Soldiers prepare foodstuff to deliver to citizens in sealed-off areas.

The General Department of State Reserves has issued Decision 521/QD-TCDT on the provision of over 15,356 tonnes of rice from national reserve to Ho Chi Minh City and Long An province to support pandemic-hit residents.

Under the decision, Ho Chi Minh City will receive 14,549.29 tonnes of rice, while Long An will get 807 tonnes.

The rice will be handed over to the Department of State Reserves in HCM City by September 10 at latest, in order to deliver the rice to the needy as soon as possible.

Earlier, in order to assist forces engaging in COVID-19 prevention and control in HCM City, the general department asked the Departments of State Reserves in HCM City, southeast and southern Central Highlands regions to provide medical equipment to HCM City, including 410 sets of tents and 14 power generators./.

Homeless people screen tests uncover new Covid-19 cases

Authorities in HCM City have detected 69 Covid-19 infection cases after conducting testing for over 800 homeless people.

Nguyen Duy Ngoc, Deputy Minister of Public Security reported with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and HCM City Steering Committee on Covid-19 Prevention on August 26.

Ngoc said on August 23 while checking the prevention work in the city, they were focusing on 17,262 poor households and homeless people. While going to District 4, he noticed six homeless people trying to find a place to sleep under an overpass and on the street. Deputy Minister of Defence Vo Minh Luong agreed that they had to test and take care of the homeless people.

"Positive cases will be brought to quarantine centres and other people will be brought to social protection centres until the outbreak in the city is controlled," Luong said.

The ministry has started the screen tests on homeless people since August 23 and is bringing them to social centres to limit the spreading of the virus. As of August 26, after testing 800 people, 69 of the results have come back positive. The patients have been brought to quarantine centres.

According to Ngoc, there are about 100 homeless foreigners in HCM City but the authorities are having difficulties gathering them for tests.

Soldiers will be sent to support Binh Duong Province with COVID-19 prevention

The Ministry of National Defence will send 2,000 soldiers to help with COVID-19 prevention efforts in Bình Dương Province.

Lieutenant General Ngô Minh Tiến said the ministry will send 50 mobile health centres to 11 ‘red zones’ and 15 ambulances to Bình Dương to help the province’s pandemic prevention and control work.

Bình Dương is the province with the second-highest COVID-19 cases in the fourth wave of the pandemic in Việt Nam. The number of COVID patients is forecast to increase in the next two weeks as the province will perform the third round of large-scale testing.

The province has proposed the Government provide support by sending around 50 intensive care doctors, 50 specialised doctors, 100 experienced intensive care nurses, 100 nurses and technicians, 10 invasive ventilators and 20 non-invasive ventilators, four mobile X-ray machines and 100 hand-held SPO2 meters for measuring oxygen saturation.

Bình Dương Province has also assigned the Department of Industry and Trade to coordinate with localities to provide food and essentials for more than 719,000 residents in ‘red zones’.

Each bag of essentials is worth VNĐ50,000 (US$2.2) per person a day. This is to ensure food and necessities for people and workers who are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The province’s Fatherland Front Committee has received support with an amount of VNĐ510 billion (US$22.4 million), of which over VNĐ218 billion ($9.5 million) in cash and nearly VNĐ300 billion ($13.1 million) in medical facilities, food and necessities.

Up to now, the province has supported nearly 1.4 million people related to the support policies of the Government and the province, the total amount is nearly VNĐ760 billion (US$33.3 million)

According to Bình Dương province’s Steering Committee for Pandemic Prevention and Control, the coordination between the Military and Public Security forces has been implemented to ensure and maintain security and social order in key check points in the province, especially 11 ‘red zones’ for 15 days.

COVID infection rate falls slightly in HCM City: Health Minister

Nearly half a million samples taken for COVID-19 testing on August 23-24 showed that the infection rate was 3.6 per cent, a slight drop from the 4-5 per cent rate (per 500,000 samples) in previous days, according to Health Minister Nguyễn Thanh Long. 

The city has begun large-scale testing to quickly detect infections for quarantine and treatment, as requested by Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính. 

Statistics also showed that travel on city streets has fallen by 80 per cent compared to previous days, according to Long. “It shows we are on the right track in containing the virus,” he said. 

As many as 400 mobile medical stations, with medical equipment, oxygen tanks and medicines, are operating round-the-clock to take care of people in the city. 

Districts across the city have begun to speed up testing of people in red zones (extremely high-risk area) and orange zones (high-risk area) to detect positive cases as ordered by the Prime Minister.

HCM City has 312 wards, communes and towns (with more than 25,000 residential areas). There are about 3,100 red zones and 2,000 orange zones, with about 2 million samples to be taken. 

Of the 170,000 rapid-test samples taken on August 23, more than 6,000 samples were positive, according to the city’s health department.

After completing testing, the Department of Health will evaluate the COVID-19 pandemic situation in the city and suggest future prevention solutions to the HCM City Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.

Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính, who also spoke at the meeting, has been named the head of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control. He said that social distancing measures must be strictly implemented and that all people must have enough food and clothing, as well as access to medical services round-the-clock in a timely manner. 

“We must ensure that people can have early and quick access to healthcare provided by commune and ward authorities.” 

According to the HCM City Centre for Disease Control, HCM City, the COVID hotspot in the country, has recorded as many as 190,166 cases since late April. On Monday, the city began a strict policy that requires “everyone to stay at home” at all times. Food is being delivered to households by military and police teams. 

Four special German films to be screened online

Four special films of from German cinema will be screened online as part of German Film Week 2021, held from August 28 – September 18, 2021, as a spiritual gift in the context of the complicated developments of the Covid-19 epidemic.

The films include “Zu Weit Weg” (Too far away), “Atlas” (The Mover), “Grüsse aus Fukushima” (Greetings from Fukushima), and “Amelie Rennt” (Mountain Miracle – An Unexpected Friendship).

The films will take audiences to Japan's Fukushima prefecture after an earthquake in 2011 or to Tyrol, Italy, where the stubborn Amelie is dealing with her asthma.

The selected films were produced very recently and capture the prevailing themes in Germany.

The films will be shown at 8 p.m. on Saturday evenings, with one per week, on the Goethe-Institut website https://goethe-on-demand.de. After the online screening, each movie will be available for the following week so that audiences can easily follow it.

In the context of complicated developments of the Covid-19 epidemic, staying at home and not going out when there is no need, online learning and working from home have become familiar parts of our lives. However, with the desire to bring moments of relaxation and entertainment while sharing about German Culture, the Goethe-Institut has selected the films to introduce to audiences on this occasion.

German Film Week is an annual event organised by the Goethe-Institut Hanoi, introducing a wide range of contemporary German cinema works, with genres ranging from family films, comedies and psychological films to children's films.

Vietnam attends 12th ASEAN Connectivity Symposium

Ambassador Nguyen Hai Bang, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to ASEAN, led a Vietnamese delegation to the 12th ASEAN Connectivity Symposium on promoting recovery and resilience through connectivity, which took place virtually on August 26.

The event saw the participation of over 150 delegates, including ambassadors, heads of delegations of ASEAN member countries, partner countries and sectoral dialogue and development partners of ASEAN, and representatives from international organisations and private sectors, among others.

