The national tally of COVID-19 rose to 9,784 with 61 new cases detected in the past six hours to 6pm on June 10, two of which are imported and 59 are local infections, according to the Health Ministry.

Among the locally-transmitted cases, 23 are in Bac Giang, 20 in Ho Chi Minh City, 12 in Bac Ninh, and two each in Tien Giang and Ha Tinh.

On June 10, 72 patients were given the all-clear, raising the number of recoveries to 3,708. The death toll was 55.  

Among active patients under treatment at hospital, 267 have tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 once, 96 twice and 55 thrice.

Sixteen provinces have gone through 14 days without detecting new cases. /.

88 new Covid-19 patients announced in Thursday noon report

Vietnam reported 88 more Covid-19 infections as of Thursday noon, raising the total number of patients in the country to 9,723, the Ministry of Health has reported.

According to the ministry's report, 86 of the newly-confirmed patients are locally-transmitted cases most of whom were detected in quarantine sites or areas under lockdown in some localities including 52 in Bac Giang, 15 in Ho Chi Minh City, 10 in Bac Ninh, four in Hanoi, two in Ha Tinh, and one each in Lang Son, Hai Duong, and Long An.

The 52 cases in Bac Giang were recorded at some industrial parks of Van Trung, Dinh Tram, Song Khe-Noi Hoang, and Quang Chau which have reported a large outbreak over the last few weeks.

As of Thursday noon, 6,536 locally-transmitted cases have been reported since the new outbreak occurred in the country on April 27, including 3,673 in the virus epicentre of Bac Giang. The outbreak has so far spread to 39 cities and provinces nationwide.

Two imported patients are both Vietnamese who recently returned from abroad. They were sent to a quarantine area in Kien Giang and An Giang provinces upon arrival and are now being treated at a local hospital.

With these new infection cases, the number of Covid-19 patients in Vietnam has increased to 9,723 including 8,106 locally-transmitted cases.

As of 6 pm on June 9, a total of 3,636 Covid-19 patients had recovered and been discharged from hospital.

So far there have been 55 deaths, most of them being the elderly with serious underlying diseases.

At present, over 184,000 people who had close contact with Covid-19 patients or returned from virus-hit areas are being monitored at hospitals, quarantine facilities, and at home.

On June 9, an additional 29,967 people were given Covid-19 vaccine in Vietnam, raising the total number of vaccine doses used in the country to 1,389,887. The number of people who have received two doses has risen to 47,179 .

Two large hospitals take shape in HCM City to treat COVID-19 patients

The Hospital for Tropical Diseases and the Cu Chi Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City will be transformed into healthcare facilities to specifically treat COVID-19 patients, according to the municipal Department of Health.

The Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Ho Chi Minh City is to accommodate 400 beds for COVID-19 patients.
Tang Chi Thuong, deputy director of the department, says local healthcare facilities have so far received and treat more than 500 COVID-19 patients, and the number is set to keep rising in the coming days following the fresh outbreak in the city.

The city has worked out a plan to arrange 2,000 beds for COVID-19 patients at present and raise its capacity to receive 5,000 patients in the worst-case scenario. To carry out the plan, local health officials have decided to transform its Hospital for Tropical Diseases and the Cu Chi Hospital to treat COVID-19 patients only.

Both hospitals are designed to accommodate 900 beds in total, according to local officials.

Doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers have been required to undergo quick training in preparation for receiving COVID-19 patients in the near future.

HCM City firm’s female worker tests positive for Covid-19

A female worker at PouYuen Company in HCM City’s Binh Tan District has tested positive for Covid-19, leading to part of the firm's premises being suspended.

The information was given by Dr Truong Dinh Man, director of the district’s Board of Health.  

The woman tested positive for Covid-19 this morning, June 9. She works on the fifth floor of the company’s C3 block.

According to the initial information, the woman’s husband is a driver who tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday after having a close contact with a Covid-19 patient earlier.

On Wednesday morning, the entire fifth floor of the company was isolated. Around 141 people who came into close contact with her have been sent to a quarantine site. 

Local authorities have planned to provide Covid-19 testing for around 3,000 workers at the company.

The woman who has shown no symptoms has been sent to Cu Chi Field Hospital for Covid-19 patients for treatment.

Large bombs discovered in Tuyen Quang

Three Mark 81 (MK-81) bombs left over from wartime were found in Trang Da commune in Tuyen Quang city, the northern province of Tuyen Quang, by local people and sappers from the municipal military command on June 9.

The bombs, each 1 metre in length and 150kg in weight, were discovered on the banks of the Lo River.

The Tuyen Quang municipal Military Command has been directed to coordinate with local police and militia to devises a plan for handing the bombs./.

Vietnam expects additional COVID-19 vaccine supply from COVAX Facility

Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long expressed his hope that the COVAX Facility will carry on supplying additional COVID-19 vaccines to Vietnam in the third quarter this year through the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

While receiving Rana Flowers, UNICEF Vietnam representative, Minister Long stated that Vietnam is currently battling the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the government is implementing measures, including vaccination, in an effort to slow the spread of the virus in the community.

By the end of the year, he said Vietnam is aiming to vaccinate 70% of its population as a means of reaching hard immunity within the community, although so far vaccine deliveries are slow going.

