Vietnam recorded 45 new cases of COVDI-19 over the past six hours to 6 p.m on May 20, including five imported cases who had been quarantined upon their arrival, the Ministry of Health said.

Among the 40 domestically-transmitted cases, 24 were found in Bac Giang province, 10 in the neighbouring province of Bac Ninh, three in Ho Chi Minh City, and one each in Lang Son, Hai Duong and Vinh Phuc provinces.
The latest cases have brought the national count of domestic infections to 3,331. A total of 1,761 cases have been detected since the new wave of the pandemic started in the country on April 27.

Two patients were given the all-clear on May 20, raising the number of recoveries in the country to 2,689. Meanwhile, fatalities related to the pandemic reached 39.

Among the patients under treatment, 63 have tested negative for the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 once, 34 twice, and 23 thrice.

As many as 121,010 people who had come into close contact with COVID-19 patients or entered Vietnam from pandemic-hit areas are now under medical monitoring nationwide./.

81-year-old man becomes 39th COVID-related fatality

An elderly man with a history of medical conditions has become the 39th COVID-related death in Việt Nam, and the fourth in the past week since the latest surge of community infections.

The 81-year-old patient had a number of underlying health issues including cirrhosis, diabetes, hypertension, gout and knee pain.

On May 3, the man was admitted to the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Hà Nội with a diagnosis of bacteria in his blood, cirrhosis and gout. Just over a week later he tested positive for coronavirus and was moved to intensive care.

As his condition deteriorated, a number of leading professors were consulted nationwide.

On Wednesday, the man stopped breathing and although he was resuscitated at the hospital, he died later that day.

Cause of death has been recorded as septic shock, septicaemia, and bilateral pyelonephritis in patients with cirrhosis, diabetes, hypertension and SARS-COV-2 infection. 

COVID-19: 44 more community cases confirmed, two hotspots take most 

The Ministry of Health (MoH) said an additional 44 locally transmitted coronavirus cases have been detected during the past six hours, including 32 cases in Bac Giang and Bac Ninh COVID-19 hotspots.

Bac Giang, the country’s largest COVID-19 hotspot, confirmed 26 more cases, with most cases closely linked to the current coronavirus outbreaks at Quang Chau and Van Trung industrial parks (IPs), the MoH said in its COVID-19 update at 12.00am on May 20

Elsewhere, six cases were announced in Bac Ninh, six in Hanoi (including four at the K Cancer Hospital No2), four in Dien Bien, and one in Da Nang.

Thai Nguyen is the latest locality in Vietnam that has reported the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. A local resident working at Quang Chau IP tested positive and was transferred to Hanoi for treatment.

Vietnam has recorded  1,721 community cases in 30 cities and provinces across the country since the virus recurred in late April.

Bac Giang and Bac Ninh are the country’s two largest coronavirus hotspots, registering approximately 1,000 cases.

In its morning update, the MoH announced 30 more cases, including 21 in Bac Giang and Bac Ninh. 

Vietnam attends ARF Defence Officials’ Dialogue

Vietnam joined other 26 member states of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) at the ARF Defence Officials’ Dialogue (DOD), which was chaired by Haji Adi Ihram Bin Dato Paduka Haji Mahmud, Deputy Permanent Secretary of Policy and Strategy at the Brunei Defence Ministry, and David Lewis, Assistant Secretary Southeast Asia under the Australia’s Department of Defence in the form of video conference.

The Vietnamese delegation was led by Lieutenant General Vu Chien Thang, Director General of the Foreign Relations Department under the Ministry of Defence.

At the dialogue, Brigadier General Dato Seri Pahlawan Shahril Anwar bin Haji Ma’awiah, Permanent Secretary of the Brunei Ministry of Defence, called on nations to boost their sound collaboration, including strong defence cooperation, in the context that the region and the world are facing a wide range of security challenges.

He expressed his hope that the ARF member countries will have more opportunities to learn from each other, as well as work closely to help the region get ready and stay resilient to cope with future challenges, particularly the critical impacts of COVID-19.

This year DOD aimed to discuss measures to narrow gap in knowledge of emerging technologies between nations, and their influences on defence-security.

Participants also worked to agree the agenda in preparation for the 18th ASEAN Regional Forum Security Policy Conference (ASPC-18) scheduled for late this month. It will be hosted by Brunei and in the form of video conference./.

Health Ministry: All citizens not encouraged to take SARS-CoV-2 test

The Ministry of Health (MoH) does not encourage people to get a COVID-19 screening test amid rising threats in the community, Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan has said.