As an important event held annually since 2010, the symposium offered a venue for participants to discuss how to support micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) of ASEAN during the COVID-19 pandemic, and measures to promote post-pandemic recovery.

Participants also focused their discussion on preparation for ASEAN Connectivity after the pandemic and post-2025, and cooperation on connectivity with partners for prosperity of all member nations.

During the three discussion sessions, delegates shared information, knowledge and experience on the above-mentioned issues, and proposed measures to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 and develop recovery plans towards a smoothly-connected ASEAN community.

They emphasised that recovery efforts of ASEAN in particular and the region in general in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic should focus on strategic investment, sustainable infrastructure development and smart solutions.

Attention should be also paid to upgrading digital technology in order to strengthen supply chain connectivity, and making proper investment in education and training to prepare workforce for the future, they said.

The Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC) is a strategic plan approved by ASEAN leaders in October 2010 in Hanoi to promote connectivity within ASEAN and between the bloc and its partners, towards a smoothly-connected ASEAN community without barriers.

At the 28th ASEAN Summit in Vientiane, Laos, in September 2016, ASEAN leaders adopted the MPAC 2025 with a vision of a seamlessly and comprehensively connected and integrated ASEAN./.

Special art performance to celebrate National Day

Những Mùa Thu Lịch Sử (Historical Autumns), a special performance art programme, will be broadcast on Saturday on VTV1 to celebrate the 76th anniversary of the August Revolution (August 19, 1945) and the country's National Day (September 2).

The programme to be shown from 8:10pm is jointly organised by the Performing Arts Department under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Việt Nam Contemporary Art Theatre and other agencies.

Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Tạ Quang Đông said on the ministry website that the event was part of a series of cultural and art activities to honour the great victories during the national liberation and reunification of the past, as well as spotlight the current achievements of the nation.

It also aims to affirm the contributions of the Party, people and army, and the valuable support of international friends of Việt Nam over the past 76 years, Đông said.

"Not only that, but it is also one of the significant cultural and artistic activities that has practical meaning, contributing to enriching the cultural life of the people during the complex COVID-19 pandemic that is developing across the country," added the deputy minister.

The programme will consist of four chapters, highlighting the main historic events of Việt Nam, and the great achievements in all fields recorded by the people over the past 76 years. 

Although divided into four chapters, the programme will all be quite clear through artistic tricks such as light, musical harmony and arrangement, and the sublimation of singers and performers, according to the ministry website.

Những Mùa Thu Lịch Sử will make it so viewers cannot take their eyes off the screen due to the tight connection and very soft, natural, and flexible chapter transitions. And like a tragic epic, although a patriotic art programme, it is very gentle and poetic, the report said.

People's Artist Trần Bình, who is also the programme's director. said: "In the context that the COVID-19 is complicatedly developing, art programme organisers, producers and performers are still striving to create meaningful and quality events."

"This year the National Day anniversary coincides with the COVID-19 pandemic, so artists of the Việt Nam Contemporary Art Theatre consider this a more important task. With a spirit of a soldier in battle, we all try our best to organise the event to ensure safety with measures for pandemic prevention and achieve the highest possible results."

Trần Hướng Dương, deputy director of the Performing Arts Department, said the event would be the highlight in a series of activities to celebrate National Day this year. 

Donacoop to import 15 million doses of Pfizer vaccine

General Director of Dong Nai Union of General Agricultural Service Cooperatives (Donacoop) Bui Thanh Truc said that Donacoop has finalised an agreement with Pfizer to import about 15 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine and the US partner has prepared enough vaccine supply for Donacoop.
      
Donacoop is waiting for the Ministry of Health's completion of procedures so that the vaccine can be imported to the country within 10 days.

If the procedures are accomplished soon and warehouses available by early September, the COVID-19 vaccine will be imported and distributed to Dong Nai and pandemic-hit provinces in the eastern, west, and central regions.

Donacoop's import of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is carried out in line with the policy and conclusion of the Politburo and Resolution 21 of the Government to encourage localities, businesses and units to search and import vaccines against COVID-19, in order to have the fastest, earliest and biggest sources of vaccines for Vietnamese people./.

2021 ASEAN Student Contest on Information Security to be held online

The starting round of the 2021 ASEAN Student Contest on Information Security will be held virtually on October 9 with the participation of more than 180 teams from universities and colleges in Vietnam and ASEAN member states.

The contest is jointly organised by the Vietnam Information Security Association, the Ministry of Education and Training, and Authority of Information Security under the Ministry of Information and Communications.  This is part of a series of events to mark the Vietnam Information Security Day.

The contest aims to discover talents in the field of information security and promote the training of highly qualified human resources in this field. It creates a playground to enhance the exchange of knowledge for students from universities and technical institutes in ASEAN countries.

The contest consists of three rounds – starting, preliminary, and final. The number of participating teams at the starting round is not limited to create favourable conditions for candidates to become familiar with the organisation, regulations, and format of the contest. The selection of teams for the preliminary round will base on the result of the starting one.

The preliminary round is expected to take place on October 16 and the final one November 13 with the presence of the 10 best Vietnamese teams in the preliminary round and about eight teams with the highest scores from ASEAN countries (one team from each country).

The contest has been held annually in Vietnam for the last 14 years and this is the third year it has been organised among ASEAN nations./.

Vietnamese tank crew finish bottom in second match at Army Games

The Vietnamese team finished last in Group 1 in the second match of the qualifying round of the “Tank Biathlon” at the ongoing International Army Games 2021 taking place at the Alabino military training ground on the outskirts of Moscow, Russia.

During their outing at the competition, Tank Crew No. 2 of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) failed to shoot down all the targets during the first lap and also had to run a penalty lap of 500 metres.

Despite the team completing  the second and third laps successfully, they lost valuable time and finished bottom with a time of 30 minutes and 42 seconds.

Elsewhere Mongolia secured first place with a time of 27 minutes and five seconds, followed by Syria who clocked 29 minutes and 24 seconds, and Venezuela who recorded a time of 30 minutes and 25 seconds.

The final results of the third round are set to be announced by judges after they deduct points for errors made by the crews during the competition.

The International Army Games 2021 is taking place from August 22 to September 4, attracting the participation of 275 teams from 42 countries and territories worldwide competing across 34 categories.
The latest event marks the fourth consecutive year that the VPA has taken part in the international-level military multisport event.

Vietnam-Thailand 45-year ties highlighted at online event

The 45-year ties between Vietnam and Thailand were highlighted at an online conference jointly held by the Vietnamese Embassy in Bangkok, the Thai Embassy in Hanoi and the Vietnam Diplomatic Academy on August 26.

Addressing the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Phan Chi Thanh said that the 45th anniversary of the bilateral relations provides a chance for both sides to look back on the achievements of the relationship and sketch out future cooperation orientations.

Thai Ambassador to Vietnam Nikorndej Balankura underlined that ideas from experts at the event will help both sides further promote their partnership in the future.

Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung affirmed that the formation of bilateral diplomatic ties 45 years ago opened up a new development era in the relationship between the two countries, especially in politics-diplomacy, trade-investment, tourism, and socio-culture.

