. 

“My mother Bà Tùng Long’s works encourage women to live with self-confidence and self-belief. Her views about love, women and family issues are still fresh today,” said Thức. 

In 2019, Trẻ Publishing House reprinted a series of  seven books on women by Long. They have received a warm response from readers. 

“Female readers, particularly young girls, can learn many things from the female characters in writer Long’s books,” Nguyễn Bảo Trân of HCM City, a fan of Long's, said. 

Trân began reading Long when she was in high school in the 1980s. She is now a mother of two teenage daughters. 

Bà Tùng Long, whose real name is Lê Thị Bạch Vân, was born in Đà Nẵng in 1915.

She worked as a teacher of Vietnamese and French literature at schools in Hội An, such as Les Lauries, Tân Thịnh and Đạt Đức. 

She began her writing career in 1952 after her short stories were printed in newspapers. She wrote a column on women for the daily newspaper Sài Gòn Mới (New Sài Gòn).

After 1954, she moved to live in Sài Gòn (now Hồ Chí Minh City). She wrote for several leading newspapers and magazines, including Miền Nam (The South), Phụ Nữ Diễn Đàn (Female Forum), Tiếng Vang (Echo), Phụ Nữ Ngày Mai ( Future Women) and Nhân Loại (Mankind).

During the 1960s, writing under her pen name Bà Tùng Long, she was popular in the region’s literature with her works featuring women and women's rights.

Many of her works highlight Sài Gòn and its culture, local people and their daily life. 

Long died in HCM City in 2006. 

Vietnam among the friendliest countries on Earth

Vietnam has ranked ninth among the ten friendliest countries in the world, the World Population Review quoted a survey conducted by InterNations.

The ranks in this survey change dramatically within a few years as many factors can greatly affect a country’s attitude towards foreign travelers or expats.

A friendly attitude with a positive view on strangers and people of other cultures has helped Vietnam to reach the top ten. Portugal topped the list.

Experts believe that this rank will become one of the favourable factors for tourists to choose Vietnam for their post-COVID-19 experience, thus helping the country’s non-smoke industry revive./.

Detailed plan issued to promote reading culture during 2021-2025

The Ministry of Information and Communications has issued a plan aimed at promoting reading culture in the community during the 2021-2025 period.

The plan targets to improve the quality of reading culture development activities in order to achieve the goals set out in the Project on Developing reading culture in the community by 2020, with a vision to 2030, to spread reading culture strongly in the community, while synchronously implementing the tasks formulated in the project in the direction of socialisation.

The plan also requires to develop the reading movement, towards building a learning society and raising public awareness about the great significance and importance of reading for research, education and the formation of human personality.

It also aims to associate the development of reading culture with the implementation of the master plan on the network of publishing, printing and distribution establishments, in associated with the promotion of digital transformation.

Specifically, the plan focuses on perfecting institutions for the development of the network of press, radio and television establishments, amending the 2012 Law on Publishing and development of guiding documents during 2022-2024, and improving the quality of publishing activities.

It targets to develop and implement the National Book Programme Scheme to submit to the Government for promulgation in the 2021-2025 period, the project on developing a publication distribution network on the infrastructure of the postal system for implementation in 2022, establish a fund to support publishing in the form of socialisation, a project on digital transformation of publishing, printing and distribution industries implemented in 2021, and a social network connecting readers, book makers and authors to be implemented in 2023.

In addition, the plan also aims to promote communications, promotion and international cooperation in publishing, printing and distribution activities.

HCMC residents get over 85,000 doses of Vero Cell vaccine

The Department of Health of Ho Chi Minh City informed that 85,608 people in Ho Chi Minh City got  vaccinated with Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine (Vero Cell) on August 14. 

The injection process was safe in compliance with the Covid-19 pandemic prevention and control regulations.

Phu Nhuan and Can Gio districts have completed the first routine doses of vaccination schedule for adults aged above 18 years. 

From July 22 to August 13, HCMC performed vaccination for 3,490,295 people and almost them are in stable health.

