The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has decided to suspend all regular passenger flights between localities that are implementing social distancing measures, including Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Regular passenger flights have been suspended between Hanoi and HCM City due to COVID-19
Priority is only given to flights serving official services and COVID-19 prevention tasks, the CAAV said in a report to the Ministry of Transport.

For repatriation flights between two localities, the CAAV requested the two localities to develop a detailed plan to ensure pandemic prevention measures are fully observed.

Earlier, the CAAV requested airlines to suspend passenger flights from Hanoi to Can Tho and Phu Quoc and vice versa, starting on July 22.

Passengers on domestic flights are required to have a valid negative test certificate in line with COVID-19 guidelines set out by the Ministry of Health.

Currently, both Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat international airports in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have testing services.

Passengers traveling from epidemic hit areas must comply with local isolation regulations.

Many southern localities, including HCM City, have recently extended social distancing measures to halt the spread of the virus in the community.

Hanoi capital has also extended its social distancing order for another two weeks until August 23 in an effort to separate F0 cases from the community.'

Nearly 300,000 COVID-19 hit workers in HCM City receive financial support

Nearly 300,000 disadvantaged trade union members, public employees and workers hit by the COVID-19 pandemic received assistance worth over 465.8 billion VND (20.25 million USD), reported the Ho Chi Minh City Labour Confederation on August 7.

Accordingly, over 280,200 of them obtained nearly 450 billion VND under Resolution No.09 by the municipal People’s Council.

More than 16,600 others received over 12.5 billion VND under the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour’s Decision No.2606.

Trade unions also provided care for its members and workers in quarantine facilities and frontline forces, such as holding food and necessities support programmes, helping farmers sell farm produce, and improving material and spiritual lives of workers.

Ho Chi Minh City is now the biggest coronavirus hotspot of the country with more than 115,000 cases. The city is now under strict social distancing order./.

Three more companies to collect, treat growing COVID-19-related wastes in HCM City

HCM City has licensed three more companies with approval from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to collect and treat COVID-19-related wastes to cope with their sharp increase as the pandemic continues unabated.

The three are Mộc An Châu Company, Saigon Green Biotechnology Company and Tâm Sinh Nghĩa Investment Development JSC.

Nguyễn Toàn Thắng, director of the city’s Natural Resources and Environment, said the growing volumes of wastes generated at quarantine facilities and field hospitals are creating enormous pressure on the city’s waste treatment system. 

The HCM City Urban Environment Company Limited (CITENCO) and Việt Úc Environment JSC were the sole companies tasked earlier to collect and treat wastes from the city’s 151 quarantine facilities and field hospitals.

The volumes have risen to around 70 tonnes on average per day, well above their capacity.

If the wastes are not handled promptly, they would harm the environment and possibly spread the virus in the community, Thắng said.

Mộc An Châu Company has two industrial waste incinerators each with a capacity of 1,000kg of waste per hour.

Saigon Green Biotechnology Company has two hazardous-waste incinerators with a similar capacity.

Tâm Sinh Nghĩa Investment Development JSC at the Tây Bắc (Northwest) Waste Treatment Complex in Củ Chi District has 14 incinerators to treat domestic solid waste.

The combined capacity of all five waste treatment companies is around 120 tonnes per day.

Mộc An Châu and Saigon Green Biotechnology have each started to collect around 10 tonnes of waste daily.

The department is working with quarantine facilities, field hospitals and other relevant agencies using social networks like Zalo and Viber to report their daily work, quickly handle wastes and promptly resolve problems.

They have established a task force for improving and monitoring garbage collection and treatment.

CITENCO has been instructed to look for solutions for unexpected increases in medical wastes.

The company said it functions 24 hours a day with three hazardous-waste incinerators, treating some 42 tonnes of waste daily.

Waste will be collected five or six times a day at places generating large quantities, and once a day if the volumes are smaller.

Stringent safety standards are followed with all waste collectors wearing face masks and protective clothing and spraying disinfectants before collecting wastes and after arriving at the treatment facilities.

The ash from the incineration will be solidified and buried in a place earmarked for hazardous wastes.

Complicated COVID-19 developments recorded in Southeast Asia

Thailand has posted a record number of daily COVID-19 deaths exceeding 200, while the volume of new domestic COVID-19 infections has been on the rise in Laos and Cambodia.

Thailand on August 7 reported 21,838 coronavirus cases and 212 deaths.

The new figures brought total infections to 736,522 and total fatalities to 6,066 since the pandemic began last year. The number of recoveries stood at 517,012.

On the same day, the Lao Ministry of Health confirmed 354 new cases of COVID-19, including 24 detected in the community, given the context of an increasing flow of workers returning from Thailand.

Laos so far posted a total of 8,132 infections and eight deaths.

Meanwhile, Cambodia added 522 new cases, including 135 imported ones, to its national tally on August 7, pushing the total caseload to 81,335. An additional 11 deaths also brought up its death toll to 1,537.

Cambodia is about to administer a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine to frontline health workers, civil servants, and armed forces in seven provinces along its border with Thailand.

In Singapore, although the number of daily COVID-19 infections has not tended to decrease sharply, the Government has decided to relax social distancing measures before the previously set deadline of August 18, starting to reopen the economy following four stages and accept the fact of living with the pandemic.

The local COVID-19 task force said the nation will begin the first stage from August 10, with priority being given to easing restrictions for groups of people having fully vaccinated with two doses./.