The Ministry of Health (MoH) has worked alongside the COVAX Facility and has also sent a letter to the UNICEF outlining an expectation that more COVID-19 vaccines will be shipped to Vietnam through UNICEF in the fastest way possible, Minister Long stressed.

In response, Flowers praised the Vietnamese Government’s initiative in launching a COVID-19 vaccination fund, as well as its great efforts in combatting the spread of the pandemic.

She announced that as many as 1,910 refrigerators used for storing and preserving vaccines will be transported to Vietnam in late July as part of the cold chain support package funded by the Australian Government.

In addition, five refrigerated vehicles to transport vaccines ordered by the UNICEF and five million needles and syringes are due to arrive in Vietnam in the third quarter of this year.

With regard to COVID-19 vaccines, Flowers said the following batch of the vaccine would be delivered as soon as it is approved by the World Health Organisation, scheduled for July.

Vietnam has so far this year received approximately 2.5 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from the COVAX Facility. 

Centralised IT zone to be set up in Can Tho

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam has signed a decision establishing a centralised information technology (IT) zone in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho.

The zone, covering nearly 200,220 sq.m in Hung Thanh ward of Cai Rang district, will be invested by the Can Tho Development Investment Fund.

Its functions and duties are stipulated in Article 4 of the Government’s Decree No. 154/2013/ND-CP dated November 8, 2013 on centralised IT zones.

The central and local budgets will facilitate infrastructure investment and construction of the zone.

The Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee is assigned to set up a unit managing and devising operation regulations of the IT zone.

The Can Tho People’s Committee is requested to work with relevant agencies in the implementation of the decision so as to ensure effective investment, construction and management of the city's centralised IT zone in line with legal regulations./.

66 new domestically-transmitted COVID-19 cases reported on June 10 morning

The Ministry of Health (MoH) reported 70 new COVID-19 cases in the past 12 hours to 6am on June 10, including 66 domestically-transmitted infections and four imported cases that were quarantined right upon their arrival in An Giang province.

Of the local cases, 16 were found in Bac Giang, 23 in Bac Ninh, 26 in Ho Chi Minh City, and one in Ha Tinh. As many as 50 cases were detected in quarantine or locked-down areas.

As of 6am on the day, the domestic tally stood at 8,020, of which 6,450 were recorded since the new wave started on April 27.

Since April 29, 3.29 million people have received COVID-19 testing.

Sixteen provinces that were hit by the pandemic have gone through 14 days without new infections.

The number of recoveries is 3,636, while fatalities related to COVID-19 reach 55.

Among the active patients, 224 have tested negative for the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 once, 75 twice and 72 thrice.

Currently, 187,749 people having close contact with confirmed COVID-19 patients are undertaking quarantine at concentrated quarantine sites and their residences.

On June 9, 29,967 additional people received COVID-19 vaccine shots. So far, nearly 1.39 million vaccine doses have been injected. The number of people getting two shots is 47,179.

Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long said that the ministry has worked to access more vaccine sources, while requesting COVAX and UNICEF to increase vaccine supplies to Vietnam.

The MoH called on citizens to follow the 5K message, including khau trang (facemask), khu khuan (disinfection), khoang cach (distance), khong tu tap (no gathering), and khai bao y te (health declaration), to help contain the outbreaks./.

President chairs meeting on project on building socialist rule-of-law state

State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, also head of the Central Steering Committee for Judicial Reform, chaired a meeting in Hanoi on June 9 to discuss the building of a project on building and completing a socialist rule-of-law state to 2030 with an orientation toward 2045.

Highlighting the importance of the project to the national development, Phuc recommended it must demonstrate the Party’s views and guidelines over the matter.

The making of its contents should employ scientific methods, has a vision to 2045, to ensure the project catches up with and suits new development trends based on systematic studies of domestic and international situations, the President noted.

He stressed that it is also necessary to reflect late President Ho Chi Minh's though on a rule-of-law state in Vietnam, affirming the viewpoint that the State is of the people, by the people, for the people, and under the supervision of the people, respects the people's right to mastery, and protects human rights and citizens' rights.

The President unveiled that later this month, the committee will convene its first meeting to comment on the project building plan./.

HCM City receives 4.3 million USD in support of COVID-19 fight

The Ho Chi Minh City chapter of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) received 99 billion VND (4.3 million USD) on June 9 from organisations, businesses, and individuals in support of the city’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Of the total, over 78 billion VND is donated to purchase COVID-19 vaccines.

On behalf of the city’s leaders, President of the VFF - HCM City chapter To Thi Bich Chau expressed her profound gratitude for the assistance from agencies, collectives, businesses, and individuals.

She called on the community to continue contributing to the country’s pandemic prevention and control efforts and pledged to allocate the funding and goods to the right people, for the right purposes, and in accordance with law.

As of June 8, 103 units and individuals had registered to sponsor over 2.2 trillion VND to buy vaccines. To date, the funding the city has received to buy vaccines stands at over 98 billion VND./.

Competition to seek initiatives for national innovation ecosystem

The Vietnam Young Initiatives (InnoCity) 2021 competition, which aims to collect initiatives for the national creativity and innovation ecosystem, has been launched by the Vietnamese Student Association in the Netherlands and the Global Network of Young Vietnamese Intellectuals.