On the same day, Go Vap District also implemented a vaccination campaign at Covid-19 vaccination points. Up to now, the district has administered over 2,000 doses of the Vero Cell vaccine. 

A representative of the Go Vap District Medical Center said that apart from six current Covid-19 vaccination points, there are newly-formed vaccination points in wards 5, 12, 14 in the district and more specialized vehicles for mobile vaccination have served for the elderly and people facing transportation difficulties.

HCMC mobilizes school medical workers in fight against Covid-19 in districts

The Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City has just sent a document to the Department of Education and Training of Thu Duc City and 21 districts, principals of high schools, and high schools on the mobilization of school medical staff to participate in the Covid-19 epidemic prevention and control.

Following the proposal of the Coordination Team of human resources to serve the prevention and control of Covid-19 in the southern city, the Department of Education and Training said that the current situation of the Covid-19 epidemic in the city is becoming more and more complicated, so it is necessary to call up medical forces in schools to join in the prevention and control of the epidemic.

Therefore, the municipal Department of Education and Training requested heads of educational institutions and medical staff to participate in supporting epidemic prevention and control in the area at the request of people's committees in Thu Duc City and districts.

In addition, in order to ensure the effective cleaning and disinfection of epidemic prevention and control, for environment protection and human health without wasting chemicals, the City Department of Education and Training proposed principals in schools not spray chemicals to kill the SARS-CoV-2 virus in outdoor areas.

Furthermore, schools should not apply the method of spraying chemicals and germicidal preparations on people in any situation, including the method of using chemical sprayers directly on people or using chemical spray disinfection chambers.

Spraying disinfectant is only applied in a narrow area with Covid-19 patients according to the guidance of the Ministry of Health.

HCM City vaccinates 4.3 million people against COVID

HCM City vaccinated more than 93,900 people against COVID-19 on Friday, according to its Department of Health.

Deputy chairman of the city People’s Committee, Dương Anh Đức, said all vaccines allotted by the Ministry of Health have been used up as of August 12, and it has started to administer the one million doses of Sinopharm's Vero Cell vaccine since Friday.

The vaccines were imported by the State-owned Saigon Pharmaceutical Group.

So far around 4.3 million people in the city have been inoculated, Đức said.

The city targets immunising everyone aged 18 and above, which adds up to seven million people, by month end, he said.

Secretary of the city Party Committee, Nguyễn Văn Nên, who on Friday inspected a vaccination camp at Nguyễn An Khương Secondary School in the city’s Hóc Môn District along with Đức, said people must be clearly informed what vaccine they would get and their consent must be received.

Vaccination is key to curbing the pandemic and enabling a return to normal life, he added. 

Population database to help manage COVID-19 vaccinations

The Ministry of Public Security (MPS) will share data from the National Population Database to help manage COVID-19 vaccinations.

The database will be shared with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Information and Communications.

From Wednesday, the MPS officially deployed the nationwide citizen management software in pandemic-affected areas on the basis of the National Population Database. The software is updated with medical declarations when people pass pandemic control stations.

Specifically, when citizens register medical declarations at https://suckhoe.dancuquocgia.gov.vn before going through pandemic control stations, the system will provide them with a QR code.

At the checkpoints, police officers will check information on the system and let them go through.

Data is processed on the National Population Database, then communicated to ward and commune authorities in order to manage their information, thereby tracing the movements of citizens easily, quickly and accurately, saving costs in the current pandemic situation.

At the meeting on Thursday with the MPS, Minister of Health Nguyễn Thanh Long emphasised that the People's Public Security force performs resident management.

The force played a key role in tracing COVID-19 cases, while controlling the movement of people and vehicles, he said.

Therefore, information management on the basis of the National Population Database and QR codes was suitable for the actual situation, ensuring accuracy, contributing to the prevention and control of COVID-19.

Long proposed the MPS to unify the medical declaration form and use a unique QR code for each individual, avoiding confusion, simplifying procedures, saving time, and facilitating people in the medical declarations.