France-Vietnam medical federation contributes to bilateral ties

Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang hailed the France-Vietnam Medical Federation’s contributions to bilateral health care ties during a working session on August 6.

Thang highlighted cooperation between the federation and Vietnam’s medical establishments in human resources training, sharing of professional expertise and medical supplies. He hoped that both sides will continue with such activities amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to him, Vietnam is pooling all possible resources to curb the spread of the pandemic and seek vaccine supplies to meet demand. He wished the federation, with its prestige and position, would help Vietnam access France’s vaccine sources and offer assistance in equipment and human resources, thus contributing to Vietnam – France traditional relationship.

For her part, President of the federation Dao Thu Ha pledged to seek equipment supplies to Vietnam and call on French colleagues to share pandemic prevention experience with the country.

Last year, the federation held a webinar with nearly 40 Vietnamese colleagues to share pandemic prevention expertise.

At the working session, both sides discussed specific cooperation areas in the near future, such as seeking vaccine supplies, presenting medical equipment, French training to medical staff in internship in France, and building Francophone digital space to serve remote training.

They also agreed to bring health care issue to the Vietnam – France decentralised cooperation forum scheduled for late 2022.

Founded in 2015, the federation groups about 20 associations in France, including medical associations, health care experts, investment funds, pharmaceutical and medical equipment companies./.

Vietnam condemns attacks on civilians in Afghanistan

Vietnam condemns attacks on civilians, UN staff and civil infrastructure, especially infrastructure essential to people's lives, in Afghanistan, said Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy at an UN Security Council (UNSC) emergency meeting on escalating violence in the country on August 6.

Quy, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN, took the occasion to call on all parties concerned to put an end to such attacks and be fully compliant with international humanitarian law.

Expressing his concern over the Afghanistan situation, the diplomat said it cannot be solved by military solution, but by a comprehensive political solution that could bring lasting peace and stability to the country.

He urged relevant parties to soon reach a ceasefire agreement to facilitate the peace negotiation process. He also affirmed his support for the efforts of the UN, UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), regional countries and organisations, and other international partners in backing the process.

The Vietnamese representative emphasised the need to strengthen the handling of economic and humanitarian challenges in Afghanistan, particularly food insecurity and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Briefers showed their deep concern over the situation in Afghanistan at the meeting, especially increasing violence and civilian casualties in recent months and the standstill in the peace negotiation between the Afghan government and the Taliban.

Deborah Lyons, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Afghanistan and head of the UNAMA said the UNAMA is working to advance the peace negotiation process and address humanitarian challenges in Afghanistan.

Sharing the concern, participating UNSC member nations called for an end to violence and practical progress in negotiation.

The Afghan representative affirmed that the Afghan Government will make efforts to promote the peace negotiation process, calling on the UNSC and the international community to continue to support the Government and people of Afghanistan in their peace process and national reconstruction.

According to UNAMA, the number of civilian casualties in the country in the first half of 2021 increased by 47 percent compared to the same period last year./.

Hanoi prioritizes administering Covid-19 vaccine for ethnic minorities

Currently, vaccination is still the basic solution to prevent the Covid-19 disease.

Thousands of ethnic minority people in Hanoi have been administered the Covid-19 vaccines, as the municipal authorities are materializing policies favoring the vulnerable groups.

As a locality, where is home to 98% of the Dao ethnic people, Ba Vi Commune in the capital city's Ba Vi District has recorded no positive case for the novel coronavirus.

Chairman of the Ba Vi Commune People's Committee Lang Van Ha said that his locality has focused on prevention measures. One of the important solutions is to vaccinate underprivileged people, including those of ethnic minorities.

Duong Trung Phong from Hop Nhat Village said that he was very happy because he was given priority to get a vaccine jab against the Covid-19.

"I totally support and will encourage relatives to strictly observe the regulations on the pandemic prevention and control," Phong said.

Not only in Ba Vi Commune, people in 13 other ethnic minority communes in Hanoi’s five districts of Ba Vi, Thach That, Quoc Oai, My Duc, and Chuong My have been also immunized with Covid-19 vaccines. A total of nearly 10,000 priority cases have been given Covid-19 vaccine injections.

During the social distancing period in accordance with the city's Directive No.17/CT-UBND, the municipal Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs has been coordinating with the people's committees of the five districts to mobilize the participation of all sectors, especially prestigious people to strictly controlling the non-essential movement of ethnic people.

“Currently, vaccination is still the basic solution to prevent the Covid-19 disease. On the basis of the number of vaccines allocated by the municipal authorities, we will keep vaccinating prioritized people, especially ethnic minority groups," Director of the Ba Vi District Healthcare Center Nguyen Ba Minh told The Hanoi Times.

Deputy FM highlights higher awareness of ASEAN’s values amid difficulties

Deputy Foreign Minister and head of the SOM ASEAN Vietnam Nguyen Quoc Dung has highlighted the higher awareness of ASEAN’s values amid increasing difficulties.

Dung made the statement in an interview granted to the press following the 54th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM-54) that was held virtually from August 2-6. The event comprised 20 ASEAN ministerial meetings and those between ASEAN and partners within the frameworks of the ASEAN+1, ASEAN+3, the East Asia Summit (EAS) and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).

He said AMM-54 took place at a special time when the bloc faced various challenges such as the new outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, intense strategic competition among major powers, and complicated developments in the East Sea and Myanmar.