Both sides have coordinated closely in multilateral forums, especially the ASEAN, while supporting each other in COVID-19 prevention and control, he said.

For his part, Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Thailand Thani Thongphakdi underlined the close connection between the two countries with regular dialogues and visits at all levels, especially among senior leaders.

He expressed belief that with strong determination and joint efforts, Vietnam and Thailand will complete the target of 25 billion USD in two-way trade in 2025.

He proposed the building of bilateral partnership on three key pillars of sustainable development, stable peace and stable future.

Participants at the event reviewed outcomes of the 45-year ties between the two countries in all fields, underlining their sound political relations and close coordination at regional and international forums such as the ASEAN, Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS), Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, Asia–Europe Meeting (ASEM) and United Nations.

Vietnam and Thailand set up a strategic partnership in 2013 and elevated ties to an intensive strategic partnership in 2019.

Thailand is among the 10 leading foreign investors in Vietnam, and the largest trade partner of Vietnam among ASEAN countries.

Bilateral cooperation in culture and education has received great attention with Thai language now taught in a number of Vietnamese universities, they noted.

They also gave opinions on measures to further bolster the Vietnam-Thailand strategic partnership, suggesting increasing meetings at all levels, sharing experience in all fields, and exploring new collaboration opportunities, especially in technology startup, digital transformation, digital economy, innovation, supply chain formation, COVID-19 vaccine production, and green and sustainable growth.

In the East Sea issue, the two sides should build mechanisms to manage and settle disputes by peaceful measures on the basis of respect for international law, they said./.

PM inspects pandemic prevention and control in HCM City

 

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, who is also Head of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, inspected pandemic prevention and control work in several areas in Ho Chi Minh City on August 26.

Visiting the concentrated quarantine facility at Thach My Loi Secondary School in Thu Duc city, PM Chinh underscored the importance of giving residents’ access to medical services in the fastest and most effective manner.

At a boarding house in Thu Duc city, the PM inspected the communication system via a hotline that offers medical and social welfare support to residents. He asked communal and ward authorities to increase more communication methods to facilitate public access to support services when necessary.

Inspecting an urgent social welfare providing area in Cat Lai ward and a quarantine facility for F1 cases of Saigon Newport Corporation, PM Chinh urged local armed forces to fully grasp their tasks and work closely with the army to fight the pandemic like fighting the enemy.

Visiting and giving encouragement to workers and volunteers at Co.opXtra goods trade and distribution centre in Hiep Binh Chanh ward, Thu Duc city, HCM City's authorities were asked to ensure sufficient and regular supply of goods and necessities for residents, and instruct them to follow social distancing measures.

Later on the same day, the Government leader also checked the pandemic prevention and control work at a nursing centre for the homeless in Thu Duc city./.

Australia to present over 400,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses to Vietnam

Australia will deliver more than 400,000 AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses to Vietnam this week to help the Southeast Asian nation fight against the pandemic.

In a joint media release on August 26, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Minister for International Development and the Pacific Zed Seselja said the delivery is the first instalment towards Australia’s commitment of 1.5 million AstraZeneca doses to be shared this year with Vietnam, a close friend and strategic partner.

It is in addition to Australia’s existing 40 million AUD package of vaccine-related support to Vietnam. Australia is partnering with UNICEF to procure additional doses to support Vietnam’s COVID-19 response, and providing funding for syringes, training of healthcare workers, fridges to maintain cold chain storage, and support for the vaccine rollout in remote provinces.

The batch brings the total number of doses that Australia has shared with the Pacific and Southeast Asia to over 2 million. This is part of Australia’s commitment to sharing at least 20 million doses with the region by mid-2022./.

E-books on General Vo Nguyen Giap launched

Along with a printed version, the Su That (Truth) National Political Publishing House has launched frea free e an electronic version of the valuable works on General Vo Nguyen Giap and the many research works on the General's life, career and personality at two addresses: stbook.vn and thuviencoso.vn, as part of activities to mark the 110th birth anniversary of the great General.

It is impossible not to mention the e-book version of the book named "Dai Tuong, Tong Tu Lenh Vo Nguyen Giap - Mot Tai Nang Quan Su Xuat Chung, Nha Lanh Dao Co Uy Tin Lon Cua Cach Mang Viet Nam" (General, Commander-in-chief of the Vietnam People’s Army Vo Nguyen Giap - An outstanding military talent, a leader bearing the great prestige of the Vietnamese revolution).

The book has been first published to mark the occasion of the 110th birth anniversary of General Vo Nguyen Giap (August 25, 1911-2021), gathers and introduces more than 100 articles from the National Scientific Conference on the General.

In addition, the Su That (Truth) National Political Publishing House is also providing free electronic versions of some other titles of and written about the General such as: "Tong Hanh Dinh Trong Mua Xuan Toan Thang", "Dien Bien Phu", "Nhung Chang Duong Lich Su", "The Gioi Con Doi Thay Nhung Tư Tuong Ho Chi Minh Song Mai", "Vo Nguyen Giap - Tieu Su", "Vo Nguyen Giap - Danh Tuong Thoi Dai Ho Chi Minh", "Tong Tu Lenh Vo Nguyen Giap Trong Nhung Nam De Quoc My Leo Thang Chien Tranh (1965-1969)".

Readers can access the electronic versions of the above books by scanning the QR codes on the covers of the printed book version or read the e-books on stbook.vn by installing and opening the Stbook application, then opening the Free Books folder on the app to download the books.

Readers can also access the e-Library page of communes, wards and towns at http://thuviencoso.vn, select the list of books and then go to the Building the Party and the State folder, or access it directly at the link https://thuviencoso.vn/BookStore.aspx?colid=27 to read the book.

In addition to books about General Vo Nguyen Giap, the Su That (Truth) National Political Publishing House also provides free electronic versions of many books on politics, defence, culture, society, and science on its websites.

Algerian media spotlights Vietnamese General’s contributions to int’l revolutionary movement

Algerian newspapers and websites have published stories to mark the 110th birthday anniversary of late Vietnamese General Vo Nguyen Giap (August 25, 1911 – 2021), stressing his military talent and influence on the revolutionary movement of oppressed people around the world.

The newspapers and websites include El Moudjahid, Liberte Algerie, La Tribune Diplomatique, L’Expressiondz, Le Grand Soir, Algerie 360, Crésus, Reporters, and El Massa.

Their stories said the General has spent his entire life to defend the ideals of national independence and communism. He made significant contributions to the victories of the Vietnamese people's army during the resistance wars against the French colonialists and then American imperialists. From such victories, Vietnam developed and became a model for international friends not only regarding its liberation process but also its national construction cause.

The articles praised Giap’s extraordinary career and feats and honoured his name along with leaders of revolutions around the world such as Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh, Cuban President Fidel Castro, and Latin American revolutionary hero Che Guevara.

They associated Giap’s role with the Dien Bien Phu historical victory, forcing the French colonialists to sit down for peace negotiation, ending the Indochina war and completely liberating North Vietnam.