Thuan made the statement during a meeting in Hanoi on May 19, explaining that people may ignore COVID-19 guidelines if their test results come back negative.

He said the MoH is currently enhancing the testing capacity in high-risk localities and at medical facilities in order to ramp up contact tracing, early detect and quarantine positive cases.   

Deputy Minister Thuan also requested that local people continue to follow the nation’s 5K message and to have a positive outlook on the vaccination process, affirming that it can serve as a "iron shield" that can protect people from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 5K message in Vietnamese means Khau trang (facemask), Khu khuan (disinfection), Khoang cach (distance), Khong tu tap (no gatherings), and Khai bao y te (health declaration).

This comes after rumours circulated that people are required to follow the COVID-19 guielines of 5K message + vaccination + testing. However, Deputy Ministser Thuan refuted the rumours, saying the 5K message and vaccination are enough given the current context.

The MoH recently dispatched a contingent of professionals to Bac Giang province, the country’s largest coronavirus hotspot, as part of efforts to assist the locality with contact tracing and extensive testing.

Vietnam has so far conducted more than 3.3 million Real-time RT-PCR tests to detect the virus in the community.

The fourth wave of the COVID-19 epidemic has attacked the country following the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 cases in late April. Roughly 1,700 new cases have been confirmed across 28 cities and provinces nationwide.

HCM City, Saint Petersburg strengthen bilateral relations

Leaders of Ho Chi Minh City and Russia’s Saint Petersburg city held a teleconference on May 19 to discuss cooperation orientations, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Vietnam - Russia strategic partnership.

Secretary of the HCM City Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen emphasised the two peoples’ special sentiment, whose foundation was laid when President Ho Chi Minh, then known as Nguyen Ai Quoc, set foot in the Soviet Union for the first time, in 1923, to seek ways for national salvation.

Nen affirmed that the Vietnamese people always keep in mind the Soviet Union people’s wholehearted support and assistance for Vietnam during the struggle for national independence and reunification, as well as post-war reconstruction and the development of many economic sectors like hydropower, oil and gas, and other industries.

Today’s relations between Vietnam and Russia are the continuation and inheritance of the traditional friendship nurtured through many generations. In 2001, Russia was the first country in the world Vietnam had set up a strategic partnership with, and the ties were elevated to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2012, he noted.

He held that the cooperation potential between HCM City and Saint Petersburg remains huge since both are “dynamic development locomotives” of their respective countries.

While HCM City is working hard to develop a smart and modern city and become an economic, financial, trade, and scientific - technological hub of Vietnam and Southeast Asia as a whole, Saint Petersburg is currently a major economic, scientific, technical, cultural, and tourism centre of Russia.

Apart from existing cooperation areas, they are considering collaboration in pharmaceutical production and cancer treatment and sharing water loss reduction technology and experience. Both are also taking steps necessary for the establishment of an economic, tourism and cultural centre of HCM City in Saint Petersburg, according to the Secretary.

Speaking at the event, Governor of Saint Petersburg Alexander Beglov expressed his delight at the flourishing Russia - Vietnam cooperation, based on mutual trust and respect, which has been substantially contributed by the twin cities.

The cities have become closer and closer year by year with new cooperation areas present and economic links increasingly expanded, he remarked.

Beglov said difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic are unable to hamper the cities’ enhancement of their ties, assuring that the HCM City centre for economy, tourism, and culture will be established in Saint Petersburg as soon as pandemic-triggered restriction measures are lifted.

During the teleconference, the two sides discussed a number of important cooperation issues in economy, culture, tourism, and people-to-people exchange./.

Vietnam confirms 38th death related to COVID-19

A COVID-19 patient suffering from liver cancer has died at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Hanoi, said the National Steering Committee on COVID-19 Prevention and Control on May 20.

The patient, 64, was admitted to the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases on May 4. She was diagnosed with sepsis, liver cancer, chronic hepatitis B and hemophagocytic syndrome.

She tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus on May 7 and had since relied on mechanical ventilation alongside broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy, anti-inflammatory medication and blood transfusion.

However, the patient did not respond well to the given treatment regimen and passed away on May 19.

This is 38th COVID-19 fatality in Vietnam.

Earlier, the MoH announced the 36th death on May 15 and the 37th one on May 17. Besides COVID-19, both patients also suffered from underlying health conditions.

The fourth COVID-19 wave has attacked Vietnam following the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in late April. Nearly 1,700 new cases have been confirmed in 28 cities and provinces across the country.