Speaking at the meeting, Deputy Minister of Public Security Nguyễn Duy Ngọc asked the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Information and Communications to support and share experience in health management and vaccination databases.

Ngọc said the two ministries should provide professional and technical support so that the MPS can quickly use national data on population in the work of tracing COVID-19 cases, verifying citizen information for vaccination management, contributing to the pandemic control. 

Health ministry to trial home-based treatment for COVID patients in HCM City

The Ministry of Health plans to pilot an initiative to have COVID-19 patients treated at home with medicines, health supplements and care instructions in HCM City from August 16 at a time when COVID-19 treatment facilities are becoming overwhelmed.

Tests will be carried out at home and in the community and medicines and health supplements will be provided to patients and closely monitored by medical experts.

Food and groceries will be provided to households with patients since their family members will not be allowed to step out.

The ministry will provide detailed guidelines for taking care of patients, monitoring their health and seeking medical assistance if their condition worsens.

Helping COVID patients at home access medical care in time, thus reducing the burden on treatment facilities and fatality rates is of utmost importance, according to the ministry.

Minister of Health Nguyễn Thanh Long said home care would reduce the chance of pandemic spread.

HCM City has been trialling a programme to have asymptomatic patients quarantining at home since mid-July.

Phan Văn Mãi, deputy secretary of the city Party Committee, said medical facilities’ capacity has already been exceeded though the pandemic situation remains dire.

There is also a need for 12,000 more doctors and nurses to treat symptomatic patients with underlying medical conditions.

The city is focusing on reducing the death rate in the next 30 days.

The ministry has updated its treatment regime based on global case studies and the pandemic situation, which indicates that nearly 80 per cent of patients have few or no symptoms.

After piloting it in HCM City, the ministry will consider expanding it to the rest of the country.

According to the HCM City Centre for Disease Control, as of Saturday there were more than 35,000 COVID-positive people quarantined and monitored at home, and another 13,000 in quarantine facilities.

The city is the country’s pandemic epicentre with more than 144,000 cases by 6pm, Saturday.

HCM City needs more medical personnel at hospitals treating COVID-19 patients

More medical personnel from other provinces are being deployed in HCM City, Việt Nam’s COVID-19 epicentre, as the burden on hospitals worsens and as the city considers paying recovered COVID-19 patients, who have high natural immunity, to help with prevention and control activities.

The city is in need of 12,000 more personnel, including doctors and nurses who can treat symptomatic patients with underlying medical conditions from the second to fifth levels. Medical staff skilled in resuscitation and intensive care are especially needed.

Many hospitals are struggling to care for more COVID-19 patients. The COVID-19 Resuscitation Hospital set up in Thủ Đức City, which has admitted over 1,000 severely and critically ill COVID-19 patients, is in dire need of more medical personnel since the number of patients admitted has exceeded its capacity.

Trần Thanh Linh, deputy head of Chợ Rẫy Hospital's intensive care unit and deputy director of COVID-19 Resuscitation Hospital, said the latter was designed to have 500 beds for its first phase, but currently it is already treating around 600 patients.

It has been receiving personnel from Chợ Rẫy Hospital and is working on improving its treatment capacity to 700 hospital beds.

While medical equipment there is still able to satisfy demand, more machinery and medicines will be needed in the future, he said.

Sixteen field hospitals have been established to treat the rising number of F0 (infected) cases. The Phú Nhuận COVID-19 No. 1 Field Hospital, for example, was put into service on August 12 in Phú Nhuận District.

The hospital treats second and third-level patients according to the city’s five-level admission and treatment plan for COVID-19 patients. The patients at the hospital include symptomatic cases with underlying medical conditions who may become moderately or severely ill.

With 350 beds, including 60 beds for resuscitation, and a wide variety of medical equipment, it aims to reduce the number of worsening F0 cases who need to be transferred to hospitals for specialised medical intervention, alleviating stress on such facilities.

The field hospital currently has 65 medical staff treating more than 20 patients.