Organised for the first time with Europe as the starting location, the competition is open to young people and students aged 18-30 who are studying at European institutions, universities, and colleges or living in European countries.

The competition aims to collect initiatives and solutions with high applicability from young Vietnamese intellectuals to serve the goal of improving quality of life in Vietnam or that have the potential to promote startups and innovation in the country.

Inspired by the concept of “smart city”, the InnoCity competition is expected to create a large playing field for young Vietnamese living in Europe to offer their solutions relating to energy - environment, smart education, digital heath - public health, transport, and other urgent sectors for the development of smart cities in Vietnam.

The application round will last until July 15. The second stage, from August 1 to August 29, will be for constructing ideas and models. The third phase, from August 31 to September 30, will be for the trial of ideas and the development of product prototypes.

The organisers will select 12 teams for the final round on October 2./.

National fund calls for donations for children affected by COVID-19

The National Fund for Vietnamese Children (NFVC) is calling on local and foreign donors to provide different forms of aid to children affected by the ongoing COVID-19 resurgence in Vietnam.

The fund’s Goodwill Ambassador, actor Xuan Bac, will join the fundraising campaign, which will run from June 1 to July 31, it said. Donations can be made in the form of cash, non-cash items, or services.

According to the NFVC, the growing complexity of the COVID-19 pandemic is putting enormous pressure on economic development and social welfare in Vietnam. It had had a direct impact on close to 7,000 children in 26 cities and provinces nationwide as of June 8. The number of children infected or placed in quarantine is likely to continue to rise.

The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs’ Department of Child Affairs has forecast that the number of affected children will surge to around 42,000 by the end of the year.

Donations can be sent to the NFVC’s headquarters at 35 Tran Phu Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi (Hotline: 84 929 999 999), or transferred to the following bank account:

- Account: Quy Bao tro tre em Viet Nam (National Fund for Vietnamese Children)

- Account No.: 001.0.00.0000355

- Bank: Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam (Vietcombank)

Information on donations will be updated weekly on the fund’s official website at www.nfvc.org.vn.

On May 29, Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung, who also serves as NFVC vice chairman, announced that the fund will fully cover the food costs of children with COVID-19 and those having had close contact with COVID-19 patients and now under mandatory quarantine at concentrated sites, from April 27 to December 31, in response to Children’s Action Month 2021.

The fund also contributed an additional 1 billion VND (43,600 USD) each to Bac Ninh, Bac Giang, and Dien Bien to help the northern provinces fight the pandemic./.

Thua Thien-Hue: Endangered muntjacs spotted in Phong Dien Nature Reserve

Endangered muntjacs thought to have become extinction have been spotted again inside Phong Dien Nature Reserve in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue, Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reported, quoting the reserve’s director Le Ngoc Tuan.

At least two muntjacs, one of the rarest and most threatened mammal species of Southeast Asia, were captured in 11 photos taken by camera traps set up by scientists and conservationists in the reserve since March, according to Tuan.

Sketching across an area of 11 hectares, the system of 110 camera traps was initially intended to track Edwards’ Pheasant (Lophura Edwardsi), an extremely rare bird only found in the lowland forests in central Vietnam.

The camera traps unexpectedly captured muntjacs in at least 11 high-resolution photos – three in the day time and eight in the night time. Two muntjacts were even pictured in one photo.

They are not large-antlered muntjacs as initially suspected, but more likely Truong Son muntjacs (Muntiacus truongsonensis) or Roosevelt’s muntjacs (Muntiacus rooseveltorum), said Saola Foundation Chief Technical Advisor Rob Timmins. Both are endemic ungulates species discovered in Vietnam and Laos.

In addition to muntjacs, some 30 rare bird and animal species were also captured in the photos, such as crested argus (Rheinardia ocellata), Annamite striped rabbit (Nesolagus timminsi), Indochinese serow (Capricornis milneedwardsii maritimus), stump-tailed macaque (Macaca arctoides), and Owston's palm civet (Chrotogale owstoni).

The findings are beyond expectation, Tuan said, adding that it shows the high biodiversity of Phong Dien Nature Park. As the area where camera traps were set up was relatively small, the findings can be even more surprising if it is expanded, he added.

Founded in 2002, Phong Dien Nature Park covers an area of nearly 41,000 hectares in Thua Thien-Hue’s A Luoi and Phong Dien districts.

The muntjac, which was first discovered in central Ha Tinh Province in 1994, is endemic to evergreen forests in the Truong Son (Annamite) Mountains bordering Vietnam and Laos. The rare animal has been spotted in Thua Thien–Hue in 2013, Thanh Hoa in 2016, and Quang Nam in 2018 and Lam Dong last year.

The deer has been absent for years due to illegal snare hunting./.

Bac Giang aims to develop 32 urban areas by 2030

The northern province of Bac Giang is striving to develop 32 urban areas by 2030, raising its urbanisation ratio to about 32.4 percent in 2025 and 45-59 percent in 2030, according to Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Duong Van Thai.

Thai said that to this end, the locality will focus on expanding the urban area system with modern and synchronous social and technical infrastructure.