The General was also the chief architect of Vietnam’s resistance war against the invading US imperialists, reunifying the nation. In addition to his military talent, Giap was also an excellent diplomat. His great experience in the national liberation revolution made an important contribution to the development of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and other countries.

The articles showed their respect for his talent and personality, considering him a great figure of the world.

They also covered the news on a photo exhibition on the General held by the Vietnamese Embassy in Algeria./.

Over 12,000 Covid patients recover in Binh Duong

The steering committee for Covid-19 infection prevention and control of Binh Duong Province reported on August 25 that a record 12,115 patients had been discharged from hospitals in the southern province.
The province’s total recoveries in the current fourth coronavirus wave have reached 44,853, the local media reported.

On the same day, the province recorded 4,129 new cases, including 2,128 in the community and 1,405 others in areas under lockdown, accounting for 51.5% and 34%, respectively.

In addition, 484 cases were found in temporarily isolated areas and 112 others at medical centers.

The province now has more than 15,600 Covid-19 patients under treatment.

In the current outbreak, Binh Duong has had 81,182 Covid-19 cases, of whom 670 died.

The provincial anti-Covid steering committee has asked departments, agencies, districts, towns and cities to continue strictly complying with anti-pandemic measures.

The large-scale testing drive must be conducted quickly to detect those infected with Covid-19 at the earliest, and isolate and treat them effectively. Reducing Covid-19 deaths is the first priority of the province.

Pop-up healthcare stations should be established soon, firstly in wards practicing social distancing.

Over 5.6 million people in HCMC get Covid-19 vaccines

According to the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control (HCDC), the city yesterday performed the Covid-19 vaccination for 58,737 people, bringing the total number of vaccinated people to 5,627,728.

The city health sector is carrying out the rapid Covid-19 antigen test for around two million residents in the red and orange areas.

By this morning, the Ministry of Health reported 190,662 coronavirus infections in HCMC, including 190,225 domestic cases and 437 imported ones.

The city is performing the treatment for 37,138 patients, including 2,299 children under 16 years old, 2,639 severe patients put on ventilators and 20 cases treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (EMCO) intervention.
2,309 patients were yesterday discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 95,598 ones from the beginning of the year up to now.

On the same day, HCMC confirmed 266 deaths related to coronavirus and no new Covid-19 cluster. There are currently 16 clusters of Covid-19 under monitoring.

52,146 infections of Covid-19 are performing self-isolation and medical care at home. Meanwhile, 15,357 patients have been treated at centralized isolations areas.

According to HCDC, the number of Covid-19 patients will continue to surge in the coming time. For this reason, the agency recommended the residents to strictly perform the self-care instructions, treatment guidance for people infected with Covid-19 at home, caution against corticosteroid-and anticoagulant-based Covid-19 treatment, strictly follow the 5K message and get vaccines.

Webinar seeks measures to support Vietnam’s vocational education

A webinar on vocational education in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic took place on August 26, with international experience shared and recommendations made for Vietnam.

The event was jointly held by the General Department of Vocational Training (GDVT) under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and the Embassy of Germany in Vietnam.

It was an annual forum which aims to share and update information on vocational education situations and development orientations in Vietnam.

At the webinar, participants discussed the Government’s policies to support the vocational education system in the context of COVID-19 and shared experience in online recruitment and education-training for students.

Statistics of the GDVT showed that as of June 30, Vietnam had 1,909 vocational education establishments, including 409 colleges. The sector has also borne the brunt of the ongoing pandemic.

The GDVT has rolled out numerous policies to help labourers access training to adapt to a changing world of work and businesses overcome difficulties in modernising production technology. It also gives guidance to vocational training establishments in providing online training.

Online vocational training has faced various challenges, for example student recruitment in remote areas where IT infrastructure is poor in remote and mountainous regions. Some training facilities have been mobilised for pandemic prevention and control work.

A survey conducted this March also indicated that vocational education establishments have yet to fully beware of digital transformation impacts on the labour market.

The establishments were advised to bolster infrastructure investment and frequently organise IT training courses for trainers, and consider digital transformation a long-term task.

Participants suggested that State management agencies assist vocational education facilities in carrying out digital transformation in the fastest time possible using a standardised model to prevent incompatibility with networks of State management agencies./.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Phong appointed as Deputy Head of Central Economic Commission 

Member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Chairman of the Party Central Committee's Organization Commission, Hoang Dang Quang announced a decision No.306-QDNS/TW dated on August 20, 2021 issued by the Politburo on appointing Vice Secretary of the HCMC Party Committee cum Chairman of the City People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong as Deputy Head of the Party Central Committee's Economic Commission at a conference that was held in HCMC on August 26.

Speaking at the ceremony, Head the Central Economic Commission Tran Tuan Anh congratulated Mr. Nguyen Thanh Phong on his new working position and expressed his belief that the newly-appointed Deputy Head of the Central Economic Commission Nguyen Thanh Phong will promote his experiences gained from different prior positions to continue contributing to the commission’s development and key missions that have been implemented in 2021 and coming years.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Phong expressed his thanks to the Politburo and the Central Economic Commission for trusting his with new role.

He hoped that the Central Economic Commission will support him to complete assigned missions, and committed to contributing to the commission's development.

HCMC launches app Oxy 247 to help Covid-19 infections

The Ho Chi Minh Department of Information and Communications has just launched the app named Oxy 247 to help all people and medical facilities conveniently track the real-time availability of hospital beds, oxygen cylinders and ventilators for Covid-19 patients.

The Oxy 247 is a simple and easy-to-use mobile app helping the Covid-19 patients and medical facilities to find available hospital beds equipped with oxygen tanks for the emergency. Besides that, the Oxy 247 app also provides information to Covid-19 prevention and control agencies to effectively allocate oxygen sources.

The app is built under the requirement of the Ho Chi Minh City Steering Committee for Covid-19 prevention and control and the collaboration of the Municipal Department of Information and Communication, the Department of Health and the Department of Construction.

People can install the apps and see the instructions via the website https://oxy.tphcm.gov.vn

ADB commits $60 million to improve climate infrastructure for ethnic minorities in Vietnam

ADB has just approved $60 million to improve the climate resilience of transport and water supply infrastructure in Vietnam’s south-central coastal provinces of Binh Dinh and Quang Nam, especially in remote uplands with large ethnic minority communities.

The package includes $58 million of regular ADB loans and a $2-million grant from ADB’s High-Level Technology Fund. The grant will fund the supply and installation of data systems for climate risk management. In addition, the project will include nearly $22 million in financing from the government.

The inclusive infrastructure for ethnic minorities includes upgrades for over 121km of roads using climate-resilient design standards, as well as the construction of 115km of water supply pipelines. About 243,000 people, including 126,300 from ethnic minority groups, are expected to benefit from the project.

Vietnam’s economy grew 7 per cent on average from 2016 to 2018, but it slowed to 2.9 per cent in 2020 due to the pandemic. Significant gaps exist between the economically booming coastal communities and the interior upland areas with a high ethnic minority population. About 87 per cent of the ethnic minority households in Binh Dinh and 55 per cent in Quang Nam are poor or near-poor, compared with the provincial poverty rates of 5.5 per cent and 10.3 per cent, respectively.