Dr. Tăng Chí Thượng, deputy director of HCM City’s Department of Health, said that city districts must be proactive in finding, admitting and monitoring local F0 cases.

According to the HCM City Centre for Disease Control, the city has nearly 58,000 medical staff and 20,000 personnel involved in the fight against COVID-19.

More than 4,000 personnel are from central hospitals and other hospitals in provinces and cities, and there are tens of thousands of volunteers.

Help from recovered patients

Chairman of HCM City People’s Committee Nguyễn Thành Phong has asked the Health Department to suggest payment policies for recovered COVID-19 patients who could help the city in COVID prevention and control activities.

The city has a total of 65,135 COVID-19 patients who have been discharged from hospitals since January.

Vice Director of the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases Nguyễn Trung Cấp told Vietnam News Agency that most people who have recovered from COVID-19 are likely to be immune for several months afterwards. One study concluded that immune responses from past infections reduced the risk of reinfection by 83 per cent for at least five months.

However, even though the COVID-19 reinfection rate is low, it is still possible, so people recovering from COVID-19 must take preventive measures and get vaccinated as soon as possible, Cấp said.

Phong has also asked city departments to conduct a survey on human resources and medicine at designated hospitals and, based on the results, make decisions about the best use of staff, medicine and transfer of COVID-19 patients.

The city also asked the Ministry of National Defence and the Government’s special task force to add more doctors and nurses to field hospitals and COVID-19 treatment hospitals, and increase contact tracing, testing, and the number of vaccination sites.

Border gate pair of Vietnam and Laos inaugurated

A pair of border gates - Nam Giang in Vietnam's central province of Quang Nam, and Dac Ta Ooc in Laos' Se Kong province - were officially inaugurated on August 14.

The opening of the Nam Giang-D­ac Ta Ooc border gate pair is believed to contribute to further developing the border gate system between both sides, along with opening up fresh co-operation opportunities.

These benefits will be seen in the field of economy, trade, investment, and tourism between the key economic regions in central Vietnam, along with other localities of neighouring countries of Laos and Thailand.

Furthermore, the two border gates will help draw additional international investors, thereby supporting the development of the East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC), as well as promoting the connection and formation process of ASEAN community.

The opening of the two border gates also represents an important political event regarding Quang Nam and Se Kong's joint efforts to reinforce the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos as well as between the two provinces.

To mark the occasion, the Vietnamese Government donated a total of 100 tonnes of rice to local people in Se Kong province to help them ensure food stability amid the negative impact of COVID-19 pandemic.

In return, Se Kong province also gifted KIP100,000 to Quang Nam province as a contribution to COVID-19 prevention and control.

Hanoi allocates additional support worth VND345 billion to pandemic-hit groups

Around 324,000 people affected by COVID-19 are expected to receive special policy supports from the Hanoi government, with a total estimated budget of over VND345 billion.

In order to promptly support those affected and facing difficulties due to the epidemic, the Hanoi Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs has reviewed and submitted a report to Hanoi municipal People's Committee on supplementing policies to support those facing difficulties due to the pandemic.

The city authorities have agreed to issue a resolution stipulating specific policies for 10 groups, who have not received support from Resolution 68/NQ- CP, Decision No. 23/2021/TTg and Decision No. 3642/QD-UBND yet.

The 10 groups of beneficiaries are poor households, near-poor households, social protection beneficiaries, people with meritorious services to the revolution, and employees with suspended labour contracts or who have taken unpaid leave due to operations being suspended at the request of the competent agencies to prevent and control the epidemic.

On August 14, the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) chapter of Ba Dinh district in Hanoi coordinated with the Military Command of Ba Dinh district to launch a zero dong market, offering free essentials to local people and workers in difficulty in Phuc Xa ward, Ba Dinh district. The programme will take place over three days.

On the same day, the VFF chapter of Ho Chi Minh City held a ceremony to receive 100 high-end ventilators, worth VND 30 billion, donated by Sovico Group and HDBank, to support the prevention and control of COVID-19 in the city.