Worthy of note is that the number of severely ill patients relying on mechanical ventilation has increased fourfold, according to Dr Nguyen Dinh Phu, head of the Intensive Care Unit under the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases.

Vietnamese FM attends UNSC debate on peace and security in Africa

Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son on May 19 attended the United Nations Security Council (UNSC)’s open debate on peace and security in Africa, at the invitation of State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi of China, which holds the UNSC Presidency in May.

The teleconferenced debate, themed “Addressing root causes of conflict while promoting post-pandemic recovery in Africa”, also saw the presence of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Chairman of the African Union (AU) Faki Mahamat, UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner, and senior representatives of UNSC member states.

In their remarks, the UN Secretary-General, the AU Chairman, and the UNDP Administrator noted that African people are being severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and called on the UN and the international community to actively carry out activities assisting Africa, especially enhancing the healthcare system and vaccine accessibility.

They emphasised the need to promote support for post-pandemic recovery and strengthen cooperation between the UN and the AU to boost peacekeeping operations, thereby maintaining stability in the region and creating conditions to realise developments goals towards achieving the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Africa’s Agenda 2063.

The UNSC’s member states voiced concerns over the pandemic’s serious impacts on the socio-economic, political, humanitarian, and security situation in Africa.

They urged stronger cooperation to prevent and resolve conflicts in Africa, particularly the root causes of conflict, via national reconciliation, industrialisation, agricultural reform, sustainable development, poverty reduction, and inequality addressing.

Highlighting the role of peacekeeping missions which have helped maintain peace and stability in Africa, they appealed for increasing support for African countries to access vaccines, including via the COVAX Facility.

Speaking at the event, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son highly valued the unmatched potential of Africa but also pointed out that centuries of slavery and colonialism have dragged the continent into poverty, under-development and conflicts that are still prevalent today.

He called for continued international support and assistance for Africa to achieve prosperity and peace via regional initiatives like Agenda 2063.

Peace, stability and security are the prerequisites for addressing the current challenges, he affirmed, urging the full implementation of UNSC Resolutions 2352 and 2565, particularly their calls for a global ceasefire, and continued support for Africa's Silencing the Guns initiative.

It is also essential to focus on building trust and reconciliation among communities, promote meaningful participation of women and youth in peace processes, underdevelopment and social inequality addressing, post-conflict peace building and post-pandemic recovery, according to Son.

The minister also underlined that close partnership between the UN and the regional and sub-regional organisations in Africa, particularly the AU, has undoubtedly served as an important framework for the provision of financial, humanitarian and technical assistance to conflict-affected countries in Africa.

On the occasion of President Ho Chi Minh’s 131st birth anniversary (May 19), Son quoted the late Vietnamese leader as saying: “We rejoice at Africa's victories, and it pains us to see Africa's sufferings.”

Vietnam has always stood shoulder to shoulder with the African peoples in the common endeavours for sustainable peace and development, he stressed, adding that it has sent peacekeepers to conflict zones in the Central African Republic and South Sudan, shared development experience and expertise through bilateral and tri-partite cooperation, and offered medical supplies and face masks to Africa in support of the fight against the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic./.

Ministry of Health confirms additional 30 domestic COVID-19 cases

 

The number of domestically-transmitted COVID-19 infections in Vietnam has risen to 3,247, with 30 patients confirmed in the past 12 hours to 6am on May 20, according to the Ministry of Health.

Of them, 13 were recorded Bac Giang province, eight in Bac Ninh, one in Lang Son, two in Ninh Binh, one in Thanh Hoa, and five in Hai Duong.

The country has logged 1,473 imported infections so far.

As many as 1,677 COVID-19 cases have been recorded in the nation since it was hit by the fourth COVID-19 wave on April 27.

A total of 121,010 people who came in close contact with COVID-19 patients or arrived from pandemic-hit areas are being quarantined nationwide, including 2,217 in hospitals, 32,348 in other quarantine sites, and 86,445 at their residences.

Among active COVID-19 patients undergoing treatment, 37 have tested negative for the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 once, 29 twice, and 23 thrice.

Vietnam has seen 2,687 recoveries, while the death toll related to the disease is 37.

Since the pandemic has become more complicated, people are advised to strictly follow the Ministry of Health’s 5K message: khau trang (facemask), khu khuan (disinfection), khoang cach (distance), khong tu tap (no gathering), and khai bao y te (health declaration)./.