Attention will be paid to ensuring a good living environment in green, clean, beautiful and smart urban areas, said the provincial leader.

He revealed that in the coming time, Bac Giang will focus on completing its policies and mechanisms regarding the development of urban areas and urban service, trade and economy, laying the foundation for attracting investment in the field.

The province will also improve planning work, thus ensuring a long-term vision for its development, he said.

Thai said that Bac Giang will mobilise resources for urban development and invest more in urban framework infrastructure system, while encouraging investors to invest in urban trade and services.

In the 2016-2020 period, the province implemented 47 urban and urban service development projects with total investment of over 13.59 trillion VND (589 million USD), along with 14 housing development projects with total investment of more than 8.45 trillion VND (366.2 million USD).

Bac Giang is among the first localities to make provincial development planning, which serves as the foundation for its future socio-economic development, including urban expansion.

On November 21, 2019, the National Assembly’s Standing Committee issued a resolution on the re-arrangement of administration units at communal level of Bac Giang./.

Singer releases music video for TV series soundtrack

Singer Nguyễn Ngọc Anh recently released a music video for Nếu Một Ngày (If One Day) – the theme song of the ongoing TV series Hãy Nói Lời Yêu (Say You Love Me).

Composed by songwriter Xuân Phương, whose hits Mong Ước Kỷ Niệm Xưa (Wishing for the Old Memories) and Anh (You) are hugely popular, the song is about the sorrow of a broken-hearted young woman.

Anh said she feels that sadness because she has experienced the bitterness of love being torn apart.

The video was directed by Sơn Thạch, featuring Anh performing as well as shots from the highly-rated TV series which airs every Thursday and Friday on VTV3.

The singer said due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the video was filmed in a villa owned by her friend with a limited number of people to ensure safety.

The singer said she released the video as a gift for the TV audience.

"Currently, the major concern of everyone is the pandemic, so a music product released during this time can be forgotten easily even if a lot of money and effort is invested in it.

“Our team postponed the project for this video a few times. However, after a lot of consideration, we thought once it was released, it could be considered food for the audience’s spirit. They can enjoy their favourite TV series and at the same time the video. The video is expected to encourage everyone to overcome difficulties while waiting for normal life to return," she said.

According to songwriter Xuân Phương, Anh’s emotional voice is perfect for the song. When he asked Anh if she wanted to perform the song the singer agreed without hesitation.

“It had been a long time since I had a song that completely conquered my heart,” she said.

“I really like this song. It is not only a theme song of a TV series but also presents a lot of emotions. It definitely can have an independent life beyond the series. For me, this is one of the few good songs composed during the pandemic season.” 

Before this song, Phương had invited Anh to perform other soundtrack songs for TV series including Người Đàn Bà Thứ Hai (The Second Woman) and Sẽ Mãi Yêu Anh (Will Forever Love You).

With the release of the video, the singer hopes to contribute to promoting the development of TV series’ soundtracks.

“Although the living standards have improved over the years, the budget for every soundtrack song has remained the same for the past 10 years. This makes me really admire passionate people like songwriter Xuân Phương,” she said.

Born in 1981 in Quảng Ninh, Anh won the gold medal of the National Singing Contest in 1999 and the third prize of the Hà Nội Young Singing Contest in 2001.

She rose to fame after winning the second prize in the Sao Mai contest in 2005.

She has released a number of albums such as Mùa Thu (Autumn), Anh Em Và Đêm Mưa (We and A Rainy Night), Đóa Hoa Nở Muộn (Late Blooming Flower) and Thế Giới Tuyệt Vời (Wonderful World). 

Lai Châu Province to host paragliding tournament

About 100 paragliders will join the Putaleng Long Distance Paragliding Tournament 2021 as part of the Lai Châu Tourism-Culture set to take place in November in the northern province of Lai Châu.

Local authorities aim to advertise the province's tourism sector in the programme under the title 'Lai Châu – Magnificient in Landscape and Diverse in Cultural Identity'.  

Various events will take place in Phong Thổ and Tam Đường districts during the event. The opening ceremony will take place in the People’s Square, while a street festival, a long-distance bicycle race, an exhibition of orchids and an exhibition of agricultural products are other highlights.

The paragliding tournament will gather some 100 flyers over three days, who will take off at Sì Thầu Chải Village, 1,400m above sea level.

The village is located on Putaleng Mountain, in the range of Hoàng Liên Sơn, which has been dubbed as the second-highest roof in Indochina with a height of 3,049m, after Fansipan, which is located in the border of Lào Cai and Lai Châu provinces and is 3,143m above sea level.

The tournament is hosted by the local Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Viet Wings – Yên Bái Club.

This will be the third time Lai Châu has hosted such a tournament.

The tournament organisers also aim to turn Lai Châu into a national destination for international and domestic paragliders to train and compete.

The programme will also host a traditional market, a night market at tourism destinations like Glass Bridge – Cloud Dragon Tourism Site, Ô Quý Hồ Tourism Site, Sì Thầu Chải Village, Lao Chải 1 Village, Thẳm Village, Vàng Pheo Village and Sin Suối Hồ Village. 

HCM City adjusts school enrollment plan due to pandemic

Many districts in HCM City are adjusting  the enrollment period, simplifying procedures, and increasing the use of technology for the upcoming academic year.