A day before, the chapter also received a medical equipment package worth over VND4.1 billion and VND400 million in cash from DKSH Vietnam Co., Ltd. Immediately afterwards, the medical equipment was transferred to local hospitals and medical centres across the city to promptly serve in the treatment of COVID-19 patients.

Also on August 14, Can Tho city authorities received VND5 billion in support of its COVID-19 fight from Sacombank and 6,000 COVID-19 rapid test kits from the GO supermarket system. Up to now, Can Tho has received about VND28.6 billion in support of its epidemic prevention and control activities, as well as medical supplies and equipment worth about VND24.7 billion.

HCMC asks for reopening plans of traditional markets

The People’s Committee of HCMC has asked people’s committees of districts and Thu Duc City to prepare plans for the reopening of traditional markets.

The municipal Department of Trade and Industry has been delegated to instruct and monitor the people’s committees to make surveys on the current situation and assess the risks of novel coronavirus outbreak in the localities to build plans for the market reopening, or organize selling locations of food and essential goods at markets that have been forced to temporarily close.

Thu Duc City and districts must register the deadlines for the planning process with the Department of Trade and Industry.

The healthcare units have to coordinate with the management boards of markets to implement random testing in markets, periodically clean and disinfect selling sites.
According the Department of Trade and Industry, the slow reopening process of traditional markets has caused a burden for the supply chains and effected on the supply and demand of essential commodities.

Nearly 309 million USD donated to COVID-19 fight so far: VFF

The Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee has received over 7.02 trillion VND (308.8 million USD) in donations to help with the national COVID-19 relief efforts since May 1, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General Le Tien Chau said at an event on August 13.

Of the total, over 1.03 trillion VND has been transferred to the COVID-19 vaccine fund while 90 billion VND has been sent to the Ministries of National Defence and Foreign Affairs, and hospitals across the country to aid their COVID-19 response activities, Chau said.

Some 51 billion VND has been provided to 17 cities and provinces under social distancing orders to help deliver about 1.7 million free meals to needy people, he added.

Over 2 trillion VND has been distributed by local VFF chapters to fund COVID-19 fight.

On the same day, Vietnamese automaker THACO presented nine trucks for mobile COVID-19 vaccination to Phu Tho, Yen Bai, Lao Cai, Tuyen Quang, Vinh Phuc, Ha Giang, Son La, Lai Chau and Dien Bien to help these northern mountainous provinces inoculate people living in remote areas./.

Vietnamese people assists African countries in COVID-19 combat

The Vietnamese Embassy in South Africa presented 100,000 face masks to the representative missions of Namibia and Botswana in Pretoria on August 13 to help people in the latter countries cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Talking to the ambassador of Namibia and the chargé d’affaires of Botswana, Vietnamese Ambassador Hoang Van Loi said the face masks were donated by Vietnamese people in South Africa to help people in the countries that his embassy is in charge of to fight COVID-19.

Mentioning the pandemic situation in Vietnam, he said the Government views the COVID-19 combat as the most urgent task at present, and that Vietnam always gives the top priority to people’s health and lives.

He also shared Vietnam’s experiences in pandemic prevention and control and discussed the countries’ cooperation chances with the other diplomats.

Namibian Ambassador to South Africa Veiccoh K. Nghiwete appreciated the support, described it as a demonstration of the friendship, fraternity, and solidarity between the peoples of Vietnam and his country.

For her part, Chargé d’Affaires of Botswana Tiny Mothobi also expressed thanks to the Vietnamese people, noting that the face masks will be sent to her homeland as soon as possible.

As of August 13, Botswana with a population of over 2.4 million recorded 136,758 cases of COVID-19, including 1,973 deaths. With nearly 2.6 million people, Namibia saw 122,097 infections, 3,262 of whom succumbed to the disease, data show.

Earlier, the Vietnamese embassy in South Africa also presented face masks to the representative agency of Eswatini and contacted those of Lesotho and Zimbabwe in order to give them with 50,000 masks each.