According to him, the event was a success with determination to implement the Five-Point Consensus reached by leaders, including sending the second Foreign Minister of Brunei to Myanmar as ASEAN Chair's special envoy, and launching humanitarian activities in support of Myanmar via the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management.

ASEAN member states also vowed to continue with mutual support plans to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. The bloc received commitments from partner countries, vaccines and post-pandemic economic recovery plans. It also agreed to allow the UK to become its dialogue partner.

About Vietnam’s initiatives at AMM-54, Dung said Vietnam dealt with difficulties and obstacles due to different opinions at the event. Vietnam initiated and urged countries to reach an agreement on Myanmar, grant the status of ASEAN’s dialogue partner to the UK, and boost collaboration between ASEAN and partner nations. Partner countries also pledged to assist ASEAN in vaccine supplies and transfer of vaccine production technology.

Regarding ASEAN Community building, Dung said comprehensive plans for the effort till 2025 have been carried out in the three pillars. Up to 96 percent of political-security pillar, 88 percent of economic pillar and 72 percent of social-cultural pillar have been completed, which are encouraging results.

Asked about “hot” issues tabled for discussion at the event, Dung said Myanmar vowed to help ASEAN Chair’s special envoy fulfilled assigned tasks. Meanwhile, the ASEAN COVID-19 Response Fund, which was established in 2020, has so far received 20.5 million USD from ASEAN member states and partner countries. The bloc decided to use 10.5 million USD to buy vaccines for its members via partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund./.

Music video encourages frontline forces in COVID-19 fight

Singer Vu Thang Loi debuted its music video “Thương nhớ Sài Gòn” (Miss Saigon) to encourage frontline forces and local residents in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic in Ho Chi Minh City.

The song was composed by Director of the Military Hospital 175 Maj. Gen Nguyen Hong Son based on a poem by Truong Hoa Binh.

Via the video, Loi conveyed his gratefulness to medical staff and frontline forces in the effort. He expressed hope to give more strength to Saigon, Hanoi and the whole country to overcome the difficult period.

Ho Chi Minh City is now the biggest coronavirus hotspot of the country with more than 110,000 cases. The city is now under strict social distancing order./.

Ninh Binh works to better preserve Trang An Complex

 

The People’s Committee of Ninh Binh province has just issued a direction on managing and protecting the global values of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage Site of Trang An.

The committee asks relevant quarters in the province to strictly implement the Prime Minister’s Decision on the construction master plan for the Trang An complex.

Accordingly, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism is required to well manage, preserve, and promote the site’s heritage values. The department must closely monitor any renovation or construction work outside of the protected area that may affect the landscape and the environment inside the heritage area, the direction said.

Meanwhile, the Department of Planning and Investment is asked to have close eyes on investors, especially strategic ones, ensuring that they comply with the Law on Cultural Heritage and UNESCO regulations. There should be a harmony between the conservation of heritage values and socio-economic development.

Local authorities are also required to join hands in managing the special-use forest area, the land area in the core zone, and the heritage buffer zone, and to strictly handle any legal violations./.

Vietnam expects CTBT to come into force soon

Vietnam supports the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and will work closely alongside other countries to ensure the treaty will take effect soon.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Austria Nguyen Trung Kien, who is also Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), made Vietnam’s commitment during a working session with Dr. Robert Floyd, Executive Secretary of the organization on August 6.

Kien said Vietnam highly appreciates the treaty’s role in ensuring security and reducing the risk of a nuclear crisis in regions and around the world. It signed the treaty in 1996, ratified it 10 years later, and strives to promote an early entry into force of the treaty.

The diplomat congratulated Robert Floyd on his election to the position of Executive Secretary of the CTBTO, and expressed his belief that having worked in the field of nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament for years, Floyd will promote the organisation’s activities, helping raise the international community’s awareness about the dangers of nuclear weapons and ramp up the application of atomic technology for peaceful purposes and for sustainable development.

For his part, Floyd highly appreciated Vietnam’s role in contributing to preventing the development of nuclear weapons, noting the country has signed and ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). In the region, Vietnam is one of the active members of the Treaty on the Southeast Asian Nuclear Weapon Free Zone (SEANFWZ).

He suggested Vietnam continue promoting its role in lobbying countries, especially those specified in Annex II of the treaty, for early ratification of the treaty.

On the occasion, Floyd invited Vietnam to attend and make a contribution to the CTBTO’s upcoming conference on the implementation of Article 14 of the treaty, to be held on the sidelines of the 76th United Nations General Assembly.

President Phuc’s State-level visit to Laos is of special significance: Ambassador

Lao Ambassador to Vietnam Sengphet Houngboungnuang has said Vietnamese State President’s upcoming visit to Laos is of special significance as it will help open a new chapter in bilateral cooperative relations between the two countries.

The Lao Party and State highly appreciate Phuc’s August 9-10 visit because this is his first overseas trip in his capacity as State President of Vietnam, ambassador Houngboungnuang told VOV in an exclusive interview on August 6.

The visit is expected to further strengthen the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the Parties, States and peoples of the two countries, he said.

According to the Lao diplomat, Phuc’s visit testifies to the fact that despite complicated and unpredictable situation in the region and the world, especially the resurgence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, senior leaders of the two countries maintain regular contact and exchange, demonstrating their special solidarity and joint efforts to overcome all difficulties and develop together for the sake of people’s well-being in both countries.