Head of Education and Training Department of Gò Vấp District Nguyễn Thanh Thuỷ told Sài Gòn Giải Phóng (Liberated Sài Gòn) newspaper that the district’s school enrollment plan is expected to be adjusted in the next few days, depending on the epidemic situation. 

Parents are advised to bring original paperwork when submitting their children’s admission documents. Admission officers will then store images of these documents and return them.

In Tân Bình District, the head of Education and Training Department, Trần Khắc Duy, said that primary schools are responsible for handing over student records to secondary schools within the same division.

From June 21 to 4pm on June 25, parents will register for online enrollment on the website of the district’s Department of Education and Training.

For first grade enrollment, Tân Bình District announced its plan in the beginning of May. Between June 15 and 20, all schools are required to work with the ward People’s Committee and inform students and their parents of important dates.

The ward People’s Committee between June 29 and 30 is expected to send letters to families with children entering the first grade.

From July 1 to 8, parents can register online at the portal of the Department of Education and Training. The list of students entering the first grade will be announced by primary schools on July 31. 

Huy added that after the social distancing period ends on June 15, the district will consider adjusting the enrollment time, depending on the current situation.

"June is usually the time when all wards in Tân Phú District review relocation of new and old residents. But due to the influence of the epidemic, this task is unnecessary this time,” deputy head of Tân Phú District Department of Education and Training, Trần Trọng Khiêm, said.

In District 3, head of Education and Training Department Phạm Đăng Khoa said that educational institutions in the district will strengthen epidemic measures such as having parents coming to school at different times and implementing regulations on safe distancing.

Online registration

In Tân Phú District, the 2021 - 2022 school year is the second consecutive academic year that schools are allowing online registration.

After reviewing the list of 5-year-old kindergarten children and 6-year-old children preparing to enter the first grade, the ward will send notices and help parents submit necessary documents.

Previously, parents directly went to schools to submit the application. But now they can do it at the ward office.

After July 1, the ward will hand over all documents to educational institutions according to the division plan of the district enrollment steering committee. 

At the same time, the ward People’s Committee will provide parents with 5 or 6-year-old children with an admission letter, together with a link and barcode for easier online registration. 

Based on the enrollment registration list, the educational institution will allocate classes and publicly post the class list on the first day of school.

Parents do not need to visit schools for registration or other tasks. If parents have difficulties with online registration, they can contact their locality for support.

Kiên Giang to provide free vocational training to workforce

The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Kiên Giang will spend VNĐ16 billion (US$700,000) to provide vocational training to its workforce this year.

Women, people in rural areas and those with disabilities attending training courses of less than three months will have their fees fully subsidised. 

People with disabilities, beneficiaries of the Government’s preferential policies, ethnic minorities, poor and near-poor people, those whose farmlands are taken for public works, women who lose their jobs, and fishermen will be given priority for the subsidies.    

They will be followed by people living in rural areas or work in industrial parks, tourism areas, small- and medium-sized companies, and former prisoners.

They will also have the cost of travel and food subsidised for attending the training.

The province Department of Agriculture and Rural Development will review the requirements for vocational skills, especially in the agricultural sector.

In the agricultural sector, training will be provided in 60 different vocations like growing vegetables, organic vegetables, fruits, sugarcane, pineapple, and pepper; breeding livestock; aquaculture; producing rice seeds; fishing; and forest-related work.

In other sectors, more than 160 vocations will be covered, including making handicrafts, tourism services, cooking, driving, industrial sewing, and processing of agricultural, forestry and seafood products.

The province will also offer support to trainees in finding a job after training, provide soft loans to carry on agriculture and related businesses and solicit investment in agriculture and rural development to create jobs.

Kiên Giang, which is the country’s largest rice producer, hopes to provide training to 27,000 people in rural areas in 2021- 30, according to its Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

It targets increasing its rate of trained workers to 75 per cent by 2025. 

Patients delay hospital visits due to fear of COVID-19

As COVID-19 infections have been reported in the community and hospitals recently, many people have delayed important hospital visits despite their worsening health.

Delaying or avoiding essential medical care could put the health of non-COVID-19 patients at risk, doctors have warned.

Associate Professor and Dr Hoàng Bùi Hải, head of the Emergency and Intensive Care Department of Hà Nội Medical University, said an 85-year-old man with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was taken to the hospital after his health declined for about 10 days.

“The patient suffered from breathing difficulty for 10 days. He should have gone to see a doctor as soon as possible but he did not as he and his family were scared of catching COVID-19,” Hải said.

“When the patient was taken to hospital, it was too late as he suffered multi-organ failure,” the doctor said. He died after two days at the hospital.

At the cardiology department of HCM City-based Nhân Dân Gia Định Hospital, an 80-year-old female patient was luckier. She was hospitalised with acute kidney damage and acute liver damage and before that, she had a history of type 2 diabetes and dyslipidemia.

According to the patient's family, seeing the complex development of the COVID-19 pandemic, they delayed taking the patient to the hospital for regular check-ups. Only when the patient had more severe symptoms like difficulty breathing, they rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment, which saved her life.