These areas are challenged by low-quality, fragmented transport and water resource infrastructure. Most of the ethnic minority communities are often isolated during the rainy season, cut off by flooded roads situated in hilly or mountainous terrain. Less than 60 per cent of households within the project area have access to a reliable and safe water supply. Limited access to water and poor sanitation have led to the high incidence of waterborne diseases and poverty.

“The project aims to improve the living conditions of ethnic minority communities in remote areas of Vietnam,” said ADB officer Nguyen Hong Anh. “It will better link remote rural production sites with markets and processing facilities for crops such as acacia and boost access to health, education, and market services. The project will also expand access to safe water supply and irrigation.”

Vietnam faces a high risk of disasters and climate change. The country experiences an estimated annual average loss of $2.37 billion due to natural hazards, especially floods, with Binh Dinh and Quang Nam among the most affected areas.

HCMC’s needy people can ask for help through online registration portal

Disadvantaged people affected by the pandemic in HCMC can registered with the HCMC Social Security Center for providing cash assistance or support bags of essential goods at this site: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSff47nZPa1nW7zR6q9HxYInw0VHgBnd7c8CFgLwi5UCVi2BQA/viewform

They have to complete an application form to suggest a help of cash assistance or support bag by giving home address, full name, phone number and their difficulties.

As of present, the assistance has just been provided to five categories of individuals and businesses, including individual temporarily suspended from work without pay; worker who leaves work and are not eligible for pandemic unemployment assistance; workers without labor contracts (freelancers); business household; and businesses at traditional markets.

The municipal People’s Council has spent VND470 billion (US$20.5 million) to support the frontline forces for the prevention and control of the Covid-19 epidemic and prepared 1.86 million of food bags worth VND300, 000 (US$13) of each for needy people.

HCMC sets up working team to deal with financial problems in Covid-19 fight

The Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee has just decided to establish a working team to deal with financial and budget-related difficulties and issues, especially timely spending expenditures to fight Covid-19 in the city.

The newly-formed working team consists of five members under the leadership of Ms. Pham Thi Hong Ha, Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Finance, who was appointed as the team leader.

Its head office is located at the Municipal Department of Finance at 142 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street in District 3. It is responsible for receiving feedbacks, exchanging information on Covid-19 and proactively giving instructions to relevant agencies and units during the operation process.

Capital cities of Vietnam, Laos foster multi-faceted cooperation

Politburo member and Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Dinh Tien Dung hosted a reception for Lao Ambassador to Vietnam Sengphet Houngboungnuang on August 26.

Dung said the Vietnamese capital city always treasures and does its best to promote the great friendship, comprehensive cooperation and the close, faithful, pure ties with the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and ethnic groups in Laos, as well as the Party Committee, authorities and people of Lao localities, particularly Vientiane.

The official briefed the ambassador on Hanoi’s socio-economic situation, development targets, external affairs and the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

He stressed the city’s policy to give priority to developing the friendship and cooperation with Lao localities, especially Vientiane, saying the cooperation has significantly contributed to consolidating the special relationship between the two countries.

In the face of the pandemic, Hanoi has decided to provide financial aid and medical supplies for Lao localities, including 30,000 masks, 10,000 test kits and 40,000 USD for Vientiane and 20,000 USD for each of the eight northern Lao provinces, according to the official.

Hanoi has also received aid worth 15,000 USD from Vientiane, he said, noting that such gifts demonstrate the close-knit relationship and special friendship between Vietnam and Laos.

Dung expressed his hope that the ambassador will work to further enhance the special solidarity between the two countries as well as between Hanoi and Lao localities.

Ambassador Sengphet Houngboungnuang said he hopes that Hanoi and Vientiane and other Lao localities will further promote their collaboration in the coming time.

On this occasion, the Hanoi Party Committee, authorities and people symbolically presented gifts to Vientiane and the eight northern Lao provinces to support the localities in the pandemic combat./.

HCMC: Supermarkets asked to launch food combos at affordable prices

The Department of Trade and Industry of HCMC has asked supermarkets and supply chains to launch various food combos priced from VND100, 000 (US$4.3) - VND500, 000 (US$22) that are affordable for different households’ demand. The grocery combos are provided by popular supermarket chains at stable prices, said deputy director of the department Nguyen Nguyen Phuong at a press conference held by the HCMC Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control on August 25.

Regarding to vechicles with QR Identification code that have not been allowed to pass Covid-19 control stations in the city, Deputy Head of the Staff Work Division under the HCMC Police Department, Colonel Le Manh Ha said that the city’s Police Department has asked its divisions in districts and Thu Duc City to inspect and require the checkpoints to carry out the checking operation that must be line with the regulations.

The HCMC Department of Police has also delegated heads of the district-level police departments to grant travel document to bottled gas providers.

All State agencies, offices and buisnesses that have implement the modes of "three on the spot" , “one route, two destinations” are just received travel document for those of special necessity, he stressed.

According to Deputy head of the HCMC Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control Pham Duc Hai, the city collected nearly 317,400 samples for Covid-19 testing, including 256,500 specimens for rapid antigen tests from 6 pm on August 23 to 6pm on August 24.

As of present, a total of more than 5.56 million of vaccine doses were given to people, including over 222,198 people having fully got two shots, 5.34 million of individuals receving one jab and 562,000 persons aged 65 years or over and people with underlying health conditions.

The municipal People’s Council has spent VND470 billion (US$20.5 million) to support the frontline forces for the prevention and control of the Covid-19 epidemic and prepared 1.86 million of food bags worth VND300, 000 (US$13) of each for needy people. More than 300 homeless people and beggars were sent to the HCMC Social Support Center.

According to a statistic reported from 6 am to 1 pm on August 25, the number of vehicles on 48 main roads in HCMC has decreased significantly by 86 percent compared to normal days during the social distancing rule.

About 20 percent of households have been helped shop for food during the two weeks of stricter social distancing measures by the local food supply groups

Vietnam, Australia move to set up joint research centre

President of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics (HCMA) and Chairman of the Party Central Committee's Theoretical Council Nguyen Xuan Thang hosted a reception for Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Robyn Mudie on August 26.

They discussed and agreed on contents related to a project to set up a Vietnam-Australia research centre, which aims to realise the Governments’ joint statement.

The project will be carried out by the HCMA and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australia, together with the Embassy of Australia in Vietnam.

Sponsored by the Australian Government, the centre will help Vietnam access and apply technical knowledge and skills to contribute to the sustainable economic development and comprehensive growth of the country, as well as the long-standing relations with Australia.

The establishment of the centre is to capitalise on the Australian side’s professional level and experience in improving capacity for the future leaders of Vietnam and deepen people-to-people exchanges and cooperation between ministries and sectors of the countries, Thang underlined.

He attached importance to training cooperation up to international standards, which is suitable for Vietnam’s current development conditions.

In reply, Mudie spoke highly of the outcomes of the countries’ cooperation in recent years. She said that future discussions will be needed with the engagement of ministries, departments and sectors.

At the event, Thang thanked the Australian Government for its support for Vietnam in the COVID-19 fight and its commitment to providing 40 million AUD (29 million USD) for the country's COVID-19 vaccine access and sharing 1.5 million AstraZeneca doses with Vietnam.