He revealed that during the trip, the newly elected Vietnamese President is scheduled to hold talks with the General Secretary and President of Laos and meet with other senior leaders of the Lao Government and National Assembly to exchange views and measures aimed at promoting bilateral cooperation.

Phuc will attend a handover ceremony of the new Lao National Assembly Building, a special gift from the Party, State and people of Vietnam to the Party, State and people of Laos. He will also deliver a speech at the first extraordinary session of the Laos National Assembly.

The two sides will sign a number of cooperation documents between their relevant ministries, branches, localities and businesses.

The results of Phuc’s visit are expected to take the comprehensive cooperation, especially in economics, trade and investment, to new heights on a par with the two countries’ political ties, noted the diplomat.

Vietnam and Laos established diplomatic ties in 1962. Both countries’ senior leaders have maintained reciprocal visit exchanges to further enhance bilateral comprehensive cooperation. Most recently, Lao Party General Secretary and State President Thongloun Sisoulith visited Vietnam in June 2021.

Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, two-way trade between the two countries rose 36.5% in the first half of 2021 compared to the same period last year, hitting US$671 million. Vietnam has 208 valid projects valued at US$5.16 billion in Laos, ranking among the top three foreign investors in the neighbouring country.

28 construction workers in Hanoi infected with COVID-19

Local authorities of Hanoi capital moved to cordon off a construction site at Ha Dong General Hospital for contact tracing and testing after 28 workers tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

A field hospital for severely ill COVID-19 patients is taking shape in Hanoi's Huang Mai district.
The Ministry of Health confirmed four cases on August 5 and another 24 cases on August 6 evening. They are all workers of a construction site of Ha Dong General Hospital in Hanoi.

The source of infection remain unknown. The infected had shown virus like symptoms such as a cough or fever before they notified local authorities of their health.

Epidemiologists took samples of 80 people who had direct and indirect contact with the cluster of infections for testing.

As many as 600 healthcare workers, employees, patients and their relatives at the hospital were tested, with the results coming back negative.

The hospital is safe, except for the construction site that has been locked down for chemical disinfection, contact tracing and testing, said the hospital’s leadership.

As workers work, eat and sleep at the construction site, the hospital runs a low risk of virus infection, according to officials of the Hanoi Centre for Disease Control.

The Hanoi administration on August 6 decided to extend its ongoing social distancing order for another two weeks in order to separate all F0 cases from the community.

Hanoi has recorded nearly 2,000 new coronavirus cases since the virus recurred in late April.   

Phan Thiet to become national hub of tourism, marine sports

Located in the south-central province of Binh Thuan, Phan Thiet city has devised a plan which aims to turn the locality into a national tourism and marine sport centre by 2025.

The city plans to develop its tourism industry in association with marine sports to cater to the taste of both domestic and foreign tourists.

Most notably, Hon Rom - Mui Ne and Ham Tien tourist sites will develop various activities for guests to enjoy, including paragliding, kiteboarding, kitesurfing, windsurfing, sailing, sand-skiing, cycling, and cross-country running.

Furthermore, the Doi Duong - Thuong Chanh beach resort will be the location in which to organise games such as beach volleyball, beach soccer, beach handball, cross-country running, and marathon

Phan Thiet city will be regularly organising international sports tournaments involving kitesurfing, windsurfing, yachting, and golfing, as well as a hot air balloon festival.

The municipal administration will co-ordinate efforts with the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism in order to design unique marine sports products that can meet the various interests of tourists. This in turn will boost the image of Phan Thiet tourism to international friends and potential guests.

Plastic waste meets its match in youth union, ethnic minority communities in Lai Châu

In response to the movement "Against plastic waste" launched by the Youth Union of Lai Châu Province, the Youth Union of Phong Thổ District launched their own sub-campaign "plastic for gifts". 

It sought to encourage young people in Sin Suối Hồ Commune to collect plastic waste that could be exchanged for gift packs that included Lifebuoy antibacterial soap, hand sanitiser, and medical masks.

The 10-day campaign started on July 21.

First implemented in Lai Châu Province, the campaign aimed to change the habits of local people and encourage the sorting of waste at the source.

Many ethnic minority people brought plastic items such as bottles, and baskets used for packaging to exchange.

Đào Đức Định, Secretary of the Phong Thổ District's Youth Union said: "This campaign helps raise local people's awareness about the harmful effects of plastic waste, towards the total elimination of plastic waste.”

“We also want to guide local people toward changing their habit of using plastic products and help them to realise the benefits of keeping the environment clean, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Holding a gift bag in her hand, Sùng Thị Ké, 40, happily said that like many local people she was guided by Youth Union members. Her family picked up plastic bottles on the road and at home, then took them to the community house to exchange.

Hảng Thị Nú, 50, said "I find this programme is very useful and helps discourage people from littering, and at the same time we receive necessary household goods during the pandemic.”

At first, many people didn't know about the campaign, but words spread quickly.

Everyone in the village collected plastic, both at home and in street, and took it to be exchanged.

In particular, the children were excited and came together to help, Nú said.

After 10 days, more than 120 kg of plastic of all kinds was collected.

The youth union will help sell the used plastic, and the money will be transferred to the commune authorities to help fund COVID-19 prevention measures, provincial Youth Union's Secretary Đào Đức Định, said.