Late last month, HCM City-based Thủ Đức City Hospital reported two patients who suffered from serious complications due to taking medicine without doctors’ consultations. The two admitted that they were afraid of COVID-19 infections, particularly COVID-19 cases that had been reported in hospitals at that time.

Sharing the same COVID-19 fears, Nguyễn Thị Hoa, of Hà Nội was hesitant to go to the hospital for a regular check after her surgery.

“I had a herniated disc surgery three months ago and now was when the doctor told me to go to the hospital for re-examining,” Hoa said, adding that she was even afraid to use a taxi to go to the hospital.

Doctor Nguyễn Thái Yên from Nhân Dân Gia Định Hospital said during the COVID-19 pandemic, the hospital received many patients whose health problems had worsened but they delayed going to the hospital due to fear of catching coronavirus.

They continued taking medicine doctors prescribed on previous visits or took different kinds of medicine, which could harm their treatment or even their health, he said.

“Despite the resurgence of COVID-19 in the community, patients, especially the elderly with chronic diseases, still need to be periodically re-examined. Some cases must be re-examined on time, otherwise, it will be life-threatening such as heart failure after myocardial infarction, valvular heart disease that has undergone valve replacement surgery, asthma bronchi, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hyperthyroidism, epilepsy or peptic ulcer,” he said.

“Hospitals now all have patient screening and classifying systems so that patients with symptoms related to COVID-19 such as fever, cough or shortness of breath are allowed to go to a separate area and be examined in a separate area,” Yên said.

He added that even emergency patients who have not been tested for COVID-19 would be transferred to the emergency room in a separate area and medical workers were equipped with proper protective measures.

Associate Professor and Dr Nguyễn Lân Hiếu, director of Hà Nội Medical University, said before going to a hospital, patients should make a phone call and inform medical workers about their health conditions.

“For those who require emergency care, doctors will advise them to go to the hospital while patients with non-urgent problems will receive remote medical care,” Hiếu said.

Tiền Giang to upgrade major waterway this year

Tiền Giang Province is spending over VNĐ1.3 trillion (US$58 million) to upgrade Chợ Gạo Canal, one of the Mekong Delta’s most important waterways.

The province is establishing a steering committee for land clearance for the project, which is expected to be completed in 2023.

Covering nearly 30 hectares of land, the project will dredge and widen 9.85 kilometres of the canal’s southern bank and build works to reinforce the bank. Bridges and roads along the canal’s two banks will also be built.

Phạm Văn Trọng, deputy chairman of Tiền Giang People’s Committee, has asked relevant authorities to evaluate the project’s land area, and keep the public well-informed about relocation work.

This is the second phase of the province’s project to upgrade the economically important canal. The first phase of the upgrade project was completed and put into operation in 2015.

The second phase was expected to be carried out in the 2016-2017 period under the build, operate and transfer (BOT) form, but it was suspended due to financial infeasibility.

Since then, many parts of the canal have heavily eroded, affecting nearby local roads and endangering travellers. Some locals have even fallen into the canal, with even a few deaths recorded.

Cao Tấn Hưởng, deputy chairman of the People’s Committee of Chợ Gạo District, where the canal is located, said that some road parts had completely collapsed, forcing locals to build new roads. Many households were at a high risk of having their homes collapse into the river due to erosion.

Locals and authorities had to section off high-risk areas with poles and ropes.

The canal also suffers from traffic congestion during peak hours, which can affect the quality of transported produce, according to the Management Board of Domestic Waterway Projects.  The problem is compounded by sea vessels and container ships occasionally taking a shortcut through the canal.

Chợ Gạo Canal is the key waterway for transporting goods by ship between HCM City and the Mekong Delta region. Nearly 1,100 vessels travel along the canal every day.

Hà Tĩnh imposes social distancing

The central province of Hà Tĩnh has imposed social distancing regulations from noon on Tuesday after a health worker at the provincial general hospital tested positive for the coronavirus.

The decision was made during an urgent meeting held on Tuesday morning by the city’s Steering Committee for COVID-19 Disease Prevention and Control. The social distancing was imposed also under the Prime Minister’s Directive 16 amid increasingly complicated developments relating to the COVID-19 pandemic in the city.

The hospital has been put under lockdown and was disinfected by the military. 

All 15 districts and wards and more than 100,000 residents of Hà Tĩnh City will go into social distancing today. 

Residents are advised to stay at home and only go out for essentials such as buying food, medicine or going to work. A distance of at least 2 metres must be kept while all forms of social gatherings are temporarily banned in public spaces. 

Religious gatherings and gatherings in private residences are also suspended, including marriages and work meetings.

So far the city has recorded 10 cases of COVID-19 in the ongoing fourth wave. 

Encouraging signal from Việt Nam’s biggest COVID-19 hotspot

The top party leader in the northern province of Bắc Giang, the region hit hardest by the fourth wave of COVID-19, is confident the locality will eradicate outbreaks within the next two weeks.

Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Dương Văn Thái was speaking at a meeting of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control on Monday.

He said the province has basically zoned off and narrowed down sources of infection. Local authorities have started to ease social distancing measures in Lục Nam and Yên Thế districts while health workers continue screening tests at concentrated quarantine sites and lockdown areas to detect suspected cases.