He affirmed that the countries’ cooperation has been built on mutual respect and trust, alongside common concerns and close bonds demonstrated through effective cooperation in the fields of politics, economy, national defence-security, education and people-to-people diplomacy.

Of note, the sides have supported each other in battling COVID-19 over the recent past.

The Vietnam-Australia strategic partnership has flourished despite complicated developments of COVID-19. The countries have maintained regular exchanges, with the recent phone talks between Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison, and the signing of an action plan to implement the strategic partnership for the 2020-23 period./.

HCMC actively exploits technologies to support vulnerable people in Covid fight

Ho Chi Minh City is facing the fiercest Covid-19 outbreak ever. Many technological units, therefore, have developed useful digital platforms in hope of contributing to the fight and offering help as much as possible to those in need.

Lately, several individuals and organizations have actively provided support to the poor living in HCMC via practical programs like ‘Offering oxygen tanks – Saving life’, ‘Oxygen tank ATM’, ‘Rice ATM using AI technology’.

Di Dong Viet, a smart device store, has cooperated with Satra Mart and FoodBank to launch the program ‘Shared Foodstuff’ to offer fresh and delicious food and foodstuff at the same price of VND30,000 (approx. US$1.3) per package at the web address of https://thucphamchiase.didongviet.vn. Thanks to the program, tens of tonnes of food has reached the needy and charity kitchen groups, quarantine sites.

This online platform operates on the 5C rules: user-friendly interface, simple inventory management, online order and payment systems, and integration between stores and delivery services.

eDoctor, a platform for online healthcare consultation app on smart devices, is a significantly useful tool during the Covid-19 pandemic. It offers ‘Online Medical Consultation’ free of charge via direct video calls or chats to doctors. Users can send private messages to these doctors as well. Users can also access the official website https://edoctor.io/goi-bac-si for the same services and making appointments.

Until now, the platform has helped thousands of needy people and will continue the services until the outbreak is under control.

Another practical platform is Zalo with its newly introduced ‘Zalo Connect’ to link between the vulnerable and possible benefactors. The feature, developed in 5 days thanks to the help of the National Technology Center for Covid-19 Prevention and Control, was formerly available in HCMC and its neighboring provinces of Long An, Dong Nai, Binh Duong. Now it is available in over 20 provinces under the social distance period.

With a few actions, people in need of essential commodities can use the function ‘I need help’ to receive them from others in the same neighborhood or in areas near there. Those willing to offer support can use the function ‘I want to help’ to scan through a list of needy people around. They can then select a specific person to make a direct contact and verify the necessary items as well as receipt methods.

Gojek, a leading on-request multi-service platform in Southeast Asia, offer help for the frontline medical forces with its GoCar travel service in HCMC.

Obviously, the participation of technology organizations has greatly contribute to satisfying the urgent demands of city dwellers during this hard time. It is expected that more and more individuals and units will follow the footstep of these pioneers so that HCMC can come back to the new normal state as soon as possible.

Project for capacity development of NA meets target despite pandemic

A project jointly implemented by the National Assembly (NA) Office and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to improve the capacity of the Vietnamese NA has achieved set targets despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was agreed at a virtual meeting to review the project on August 26.

Titled “Project for Capacity Development of the National Assembly”, it was launched in 2014 and implemented in two phases.

Addressing the meeting, deputy head of the NA Office Pham Dinh Toan said that thanks to the project, the office has reformed its organisational structure and activities in a clear and professional way.

The project has shared useful information and experience for NA deputies and staff at the NA Office, helping raise their capacity. It also supported the building of software and provided modern equipment for stakeholders.

The COVID-19 pandemic has hindered the implementation of the project and forced some activities to switch to the online form. However, to date, all action plans have been basically completed and fulfilled targets, JICA Deputy Director General Nakamura Toshiyuki said.

Joint activities under the project have contributed to building good relations between units of the Vietnamese NA and Japanese partners.

In his report, chief advisor of the project Karasawa Masayuki made three recommendations for the NA Office of Vietnam.

The agency was advised to assess and understand citizens’ needs through newly-elected deputies in the 15th tenure in order to devise organisational structure reform, offer consultation and support to NA deputies in evaluating draft laws, and improve coordination between its affiliates.

The NA Office also needs to build a mechanism for the management and maintenance of equipment supplied by the project so as to sustain outcomes of the project, the Japanese expert said./.

Parents allowed to go with children in Covid-19 treatment facilities

Parents or caregivers are allowed to accompany children to medical facilities, Covid-19 treatment facilities, concentrated isolation facilities, or stay with children in isolation places at home or accommodation, according to the Ministry of Health’s yesterday document to ministries, agencies, and people's committees of provinces and cities guiding isolation and prevention of Covid-19.

Accordingly, to ensure safe living conditions for children while they are in Covid-19 treatment facilities, the Ministry of Health announced parents or caregivers of children are allowed to accompany children to medical facilities or Covid-19 treatment facilities to look after their children. Parents must commit to voluntarily isolating with children and fully complying with regulations on Covid-19 epidemic prevention and control.

If parents or caregivers of children are unable to go with their children to take care of the children, local authorities shall have caregivers for the children or appoint staff in medical facilities or concentrated isolation facilities or a volunteer to take care of children. These people must have knowledge and skills in caring for children.

Moreover, children can keep in regular contact with their families and relatives to minimize the crisis, stress and anxiety of children.

The Ministry’s guidance stated that Vietnamese children under 16 years old, who are in close contact with a Covid-19 case should be isolated at home for 14 days after contacting people infected with SARS-CoV-2. Local health authorities must carry out Covid-19 testing for children and parents or caregivers following the regulations.

Isolation facilities are responsible for monitoring to ensure the safety of children in the isolation areas to provide their children’s families, the competent child protection agencies, or the National Child Protection Telephone Center 111 on issues related to children's rights.

Strategy for building rule-of-law socialist State debated

The steering committee for building projects under the scheme to develop a strategy for building and perfecting a rule-of-law socialist State till 2030 with orientations to 2045 convened its first meeting in Hanoi on August 26.

In his remarks, National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue said the 13th National Party Congress continued to emphasise to the central task of reforming the political system that is consolidating the rule-of-law socialist State of the people, by the people and for the people.

Therefore, it is necessary to study and issue the strategy, he said, adding that the strategy covers the legal, administrative and judicial building.

A decision on the establishment of the 27-member steering committee was announced on this occasion. The participants also discussed working regulations of the committee.

Hue urged the Standing Board of the NA’s Committee for Legal Affairs to coordinate with relevant agencies to collect opinions raised by the committee members, focusing on the working regulations, task assignment and requirements for each project.

Following the meeting, the committee members should quickly implement the assigned tasks, and concerned sides need to ensure the progress and quality of the work, he said./.

President receives outgoing Mongolian Ambassador

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc on August 26 hosted a reception for Mongolian Ambassador to Vietnam Bilegdorj Dash, who came to say goodbye before ending his term in the country.

At the reception, the President appreciated the Mongolian Ambassador’s contributions to the development of the traditional friendship between the two countries, thereby enhancing trust and creating optimal conditions for the relations.