"Promoting taking an active role in the community and the spirit of volunteering among young people, the Youth Union will continue to spread the model to all 16 communes and towns in Phong Thổ District as well as the whole province," he said.

"Thereby, contributing to building awareness, positive attitudes and environmentally-friendly actions in the communities in the highlands.”

Coach Park praises Guus Hiddink's mentorship

Việt Nam's national team manager Park Hang-seo shared his personal experiences as head coach of the Korean Olympic team at ASIAD 2002 along with his appreciation for his colleague Guus Hiddink.

In 2002, Park Hang-seo replaced Hiddink to lead the U23 Korean national team at the ASIAD. With the home-team advantage, Korea was expected to become the champion but ended up finishing third.

A few days later, Park was fired due to the result and a number of other conflicts between the two sides, including salary issues.

All of this played a crucial role in Coach Park's career.

“Although it's not perfect, I think it's a process that will make me more mature,” Park told Joong Ang UCN.

“When I think back, I feel a little bit of a loss. Later, I realised that I needed to hold back a bit."

“At that time, I was really resentful and angry and thought about miscellaneous things. Now every one of that generation has their own life, so I don't think about it anymore,” said the 63-year-old manager.

After a period of ups and downs, coach Park became Việt Nam’s manager, setting up the team for a series of remarkable achievements.

The Korean coach also shared his feeling about Hiddink, one of the two most influential coaches in his career alongside Kim-ho who managed the Korean team at the 1994 World Cup.

At the 2002 World Cup, Park worked as an assistant under the Dutch manager. Together, they helped the team make history after reaching the semi-final.

Until now, they are the only team in Asia to ever compete in a World Cup semi-final.

“Hiddink is the one who taught me what it takes to be a leader," Park said.

“In our two years together, every day I wrote down his advice like a diary. Until now, when I have a problem, I still read them to find the answer."

“What I remember and think about the most is his advice: "Coach Park, when leading a big team, you absolutely must not turn team members into chess pieces to advance your own interests.”

“When he said: 'Time waits for no one', it sounded like I was being fired. You must make the best out of the team's resources."

“Therefore, if I lead any team, I will listen and do my best, the same as in Việt Nam,” he added.

Currently, coach park is quarantined in Hà Nội. On August 12, he will start working with the players.

The national team had its first training session on August 5 at the Vietnam Youth Football Training Centre.

On August 26, the whole team will fly to Saudi Arabia to prepare for the opening match in the final round of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers. 

Three intensive care centres open, field hospitals to be set up in industrial parks in HCM City

Three COVID-19 intensive care units (ICUs) with doctors and medical personnel coming from three central-level hospitals across the country opened on Saturday (August 7) in HCM City.

Doctors and medical personnel from three central-level hospitals including the Vietnam German Friendship Hospital and and the Bạch Mai Hospital in Hà Nội, and Huế Central Hospital, have arrived in HCM City to help set up the ICUs that have a total of 1,500 beds.

Deputy Health Minister Nguyễn Trường Sơn, head of the ministry’s taskforce to support HCM City in COVID-19 prevention and control, said the telehealth digital platform should be used to connect hospital departments, and a monitoring centre should be set up to coordinate the treatment of critical COVID-19 cases at the three intensive care centres.

HCM City is struggling to contain its largest outbreak despite serious prevention measures, according to Sơn. “The city has also had to ensure a steady supply of medical equipment and supplies for treatment.”

“Despite the number of cases, the city is on the right track,” he said, adding that the top priority is to save patients with serious health conditions and reduce fatalities.

In addition to medical staff, the ministry will send managers and administrators of leading hospitals across Việt Nam to work in HCM City.

HCM City’s Chợ Rẫy Hospital is currently operating the HCM City Intensive Care COVID-19 Hospital based in the HCM City Oncology Hospital in Thủ Đức City with a capacity of about 1,000 beds.

Field hospitals in IPs

The HCM City Export Processing Zone and Industrial Park Authority Business Association (HBA) has asked for approval from the HCM City government and the Steering Committee for Pandemic Prevention and Control to set up field hospitals to treat workers in industrial parks and export processing zones.

According to HBA, as of the beginning of August, nearly half of enterprises in 17 export processing zones and industrial zones in the city had registered to allow workers to stay at their workplaces. 

Nearly 84 per cent of the companies have met the requirements, while 92 factories are adding necessary conditions to meet the requirements.

According to HBA, the Sepzone Linh Trung Company is working with investors to build a field hospital at ready-built workshops in the Linh Trung 2 Export Processing Zone. Many investors have said they would donate medical equipment to the field hospital.

HBA also urged the health sector to assist companies with technical and medical skills so they can conduct rapid tests for COVID-19.

The association recommended that the city prioritise vaccinations for workers in Cát Lái Industrial Park and Cát Lái Port.

The city has 17 export processing zones, industrial parks and high-tech zones with 1,500 businesses.

In a related matter, Tây Ninh Province plans to build a 600-bed field hospital in Thành Thành Công Industrial Park and a 500-bed field hospital in the Phước Đông Industrial Zone. 

Volunteers join pandemic fight 

More than 7,000 people across the country have volunteered to help HCM City fight the current outbreak, following a request from Deputy Minister of Health Nguyễn Trường Sơn last month.

Of the number, nearly 800 medical workers are working in private and public health clinics (including retired medical staff), and the rest are students and other staff.