The province has allowed 46 businesses which meet COVID-19 prevention and control requirements to resume operations with more than 7,500 workers.

Bắc Giang is the current biggest COVID-19 hotspot in Việt Nam with 3,211 community infection cases confirmed as of June 7 since April 27 when the fourth COVID-19 wave broke out, accounting for more than half of the total cases over the period.

Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam said Bắc Giang had had a methodical approach in carrying out periodical and non-stop screening tests at quarantine centres and lockdown areas while reducing the density of workers at hotspot and quickly managing outbreaks.

Speaking at the meeting, Vice Chairman of People’s Committee of northern Bắc Ninh Province Vương Quốc Tuấn said local authorities had organised inspection teams to regularly check COVID-19 prevention and control tasks at industrial zones and increased testing with the aim of bringing the pandemic in Thuận Thành District under control by June 20.

Deputy PM Đam instructed Bắc Ninh Province to focus on completely handling outbreaks in Thuận Thành District and closely supervise the situation in the province’s Bắc Ninh City where outbreaks have been recorded in both residential areas and industrial zones.

He proposed the Ministry of Health discuss with Bắc Ninh authorities to increase forces and equipment for testing.

Regarding outbreaks in HCM City, experts at the meeting said the situation had been controlled but neighbouring localities still needed to pay attention to cases relating to outbreaks in residential areas where staff working in industrial zones live.

Đà Nẵng students to get coronavirus tests before exam

More than 16,000 students and education staff from junior secondary schools in Đà Nẵng will be given SARS-COV-2 tests before the high school enrollment examination on June 12-13, the city’s authorities said in a statement on Monday.

The mass testing decision was made to ensure a safe examination for 13,251 students in the secondary education examination.

The Centre for Disease Control (CDC) said the results of all test will be ready within 24 hours to make sure the exams are held on schedule.

The city’s education and training department has asked to ensure COVID-19 prevention and control regulations are observed among students and teachers during the examination.

The CDC said 455,000 people in the city had received tests between May 3 and June 7, and no new positive SARS-COV-2 case has been found in the community for 20 consecutive days since May 19.

The city’s health department said 74 COVID-19 patients are currently in hospitals for treatment, while 18 patients have already recovered from COVID-19.

It said a one-year girl (patient No 3,541) was the youngest patient to be discharged on Monday after treatment at the Lung Hospital.

Only 171 people who had close or indirect contact with positive cases are still quarantined at health centres, the department reported. 

Vietnamese community in Mozambique contributes to national vaccine fund

More than 90 million VND (about 4,400 USD) were collected during a fundraising ceremony to call for donations to Vietnam’s national COVID-19 vaccine fund at the Vietnamese embassy in Maputo, the capital city of Mozambique, on June 9.

Speaking at the ceremony, Vietnamese Ambassador to Mozambique Le Huy Hoang said that the activity is a modest contribution from Vietnamese people living and working in Mozambique to the national COVID-19 vaccine fund, which was officially launched in Hanoi on June 5. The fund aims to mobilise all social resources for the purchase and import of vaccines as well as for research, development and production of domestic vaccines.

Highlighting Vietnam’s pandemic prevention and control efforts, Hoang called on Vietnamese expats in Mozambique to donate to the fund, helping Vietnam speed up the target of mass vaccination programme.

According to the ambassador, many Vietnamese people in Mozambique who could not attend the ceremony had sent their donations to the embassy.

The fundraising campaign will run until June 19, he said, adding all the donations will be sent to the national COVID-19 fund via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee.

There are currently some 300 Vietnamese people in Maputo, including businessmen, medical and education experts, students and overseas Vietnamese./.

Bac Giang strives to stabilise production

 

Industrial parks in Bac Giang province have been hit hard by the fourth wave of COVID-19 over the last few weeks. With a view to stabilising industrial production to avoid interruptions to global supply chains, some enterprises at major industrial parks have resumed operations with strict safety protocols in place. 

Having met all requirements on pandemic safety protocols set by Bac Giang provincial authorities, some local enterprises have now resumed operations. All strictly follow pandemic prevention measures.

According to the Management Board of Bac Giang Industrial Parks, 19 local enterprises with 6,000 workers have resumed operations.

The remainder are working to meet pandemic safety protocols and welcome back their workers.

The Management Board must therefore work all day to speed up inspections and grant permission to firms to resume operations.

All enterprises were previously asked to introduce safety plans on their own. They now receive support from task forces sent from the provincial People’s Committee.

The province has also requested that local firms deploy new production models to ensure the safety of its workers amid the pandemic and also its production output.

The provincial Confederation of Labour and the Management Board of Bac Giang Industrial Parks have been working to introduce appropriate policies to support local workers.

Relevant authorities have checked local workers and allowed those meeting health and professional requirements to return to work./.

HCM City receives 4.3 million USD in support of COVID-19 fight

The Ho Chi Minh City chapter of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) received 99 billion VND (4.3 million USD) on June 9 from organisations, businesses, and individuals in support of the city’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Of the total, over 78 billion VND is donated to purchase COVID-19 vaccines.

On behalf of the city’s leaders, President of the VFF - HCM City chapter To Thi Bich Chau expressed her profound gratitude for the assistance from agencies, collectives, businesses, and individuals.