During his tenure, the two countries made practical and effective developments, with the celebration of the 65th founding anniversary of the diplomatic ties in 2019, he said.

Although some exchanges between high-ranking officials are put on hold due to COVID-19, he voiced his belief that Vietnam and Mongolia will surmount difficulties triggered by the pandemic and resume such activities.

The Vietnamese leader rejoiced at the successful organisation of the 16th and 17th meetings of the Inter-Governmental Committee in an attempt to address bottlenecks and bolster trade promotion.

He expressed his hope that the bilateral relations will continue to prosper in the future, and transport conditions between the two nations will be more favourable to facilitate businesses' shipments of goods.

He took the occasion to thank the Mongolian Government for paying attention to and assisting Vietnamese people who are studying, working and living in the country, especially in the context of COVID-19.

The leader believed that the Mongolian diplomat will further contribute to the countries’ relationship in his new positions.

President Phuc extended the best regards to his Mongolian counterpart Ukhnaa Khurelsukh, affirming that under his leadership, the East Asian nation will continue to obtain new achievements.

Ambassador Dash, for his part, said that he has exerted efforts in strengthening the countries’ ties across multiple fields since the start of his term.

As bilateral economic cooperation has yet to match the two countries' potential, he hoped that two-way trade will be bolstered in the time to come./.

Japan’s football club wishes to boost exchanges with Vietnamese peers

Japan’s Cerezo Osaka football club wants to exchange more with Vietnamese football clubs and seeks excellent players, the club's President Hiroaki Morishima said at an August 25 meeting with Nguyen Hong Ha, Vietnamese Consul General in Osaka.

At the meeting, Motoo Isogai, a representative from Yanmar limited company – the main sponsor of the Japanese club, said the company wants to expand its business in Vietnam and sponsor Cerezo Osaka’s projects on exchanges and football development in ASEAN member states.

For his part, Ha said since Vietnamese goalkeeper Dang Van Lam, who is popular in Vietnam, began playing for Cerezo Osaka earlier this year, the club has been on the radar of the Vietnam Football Federation and Vietnamese fans.
More than 450,000 Vietnamese expats in Japan, including over 80,000 in Kansai, will be a great source of fans for the Japanese club, the diplomat added.

He hoped that in the future there will be more Vietnamese players playing for the club.

He stated the Consulate General is willing to assist the club and Yanmar company in increasing their exchange activities as well as investment and cooperation in Vietnam.

At the meeting, the Cerezo Osaka - Yanmar ASEAN Dream Project was introduced. The project is designed for ASEAN children who want to become professional football players, with the goal of setting up a dream team of ASEAN young players and bringing them to Osaka for friendly matches. In 2018, five young Vietnamese players joined the project./.

Online book exhibition highlights Vietnam’s glorious history

 

A book exhibition is being held virtually by the Hanoi Library on its website thuvienhanoi.org.vn to celebrate the 76th anniversary of the August Revolution (August 19) and National Day (September 2).

Twenty nine items on the display are divided into three main themes – the Party’s revolutionary struggles to gain government, August Revolution and the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, and Hanoi on historic August days.

The exhibition gives the readers, particularly the young, an insight into the country’s glorious history, while helping them respect the revolutionary achievements and realise their responsibility of developing the nation.

Besides, the exhibition aims at promoting reading culture in the community./.

OVs present medical masks to support HCM City’s COVID-19 fight

The State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs said on August 26 that more than 40,000 specialized medical masks N95 worth over 32,000 USD, donated by the overseas Vietnamese (OV) community, have arrived in Ho Chi Minh City, promptly supporting the frontliners in the fight against COVID-19.

The donation is the result of the “80,000 masks for Saigon” fundraising programme initiated by the “Join hands for Vietnam” group including young people studying and living in the United States.

The masks are expected to be handed over to 63 hospitals and medical clinics in Ho Chi Minh City – Vietnam’s largest COVID-19 hotspot – to better serve its pandemic prevention and control.

Doan Thi Minh Trang, a member of the group, said that the fundraising programme has received great support from the overseas Vietnamese community in the US and many other countries with a total funding of over 100,000 USD.

Earlier, the group sent 16,560 medical masks N95 to Ho Chi Minh City. It promises to continue buying more medical masks and transport to Vietnam as soon as possible./.

Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos bolster audit cooperation

State Auditor General of Vietnam Tran Sy Thanh attended the 9th Tripartite Meeting between the Supreme Audit Institutions of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam with the theme of auditing budget collecting via IT system held via videoconference on August 26.

In his opening remarks, State Auditor General of Laos Malaithong Kommasith emphasised that cooperation between the three national audit agencies has achieved many good results in recent years. In particular, environmental audit, an important new sphere initiated by the State Audit of Vietnam, has been well implemented, contributing greatly to the goal of sustainable development in Indochina.

Meanwhile, State Auditor General of Cambodia Kim Som Suor affirmed that this meeting was a testament to the strong will and determination of the three institutions in boosting cooperation and exchanging experience.

Sharing the same view, Thanh said that this event created favourable conditions for the three audit institutions to improve the professional capacity of their auditors through the sharing of professional knowledge and experience, and enhance mutual understanding and promote cohesion among them, thus helping to consolidate and encourage good governance in the three Indochinese countries.

The officials all agreed that this meeting’s theme conforms to the general development trend of the world and has special significance in the context of the spread of COVID-19 in the region.

The Vietnamese Auditor General said that the exploitation of audit data through the IT system with supporting tools will help the audit of budget revenue not be limited by geographical distance, time and space.

Accordingly, the auditors can audit any records at the tax offices, and the State Audit Office can also use resources effectively and save time and human resources in the data mining process./.

Centre for Covid-19-infected new mothers opens in HCM City

Hung Vuong Hospital in HCM City on Wednesday launched a centre for healthy new-born babies born to Covid-19-infected mothers.

The Hope Centre is located at Họa Mi Kindergarten 2 in District 5. The launch ceremony of the centre saw the participation of Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son.   

Associate Prof. Dr Hoang Thi Diem Tuyet, director of Hung Vuong Hospital, said that since April, the hospital has received 1,000 pregnant women, including 500 infected with Covid-19. However, just five of these 500 women had babies who were diagnosed with the virus, a 1% infection rate.

Tuyet added that at present, there were around 130 newborn babies whose mothers are infected with Covid-19. Among those, 50 could be discharged from hospital. However, because of some reasons such as difficulties resulting from social distancing regulations, many have not yet been taken home by their relatives. So, the hospital has decided to set up the Hope Centre.

The hospital and the municipal Women’s Union have called for volunteers to support the centre. Baby sitters and volunteers have been trained with skills to take care of the babies.

 

Webinar seeks to improve operation efficiency of NA organs

A webinar was jointly held on August 26 by the National Assembly Office and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to share experience in improving the operation efficiency of NA organs.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Secretary General of the House of Representatives of Japan Tsukiyama Nobuhiko, said Japan would share information about general activities of the Japanese parliament’s committees and compare activities between the two legislatures’ committees. 