The embassy has also sent delegations to hand over face masks to schools in Pretoria, and plans to continue the mask presentation programme in other localities like Eastern Cape and Northern Cape provinces as suggested by the South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation./.

Czech media hails Vietnam’s stance on settlement of maritime security issues

The Czech media has published several articles responding positively to the Vietnamese Prime Minister’s speech at the recent United Nations Security Council (UNSC) high-level open debate on maritime security, and hailing the country’s role in helping to ensure maritime security.

In its article posted on August 12, the e-newspaper halonoviny.cz stressed that as a coastal country, Vietnam has been making efforts to help protect and enhance maritime security.

It cited PM Pham Minh Chinh's speech at the UNSC debate, which put forth proposals aimed to help resolve challenges to maritime security, especially the need for the international community to improve the awareness of the importance of seas and the threats to maritime security.

The article also quoted the PM's as saying that maritime security is a global issue that cannot be handled by a single country, and cooperation among nations is necessary to effectively respond to common security challenges, and that Vietnam is ready to work with countries in the region and the world to deal with maritime security issues, thereby actively helping to maintain peace and promote regional and global sustainable development.

According to the author, the PM’s remarks reflects Vietnam’s support of the settlement of maritime security issues by peaceful means on the basis of international law and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in order to guarantee the freedom of navigation and overflight in international sea areas, for the sake of regional and international peace, stability, and development.

The parlamentnilisty.cz website also welcomed Vietnam’s policy of peacefully handling the East Sea issue on the basis of international law and the 1982 UNCLOS, objecting to unilateral actions that infringe international law in the waters, and affirming the value of the UNCLOS and the rulings issued in 2016 by the Permanent Court of Arbitration.

It wrote that Vietnam’s viewpoint highlighted by PM Chinh at the debate received support from the European Union and European countries.

The writing also pointed out that China’s unilateral actions such as building artificial islands and conducting militarisation in the East Sea, or its intimidation and coercion to hamper ASEAN countries’ legal economic activities in the sea areas under their sovereignty and jurisdiction in the East Sea have run counter to international law and the UNCLOS, to which China is also a signatory.

China’s recent military drills in the vicinity of Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago have violated Vietnam’s sovereignty, run counter to the spirit of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), complicated the situation, and negatively affected regional and global peace and stability, the article said.

It added the East Sea is an important international shipping route, and that the EU and European countries support the viewpoint of settling the East Sea issue by peaceful measures on the basis of international law and the UNCLOS./.

Over 5,500 Covid-19 patients recover

Vietnam confirmed 9,580 more Covid-19 infections on Sunday and 5,519 patients recovered from the disease, according to the Ministry of Health.

According to the ministry's report, 9,574 of the newly-confirmed patients are locally-transmitted cases most of whom were detected in quarantine sites or areas under lockdown in some localities such as Ho Chi Minh City (4,516 cases), Binh Duong (2,358), Dong Nai (546), Long An (514), Dong Thap (271), Tien Giang (209), Can Tho (170), Khanh Hoa (166), Tay Ninh (159), Danang (83), Soc Trang (82). Among these new infections, 2,470 cases were found in the community. There were six imported patients recorded.

Ho Chi Minh City continued to report the highest number of new infections in the country. On Saturday, the city also recorded 4,231 new patients, the majority of which are individuals who came into contact with confirmed Covid-19 patients or who were detected in either isolation and locked down areas. Social distancing rules are being further tightened in the city to contain the spread of the virus. The government has set a target for HCM City to contain its Covid-19 outbreak by September 15.

As of Sunday evening, 271,037 locally-transmitted cases have been reported since the new outbreak occurred in the country on April 27, including 149,286 in the virus hotspot of Ho Chi Minh City. The outbreak has so far spread to 62 cities and provinces nationwide.

With these new infection cases, the number of Covid-19 patients in Vietnam has increased to 275,044. The country stands 78th among 222 countries and territories worldwide in the number of infections.