She called on the community to continue contributing to the country’s pandemic prevention and control efforts and pledged to allocate the funding and goods to the right people, for the right purposes, and in accordance with law.

As of June 8, 103 units and individuals had registered to sponsor over 2.2 trillion VND to buy vaccines. To date, the funding the city has received to buy vaccines stands at over 98 billion VND./.

Competition to seek initiatives for national innovation ecosystem

The Vietnam Young Initiatives (InnoCity) 2021 competition, which aims to collect initiatives for the national creativity and innovation ecosystem, has been launched by the Vietnamese Student Association in the Netherlands and the Global Network of Young Vietnamese Intellectuals.

Organised for the first time with Europe as the starting location, the competition is open to young people and students aged 18-30 who are studying at European institutions, universities, and colleges or living in European countries.

The competition aims to collect initiatives and solutions with high applicability from young Vietnamese intellectuals to serve the goal of improving quality of life in Vietnam or that have the potential to promote startups and innovation in the country.

Inspired by the concept of “smart city”, the InnoCity competition is expected to create a large playing field for young Vietnamese living in Europe to offer their solutions relating to energy - environment, smart education, digital heath - public health, transport, and other urgent sectors for the development of smart cities in Vietnam.

The application round will last until July 15. The second stage, from August 1 to August 29, will be for constructing ideas and models. The third phase, from August 31 to September 30, will be for the trial of ideas and the development of product prototypes.

The organisers will select 12 teams for the final round on October 2./.

Bac Giang aims to develop 32 urban areas by 2030

The northern province of Bac Giang is striving to develop 32 urban areas by 2030, raising its urbanisation ratio to about 32.4 percent in 2025 and 45-59 percent in 2030, according to Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Duong Van Thai.

Thai said that to this end, the locality will focus on expanding the urban area system with modern and synchronous social and technical infrastructure.

Attention will be paid to ensuring a good living environment in green, clean, beautiful and smart urban areas, said the provincial leader.

He revealed that in the coming time, Bac Giang will focus on completing its policies and mechanisms regarding the development of urban areas and urban service, trade and economy, laying the foundation for attracting investment in the field.

The province will also improve planning work, thus ensuring a long-term vision for its development, he said.

Thai said that Bac Giang will mobilise resources for urban development and invest more in urban framework infrastructure system, while encouraging investors to invest in urban trade and services.

In the 2016-2020 period, the province implemented 47 urban and urban service development projects with total investment of over 13.59 trillion VND (589 million USD), along with 14 housing development projects with total investment of more than 8.45 trillion VND (366.2 million USD).

Bac Giang is among the first localities to make provincial development planning, which serves as the foundation for its future socio-economic development, including urban expansion.

On November 21, 2019, the National Assembly’s Standing Committee issued a resolution on the re-arrangement of administration units at communal level of Bac Giang./.

Photo contest on national tangible cultural heritage launched

The first ever photo contest and exhibition on national tangible cultural heritage was launched on June 9 with the aim to raise awareness of heritage conservation in the local community.

According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the contest seeks valuable photographic works depicting various types of the country's tangible cultural heritage and popularise the cultural, scientific, historical and aesthetic values of the heritages to Vietnamese people and international friends.

The photo contest is opened for both amateur and professional photographers, who are Vietnamese citizens or expats living in Vietnam of 18 years of age and above.

The entries should be submitted until September 30, 2021, either by email to dsvh@bvhttdl.gov.vn, or by post and in person to the Organising Committee at: Department of Cultural Heritage, 51 Ngo Quyen, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi.

The results of the contest will be announced on the media and the website of the Department of Cultural Heritage. 

Prize-winning works and selected entries will be displayed at the exhibition and printed in a photo book with the theme "Vietnam cultural heritage”. /.

Webinar seeks solutions to promoting circular economy

A webinar focusing on plastic waste in Vietnam and solutions to the problem took place on June 9.

Addressing the event, Chairman of the Vietnam Urban Environment and Industrial Zone Association Nguyen Van Lien, said the webinar aims to provide information on the latest solutions and technologies for treating and recycling plastic waste towards a circular economy model in Vietnam.

According to Dr Nguyen Le Tuan, Director of the Sea and Island Research Institute at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Vietnam has basically completed a policy framework to support the re-use and recycling of solid waste, including plastic waste.

However, the framework has failed to maximise such re-use and recycling, he said, adding that there is a lack of mechanisms to attract private investment in solid waste collection and treatment.

Vietnam needs to have more mechanisms and policies on the production, use, and disposal of plastic products and others to encourage and support the re-use and recycling of plastic waste, Tuan stressed.

Tran Viet Anh, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Plastics Association, said Vietnam should pay attention to completing its legal corridor to serve the development of the circular economy, building an intensive economic growth model, effectively using resources, and promoting the application of science and technology in waste treatment.

He underlined the need for the country to adjust energy planning towards gradually reducing dependence on energy from fossil fuels and hydroelectricity.

Enterprises should strengthen communications activities to raise public awareness of the importance of classifying waste at the source, he added.

At the webinar, experts and representatives of businesses in the field of the environment identified difficulties and proposed solutions to microplastic pollution management, and introduced technologies to collect and treat plastic waste in rivers./.

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