Mita Daijyu, from the Office of the Japanese House of Representatives, introduced the organisional structure of the Japanese parliament, permanent and special committees of the House of Representatives. He also briefed on the process of legislation and building draft documents submitted by the Cabinet, special investigation methods of the Japanese legislature.

Daijyu also highlighted the role of the Office of the Japanese House of Representatives and its members in ensuring its smooth operations.

Futami Akira from the Office said the Japanese parliament’s committees play a significant role in considering the Government’s draft documents.

Vietnamese lawmakers attending the webinar asked about the role of the Secretary General in the operations of the Japanese House of Representatives, among others.

Concluding the event, Vice Chairman of the NA Committee on Legal Affairs and NA Deputy Secretary General Nguyen Truong Giang expressed his belief that cooperation between the Office of the Vietnamese NA and the Office of the Japanese House of Representatives will be further strengthened in the near future./.

President chairs 13th meeting of Central Steering Committee for Judicial Reform

The Central Steering Committee for Judicial Reform convened its 13th meeting on August 26 under the chair of Politburo member, President and head of the committee Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

At the meeting, the committee discussed implementation outcomes of a project on renovating and perfecting of the mechanism of people’s participation in trials at the court to meet requirements of judicial reform. It also commented on a report for opinions on the policy of promulgating the regulation on organising online trials.

Concluding the function, President Phuc said the Vietnamese State of the people and for the people needs to promote the people’s mastery, but the work must comply with the Constitution and be highly feasible and practical.

The implementation of reform goals, particularly regarding the judicial system, should continue in line with the 13th National Party Congress, he noted.

On the project, Phuc required it comply with the Constitution without piloting the proceedings work and improve the people's factor in the trial process.

The President highlighted the importance of implementing solutions to further improve the quality and quantity of the jury. He ordered making it part of the programme on building a rule-of-law state in Vietnam.

Concerning the report, Phuc considered organising virtual trials an inevitable and necessary trend amid the development of the 4th Industrial Revolution and the threatening of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said the new issue requires careful moves to avoid mistakes. It should first be applied on civil cases, commercial and administrative disputes, and some necessary criminal cases, the president suggested.

He asked the Supreme People's Court to complete the project to ensure that it is not contrary to the Party's orientations and the State's laws./.

Quang Ninh applies itself to developing high-quality tourism

As tourism has a crucial role to play in local socio-economic development, authorities and businesses in northern Quang Ninh province are working hard to lift this industry to a new level and welcome visitors back once COVID-19 is under control.

The World Tourism Organisation forecast it may take three - four years for the global tourism industry to return to pre-pandemic levels, and domestic travel is now considered the “lifebuoy” for this sector.

Pham Ngoc Thuy, Director of the provincial Tourism Department, said there could be a fierce competition among localities to attract visitors, and creating package tours with competitive prices may become a common trend.

However, low-priced tourism amid the pandemic could drag this sector down, he warned.

It has taken Quang Ninh many years to upgrade infrastructure and develop high-quality tourism products to become an international-level destination. If it engages too deeply in the race to reduce tour and service prices, negative consequences are likely to occur since there won’t be quality products while the province may lose high-quality human resources in this competition, according to the official.

Thuy pointed out that the problem now is not how to attract tourists but how to maintain travel companies, quality products, and visitors.

There was a time the local tourism industry just attached importance to the number of tourist arrivals. To improve its contribution to the budget and GRDP of Quang Ninh, development orientations for this industry have been changed gradually, with more attention paid to revenue per tourist and profit.

In the current pandemic context, provincial leaders have requested that this period of time must be utilised to complete infrastructure connectivity and seek investors in order to create new values for the local tourism sector in terms of both quality and infrastructure, Thuy told the Dau tu (Vietnam Investment Review) newspaper.

As one of the businesses actively preparing for their return once the COVID-19 resurgence in put under control, the Tung Lam Development Joint Stock Company has been developing and piloting new tourism products that suit the natural features and cultural space of the Yen Tu Complex of Monuments and Landscapes, its Deputy General Director Le Trong Thanh said.

Pannatour General Director Le Thi Nguyet noted after one and a half years of struggling with COVID-19, the tourism sector of Quang Ninh has been reviewing and working to improve products since the province has yet to succeed in attracting high-end tourists due to a shortage of appropriate services and experiences.

To help address those shortcomings, the Sun Group is developing new and high-end products based on typical values of Quang Ninh.

Apart from the Yoko Onsen Quang Hanh hot spring resort already operational, the firm is building a modern entertainment complex near the Ha Long - Cam Pha coastal road, along with an area of resort villas in the province.

In particular, once the group’s Sun Marina project is completed, Quang Ninh will be the second place in Vietnam to house an international-standard yacht terminal.

Vingroup, another major investor, has also invested in a coastal tourism, service, and urban area complex that includes luxury villas on different islands and a six-star hotel for travellers who are ready to spend big.

Director of the Heritage Travel Centre Trinh Thi Mai Anh said her agency has also created new tours with fresh experiences to draw holiday makers, especially domestic ones, to Quang Ninh.

In late June, the Tourism Promotion Information Centre, part of the provincial Tourism Department, coordinated with the Heritage Travel Centre to arrange 25 tours for travellers to visit localities across Quang Ninh.

Meanwhile, the Vietyacht Co. Ltd, specialised in yacht services on Ha Long Bay, is also making use of the pandemic-caused period of operation suspension to give more training to its personnel and carry out digitalisation so as to stay ready to seize new opportunities.

Quang Ninh is endowed with natural advantages for sea and island tourism. It has a coastline of more than 250 kilometres and more than 2,000 islands and islets which account for two-thirds of the total number in Vietnam.

It is home to popular destinations such as Ha Long Bay, Bai Tu Long, Ha Long Bay National Park and some islands.

In particular, Ha Long Bay was recognised twice as a World Natural Heritage site by UNESCO, in 1994 and 2000./.

Over 5.6 million people in HCMC get Covid-19 vaccines

According to the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control (HCDC), the city yesterday performed the Covid-19 vaccination for 58,737 people, bringing the total number of vaccinated people to 5,627,728.
The city health sector is carrying out the rapid Covid-19 antigen test for around two million residents in the red and orange areas.

By this morning, the Ministry of Health reported 190,662 coronavirus infections in HCMC, including 190,225 domestic cases and 437 imported ones.

The city is performing the treatment for 37,138 patients, including 2,299 children under 16 years old, 2,639 severe patients put on ventilators and 20 cases treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (EMCO) intervention.

2,309 patients were yesterday discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 95,598 ones from the beginning of the year up to now.

On the same day, HCMC confirmed 266 deaths related to coronavirus and no new Covid-19 cluster. There are currently 16 clusters of Covid-19 under monitoring.

52,146 infections of Covid-19 are performing self-isolation and medical care at home. Meanwhile, 15,357 patients have been treated at centralized isolations areas.

According to HCDC, the number of Covid-19 patients will continue to surge in the coming time. For this reason, the agency recommended the residents to strictly perform the self-care instructions, treatment guidance for people infected with Covid-19 at home, caution against corticosteroid-and anticoagulant-based Covid-19 treatment, strictly follow the 5K message and get vaccines.

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