On August 15, a total of 5,519 more patients were released from hospital following their full recovery, raising the number of recoveries in the country to 102,504.

Also on Sunday evening, a further 337 deaths related to Covid-19 were announced, bringing the total number of fatalities in Vietnam to 5,774. The deaths were reported in HCM City (282), Binh Duong (20), Long An (9), Tien Giang (6), Dong Nai (5), Ba Ria - Vung Tau (3), Dong Thap (2), Soc Trang (2), Tra Vinh (2), Can Tho (1), Hai Phong (1), Ben Tre (1), Binh Phuoc (1), Khanh Hoa (1), and Quang Nam (1).

The country has so far conducted over 14.43 million Covid-19 vaccine shots, with over 1.35 million people having received two doses.

HCMC to begin trial of home-based care program on August 16

HCMC will begin trialing the home-based care program monitoring the home and community based treatment of Covid-19 patients from August 16 to minimize fatality and limit the spread of Covid-19.

Localities have been asked to adopt the Covid-19 treatment model featuring “three on the spot” measure, including testing, treatment and daily routine on-site by the Ministry of Health.

The home-based care program includes three main activities, including home and community-based testing; providing box of drugs and health support products, health management consulting in prevention and control of Covid-19; offering food packages for those affected by coronavirus and their families.Voluntary participant will receive an informed consent form and be monitored health status and drug use through an electronic patient diary.

A comprehensive assessment of health facilities will be carried out from August 16-22 to ensure the safe implementation of the program.

The Ministry of Health has approved the promising antiviral drug called Molnupiravir to treat Covid-19 in the program. The ministry has also called on busineses to contact and negotiate with partners about import the drugs and production technology transfer. 

Sympathies to Haiti over earthquake

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 15 extended his sympathies to Haiti Prime Minister Ariel Henry over the losses of human lives and property due to the recent earthquake in the country.

The 7.2 earthquake shocked Haiti on August 14, leaving in 304 dead and 1,800 others injured. Its centre was about 12 kilometers northeast of Saint-Louis-du-Sud and 10 kilometers deep, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).

There are reports of significant damage to homes, roads, and infrastructure.

PM requests better preservation of President Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 14 asked the Management Board of President Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum to continue well preserving the construction and the embalmed body of the late leader.

The PM said the mausoleum is a special historical and cultural work of the capital city, stressing that it is a great honour for the unit to do the work.

On the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the establishment of the management board, he congratulated and hailed the achievements gained by the management board over the past.

He expressed his hope that officers, soldiers and units of the management board will continue promoting the tradition and well fulfill tasks assigned by the Party, State and people.

The mausoleum holds special political, cultural significance for the revolutionary cause of the Party, State and people. It is also a sacred image and special symbol with practical value for educating each Vietnamese citizen about morality and lifestyle.

With such meaning, the task of ensuring the absolute safety of President Ho Chi Minh’s body and upholding the mausoleum’s political-cultural significance is not only the responsibility of the entire Party, people and armed forces, but also demonstrates loyalty and steadfastness to the revolutionary path chosen by the Party and President Ho Chi Minh./.

Greetings to India on 75th Independence Day

Vietnamese leaders on August 15 extended greetings to their Indian counterparts on the 75th Independence Day (August 15, 1947 - 2021) of the country.

State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc sent his message of greetings to Indian President Ram Nath Kovind, while Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh did the same to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.

On the same day, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son sent his greetings to Minister of External Affairs of India Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

Vietnam and India set up diplomatic ties in 1972 and elevated the relations to strategic partnership in 2007./. 

Kien Giang works to ensure locals’ health as Phu Quoc to be open to foreign tourists

The People’s Committee of the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang has drafted a plan on tourism recovery and development, along with procedures to welcome foreign tourists while protecting residents’ health.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is collecting opinions from other ministries and sectors on the pilot plan to open the province’s island city of Phu Quoc to foreign visitors from October.

The plan will be carried out on the island upon the issuance of procedures on receiving foreign visitors, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Luu Trung said.