Up to 2,500 of them have begun treating COVID-19 patients in the city.

The city will continue to call on volunteers, especially those with medical expertise such as doctors and nurses to support treatment, according to the Department of Health.

Dr. Trần Văn Thành, a volunteer in HCM City, said: “I’ve been a doctor in the military for 25 years and I worked abroad for 25 years. When the country needs me, I’m ready to help treat and save patients.”

The number of new infections since the fourth wave hit the country in late April has topped 190,000. Of that number, HCM City accounts for more than 116,000 cases. 

HCM City to take online apps that assist shoppers, COVID monitoring to more districts

Two geographical information system applications to help people shop online and authorities monitor the COVID-19 pandemic, trialled for one month in Thủ Đức City, will now be expanded to 11 districts in HCM City.

Built by the HCM City Geographical Information System Application Centre, one of them updates information about more than 400 markets, supermarkets and other businesses to enable people to shop. It can inform users what the businesses supply and recommend those closest to users’ locations and travel routes to reach the place.

The other app will help monitor the pandemic across the city by keeping track of and analysing data such as positive cases, the spread of infection, lockdown areas, quarantine zones, and treatment facilities, and create reports for authorities.

The apps can be used to monitor districts 4, 6, 12, Bình Thạnh, Tân Bình, Phú Nhuận, Gò Vấp, Bình Chánh, Cần Giờ, Củ Chi, and Nhà Bè.

Chu Vân Hải, deputy director of the city Department of Science and Technology, said the applications proved to be of great help to the public and authorities in Thủ Đức City when the pandemic was spreading, and the department wants to help other districts make use of them.

Nguyễn Thanh Bình, head of the Phú Nhuận District economic department, said his district would like to get the two as soon as possible.

Việt Nam embraced information technology to combat the pandemic, using the contact tracing Bluezone application and provincial epidemic maps since the early days.

It has had more than 185,000 cases in the current COVID-19 wave that began in late April, with HCM City alone accounting for more than 112,000.

HCM City Journalists Association hands over medical supplies to COVID hospital

The HCM City Journalists Association has handed over essential medical supplies donated by 42 central and municipal media agencies to five hospitals for them to respond to COVID-19 .

The donations included 4,000 personal protection protective equipment and 17,300 N95 face masks.

Besides, 4,320 fresh milk cartons and other essential goods were handed over to women doctors and nurses at five hospitals, which are Bình Chánh Hospital, Thủ Đức General Hospital, the Children Hospital No.2, Hùng Vương Hospital, and the Field Hospital No.10.

It also gifted 2,000 N95 face masks to Nguyễn Tri Phương Hospital and VNĐ100 million (US$4,300) to its Red Cross fund.

Trần Trọng Dũng, chairman of the association, visited the hospital on Thursday to express regards to doctors there for dedicating their lives to serving the public against COVID.

Dr Võ Đức Chiến, director of the hospital, said many doctors and nurses have left their families behind to be on the frontlines in the fight against the pandemic.

The meaningful gifts from the association would help support the response to the pandemic, he added. 

HCM City poor to get 2nd support package

The HCM City People's Committee has approved a second COVID-19 support package targeted at self-employed workers, poor households and poor workers worth more than VNĐ900 billion (US$39.2 million)

On Thursday the Committee of Việt Nam Fatherland Front and the city's COVID-19 prevention steering committee held a meeting with district authorities to discuss social security for the members of the public.

Trần Ngọc Sơn, deputy director of the city Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, said the package would be disbursed by August 10.

Võ Công Hoan, deputy chairman of the city People’s Committee, said each household would receive VNĐ 1.5 million, including VNĐ1 million from the city and VNĐ500,000 from the Fatherland Front.

The city is also carrying out a ‘social welfare package’ programme to provide essential items to needy people amid the social distancing. Each package contains 10 kilogrammes of rice, instant noodles, cooking oil, fish sauce, salt, sugar, and face masks.

Hundreds of poor and near-poor households and workers in Thủ Đức City’s Bình Chiểu and Tam Bình wards have received them.

Nearly 194,000 residents in Thủ Đức city are in need of authorities’ support to cope with the outbreak.

Tens of thousands of packages will be distributed across HCM City. 

President sends sympathy to AO/dioxin victims

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc has sent a letter of sympathy to Agent Orange/dioxin victims and their families on the occasion of Day for AO/dioxin victims (August 10).

In the letter, he said since the AO/dioxin disaster hit Vietnam 60 years ago, losses and pain caused by it have been extremely serious, leaving after-effects impacting many generations.

Over the past years, the Vietnamese Party, State and people have paid attention to AO/dioxin victims, helping them overcome difficulties and get ahead in life, he said. He lauded the Vietnam Association for Victims of AO/dioxin (VAVA) for exerting constant efforts to work effectively, becoming a crucial part in overcoming AO/dioxin disaster consequences and fighting for justice and equality for victims.

He expressed his admiration for victims and their families for overcoming after-effects and diseases to integrate into the society.

The leader also appreciated practical support by philanthropists at home and abroad, and international friends.

Phuc wished that Party committees, authorities, mass organisations, agencies and people at home and abroad would continue the tradition of offering mutual support in order to contribute to addressing AO/dioxin consequences, as well as provide care for victims, especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic./.