Under the plan, Phu Quoc will receive up to 3,000 travellers per month who will arrive with charter flights and be served in designated locations. The number is set to rise up to 10,000 by the subsequent three months through commercial flights, with additional tourist destinations being opened.

Kien Giang works to ensure locals’ health as Phu Quoc to be open to foreign tourists hinh anh 2
Tourists walk along the beach in VinWonders Phu Quoc (Photo: VinWonders Phu Quoc)
The island may also require a “vaccine passport” from them and tighten preventive measures by collecting their samples for COVID-19 rapid test, among others.

Visitors are advised to install contact tracing and health declaration apps and must test negative to COVID-19 72 hours prior to their arrival.

Phu Quoc is home to 150,436 residents, with 127,607 people aged from 18 and 65. Of them, about 60,000 are working in the tourism industry and eligible for joining the pilot plan.

Local authorities have launched an inoculation drive with an aim to have 95 percent of the eligible fully vaccinated.

Kien Giang greeted 2.3 million tourists in the first seven months of 2021, a year-on-year decline of 32.4 percent. It was estimated to earn 2.64 trillion VND (nearly 115.3 million USD) in the period, down 48.7 percent and hitting 20.8 percent of the year’s plan.

Phu Quoc alone welcomed over 1.6 million visitors and raked in nearly 1.95 trillion VND, contracting 28 percent and about 52 percent against the same period last year, respectively./.

All Vietnamese equal to access modern education: new scheme

All Vietnamese people will have equal opportunities to access an open, diverse, flexible and modern education system by 2030, thus contributing to promoting the development of human resources, especially high-quality ones, to meet the requirements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and international integration.

The goal is set in the project “Building a society of learning in the 2021-2030 period” recently approved by the Prime Minister.

The project sets targets of 90 percent of provinces to achieve the literacy standards at Level 2, 100 percent to complete preschool education universalisation for preschool children, and 70 percent to meet the standard of universal primary education at Level 3 by 2030.

It also strives for 70 percent of people in the working age to be equipped with information capacity and living skills, 60 percent aged from 15 trained in technical and professional qualifications, and 15 percent having a university degree or higher.

In order to achieve the above goals, the project offers a number of tasks and solutions such as disseminating and raising awareness about building a learning society, completing relevant mechanisms and policies, promoting the implementation of digital transformation and application of information technology in the organisation of lifelong learning activities.

It is necessary to promote activities of the community learning centre, launch movements and campaigns to promote life-long learning, and strengthen international cooperation in the field of life-long learning, build a society of learning and developing open and distance learning technology, according to the scheme./.

Youth promotes vanguard role in COVID-19 combat

Following Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's call for concerted efforts against COVID-19, youth union members and young people across the country have promoted their vanguard role, enthusiasm and creativity by joining activities on protecting public health.

Amidst the complicated developments of the pandemic in southern provinces and cities, recently, 57 students from the Yersin University of Da Lat in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong volunteered to head to Binh Duong province to support the COVID-19 fight. The group of volunteer students will work at hospitals in the province, especially field hospitals.

In Bac Giang province, the local Youth Union is working on final procedures before sending nearly six tonnes of medical supplies and necessities worth about VND400 million VND to support Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai provinces.

Previously, hundreds of local youth union members joined hands to transport 200 tonnes of goods and necessities donated by individuals, units and businesses in the province to support people in the southern localities in response to the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF)’s Bac Giang province chapter’s call.

Meanwhile, the Dong Nai Provincial Youth Union in coordination with the provincial VFF chapter launched two websites https://dongnaiyeuthuong.com and http://vanchuyen.dongnaiyeuthuong.com to support the reception, management and distribution of donations for pandemic-hit people in the locality.

By accessing the websites, people can update information on how donations have been received and allocated in the province since July, 2021. They can also get access free health consultation and register to participate in volunteer activities.

Source: VNA/VNS/VOV/VIR/SGT/SGGP/Nhan Dan/Hanoitimes