Isolated villages in the central region avoid the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic

Isolated living environments, well-structured communities and food self-sufficiency have turned villages and islands in central Việt Nam into safe havens against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Just 40km from downtown Đà Nẵng City, the ethnic Cơ Tu communities in the Tà Lang and Giàn Bí villages in Hòa Bắc Commune have yet to record a positive case of COVID-19.

Head of Giàn Bí Village, Alăng Như, says most of the villagers make their living from farming, with only 20 per cent working at industrial parks.

He said the pandemic has been well controlled by the community since the two villages began applying social distancing orders per the city’s People’s Committee decision.

Only necessary trips to the city’s downtown have been permitted and every family must stay a safe distance apart.

“Although no COVID-19 infection has been found in the community, the Cơ Tu people are staying alert… People coming from the pandemic hotspots in the city’s downtown area were almost completely stopped from approaching the community or COVID-safe protection measures were taken at safe distance check-points,” Như said.

“Villages that relied on community-based tourism had also become very quiet with no tours organised since COVID-19 cases started increasing in recent weeks. As a result, many villagers resumed rice farming and raising livestock to supply food for the community,” he said. 

Như said villagers were aware of the danger of spreading infections in the community and any movement between the two villages and with the outside are done with extreme caution.

The Cơ Tu community head said only assigned shops were allowed to bring supplies into the village by people who had completed health declarations and were tested regularly.

He added that all families who have people working at factories in the city were given group tests frequently.

“We are not sure how long our community will be able to avoid coronavirus infections, but our community’s warning system will always remain on.”

Túy Loan Village, 30km from Đà Nẵng, which supplies vegetables to the city’s downtown area has also kept infection rates low. Only two cases have been found in the fourth outbreak in early July. They have been completely quarantined and all community tests were negative.

Nguyễn Quang Dũng, head of the village’s garden co-operative said the agriculture-centric village was almost shielded from travellers from urban areas as vegetables were inspected and transported by logistics companies.

He said anyone coming from urban areas is checked by pandemic control teams at checkpoints and an easy detection QR Code system on commodities and the transportation of goods is also in place.

Farming and craft communities in Cẩm Thanh commune in suburban Hội An ancient town, where social distancing orders began on July 31, have also remained safe zones, even when the city has been locked down. 

Võ Tấn Tân, owner of Bamboo Taboo workshop in Cẩm Thanh, said the isolation of the craft production village kept them a ‘safe’ distance from coronavirus risks.

Tân, who manages a workshop with five skilled craftsmen, said he has remained in business by utilising digital technology.

With tourism gone, local villagers have been surviving through fishing and handicrafts.

Tân explained that safe distance, protective measures, regular health care and frequent cleaning have helped limit coronavirus from spreading in the community.

Isolated islands

Chàm Islands, 20km off the coast of Hội An, a world biosphere reserve site and a favourite destination, is also a ‘low coronavirus risk site’ 

A pandemic control system has been rapidly developed to inspect every boat trip between Cửa Đại Port and the Islands’ main dock.

Chairwoman of the Islands’ People’s Committee, Phạm Thị Mỹ Hương said 10 close contacts of coronavirus cases have been safely isolated and tested at checkpoints.

“The islands are still safe at the moment. No infection source (F0) has yet been reported on the islands. Only boat trips for permitted business and logistics are allowed as all cruise tours have been shut down since early July,” Hương said.

“Only people who are already negative for COVID-19 with special permission are allowed to travel between the islands and the mainland. Community-based COVID-19 inspection teams are working very effectively and islanders have been on high alert,” she said, adding that frontline forces have all been vaccinated.

Coronavirus infection inspections have also been well controlled by Lý Sơn Island authorities, off the coast of Quảng Ngãi Province.

Health declarations and permission to travel have been scrutinized by border guard forces at Sa Kỳ Port in the mainland and the port at Lý Sơn Island since the province came under social distancing orders.

The 22,000 strong population of the islands were almost closed off to all boat trips for tourism services from May. Fishing vessels and fishermen were closely monitored by border guards.

Chairwoman of the Island’s People’s Committee, Phạm Thị Hương said all islanders returning from coronavirus hotspots were isolated on the mainland at mass quarantine centres.

She said any suspected cases related to possible infections were quickly reported by community-based pandemic response teams for rapid COVID-19 tests.

Hương said 100 COVID-19 frontline members had been fully vaccinated, while 600 others had received their first shots at the end of July.

People living on Lý Sơn Island, known as the Kingdom of Garlic in Việt Nam, (73 per cent of the population make their living from farming garlic) often use garlic oil and fresh garlic root as a traditional means of improving their health. 

Hương said islanders feed their chickens and ducks leftover garlic to protect them from being infected with bird flu and other diseases.

Gò Cỏ village, an ancient village, off the national highway No 1, and Sa Huỳnh salt community in the coronavirus hit Phổ Thạnh ward of Quảng Ngãi Province, have are both seen as ‘safe zones’ with no infections since last year.

Local community authorities at the two villages said villagers have very little communication with outsiders which helps limit the possibility of infection. 

Cà Mau to expand banana growing area, increase value, output

The southernmost province of Cà Mau plans to expand its area under banana to 6,000ha and annual output to 120,000 tonnes by 2025.

To increase the value and yield of its bananas, the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development will popularise Vietnamese good agricultural practices (VietGAP) and organic standards.

Banana farmers will use intensive farming to increase yields, tissue culture and high-quality varieties.

The province will combine the banana orchards with eco-tourism services to add to farmers’ incomes.

It will encourage farmers to turn mixed orchards, areas around fields growing other crops and near forests and unproductive rice fields into banana plantations.

In the plantations, farmers will be encouraged to breed fish and livestock.

The province will strive to strengthen linkages between farmers and processors to increase the output of various products made from the fruit and its by-products.

Cà Mau, one of the largest banana growing provinces in the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta, has 5,400ha under various varieties of the fruit, including 4,800ha of xiêm, with an annual output of 60,000 tonnes.

Nguyễn Trần Thức, head of the department’s Plant Protection and Cultivation Sub-department, said demand for xiêm bananas remains steady despite the COVID-19 pandemic, and it fetches farmers a price of VNĐ3,500 a kilogramme, the same as before the outbreak.

The province’s bananas are sold in the delta and HCM City and exported to Cambodia through local traders.

Most are sold for eating fresh, with a quantity meant for processing into products like dried banana and banana cake.

The banana growing areas are located mostly in U Minh and Trần Văn Thời districts.

U Minh has identified xiêm banana as one of its four key agricultural products after the fruit helped many farmers escape poverty and lead a steady life.

Banana trees are easy to grow, do not require much tending and entail low farming costs.

Authorities in U Minh are promoting banana tissue culture because it ensures higher yields and few diseases.

The Agriculture Seed Centre and Centre for Applied Science and Technology are supplying banana seedlings grown using tissue culture to farmers.

Besides the seedlings, Nguyễn Văn Mẫn, who has one hectare of land in U Minh’s Khánh Thuận Commune, was also provided financial support from the province’s programme for sustainable poverty reduction in 2008.

One of the first to grow tissue-culture banana in his commune, he now earns an average of VNĐ100 million (US$4,400) a year and has escaped poverty.

Tissue culture offers advantages like faster growth and high resistance to diseases, he said.

“Tissue-culture banana plants produce bigger fruits and a yield 50 per cent higher than normal. Their fruits also fetch a higher price.”

U Minh had 110ha of orchards growing them as of last year. 

Vietnamese celebrities join hands to fight COVID-19 in quarantine zones

Vietnamese celebrities are actively joining volunteer teams in quarantine zones to boost the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic which is spreading across the city.

Since the fourth COVID-19-pandemic broke out in HCM City, many members of the entertainment industry including artists, singers and models have been participating in humanitarian works to help lessen the hardship of citizens in isolated areas.

Many of them have volunteered to act as coordinators for the vaccination programme, to go shopping for quarantined people while others have gone inside locked-down areas to take samples for COVID-19 testing.

Images of MC Quỳnh Hoa, Hòang My -- the first runner-up of 2010 Miss Việt Nam -- and singer Quốc Đạt passed a blockade fence to enter an isolation area to take COVID-19 test samples from people in District 7 have gone viral.

Hoàng My jokingly called it a "cinematic" moment.

She confided while speaking on Zingnews.vn that when she went to areas with F0 cases she was very scared and apprehensive. But then, after going to a number of blockades and being exposed to many F0s, she became "immune" to the feeling of fear.

Born in 1988, My said she wanted to contribute to the city's fight against the pandemic.

"I told myself to just do my job and if I got COVID-19 I will deal with that later," My added.

Meanwhile, MC Quỳnh Hoa expressed her good feeling on the day she joined a volunteer artist team to hold a performance at a field hospital to boost the spirit of doctors and patients there.

"Emotions are difficult to describe performing at a special space like a COVID-19 field hospital. We all sang songs together in protective suits and tight masks. Everyone felt touched and moved," Hoa said.

According to singer Phương Thanh, her life was turned completely upside down during more than a month of volunteering.

The singer said she stayed up late, got up early, worked continuously and moved between locations to help people. Wearing shorts and slippers, she was loading, unloading goods and transporting them to the blockaded areas.

Every time after coming home, her face was imprinted with the mask, according to Thanh.

She told Zing: “I was born into a family with a military tradition and a very strong spirit. Many ask me how can I get the energy to work continuously. I'm really not tired at all but the more I work, the stronger I am."  

Hanoi proposes requisitioning coach stations, stadiums as goods transshipment points

Due to the suspension of several wholesale markets and supermarkets which are linked to Covid-19 cases, the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has proposed requisitioning some coach stations and stadiums as transshipment points for farm produce and essential goods.

The city has shut or locked down three wholesale markets, Den Lu, Long Bien and Minh Khai, 20 wet markets and 52 supermarkets and convenience stores after they were found to be linked to positive Covid-19 cases, so many residents are finding it difficult to access food and necessities, according to the department.

As such, the municipal department proposed requisitioning the Yen Nghia Coach Station in Ha Dong District, stadiums in Thanh Tri and Hoai Duc districts and other venues in Gia Lam District as goods transshipment points.

Besides, the municipal department also proposed the Hanoi government ask for approval from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to allow the city to use the Trade Promotion Center for Agriculture in Cau Giay District as another transshipment point for goods transported from neighboring provinces and cities.

In addition, the Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade was also asked to prepare stocks of foods and essential products from other provinces to meet the demands of residents, the local media reported.

The municipal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development also proposed the Hanoi Transport Department issue effective solutions to facilitate the transportation and circulation of food, essential goods and farm produce.

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