Ha Tinh: Endangered turtle returned to ocean

Relevant agencies in Loc Ha district in the north-central province of Ha Tinh released a rare turtle weighing 80kg back into the sea on May 19.

A local fisherman had found the turtle trapped in his fishing net and voluntarily handed it over to authorities.

Measuring 1.2 metres in length, the turtle was identified as an endangered animal under World Wide Fund for Nature classifications. It was in normal health when being released.

Only seven species of sea turtle exist around the world, five of which are found off Vietnam’s coast./.

First phase of local COVIVAC human trials complete

The nations has finalized the first stage of human trials on COVIVAC, the second locally-produced novel coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine, with this phase featuring the participation of 120 volunteers.

According to Vu Dinh Thiem, director of the Center for Clinical Trials under the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, a total of 120 volunteers received their second shot of the COVIVAC vaccine on May 15.

According to the schedule, Thiem stated that the research team will take samples from volunteers on May 29 for the purpose of carrying out an antibody test 14 days after being injected with their second shot.

Following this, the team will then send away all of the blood samples to be assessed in order to detect the antibody levels both before and after receiving the vaccine.

Providing that the vaccine shows that safety standards are met and the immunisation is capable of disease prevention based on approval granted by the Ministry of Health, then the second phase of clinical trials will be carried out at the Health Center of Vu Thu district in Thai Binh province.

The results of the second phase are set to be announced in either November or December.

This comes after COVIVAC, developed by the Institute of Vaccines and Medical Biologicals (IVAC), was proved to be effective against the new SARS-CoV strains detected in both the UK and South Africa on March 15.

Social distancing in effect as caseload keeps rising in Bac Giang hotspot

The administration of northern Bac Giang province has imposed social distancing on its capital, Bac Giang city, and established medical quarantine zones in several other localities as the fresh coronavirus outbreak has yet to show signs of abating.

The social distancing order took effect as of 03.00pm on May 19 and lasts until further notice.

Bac Giang province, the country’s largest coronavirus hotspot, has recorded 540 community cases, about one third of the national tally, since the virus recurred in Vietnam in late April.

It detected an additional 78 cases on May 19 evening and a further 13 cases on May 20 morning, according to the data from the Ministry of Health.

Most of the cases were diagnosed at Hosiden Vietnam Co. Ltd., an electronic parts supplier, in Quang Chau industrial park (IP) and other IPs in the province.

One day earlier, Bac Giang province also applied the social distancing order in three of its districts in an effort to halt the spread of the virus.

Besides 13 more cases recorded in Bac Giang on May morning, the MoH also announced eight cases in Bac Ninh, the country’s second coronavirus hotspot, five cases in Hai Duong, two cases in Ninh Binh, and one case each in Lang Son and Thanh Hoa.

The newly-detected cases were in quarantine or lockdown areas, the MoH said in COVID-19 update on May 20 morning.

Elsewhere, the COVID-19 pandemic is becoming complicated in Ho Chi Minh City which recorded cluster of infections on May 19 closely linked to a COVID-19 patient at block of apartments Sunview Town.

Scientists have completed genome sequencing of a COVID-19 case in Ho Chi Minh City and found the patient had carried the mutated variant B.1.617.2 which was first found in India.

Vietnam has confirmed nearly 1,600 community cases in 28 cities and provinces nationwide since the virus recurred on April 28.

Ninh Binh cancels tourism week due to COVID-19

Authorities of the northern province of Ninh Binh has decided to cancel the Tourism Week “Golden Colour of Tam Coc – Trang An” due to the complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The tourism week is part of a series of activities during the Visit Vietnam Year 2021.

Located in the southern reaches of the Red River Delta, Ninh Binh is known for its wondrous natural scenery, with a labyrinth of waterways, mountains, and plains as well as cross-cultural influences from the north to the south and from the mountains to the plains and coastal areas. It is home to 1,821 relic areas, including 81 national relic sites and a world cultural and natural heritage site./.

Incense offering in tribute to President Ho Chi Minh, martyrs

State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc on May 20 offered incense and flowers to late President Ho Chi Minh and heroic martyrs at Nga Ba Giong memorial and Gieng nuoc hospital relic site in Hoc Mon district, Ho Chi Minh City on May 20 on the occasion of the late leader’s 131st birthday (May 19).

Hoc Mon district has been popular with the uprising of the 18 Vuon Trau (Areca Garden) hamlets against the French colonists in 1885, which later spread to other southern localities. However, it was cruelly suppressed by the French colonists.

In August 1941, the French administration arrested and sent several leaders of the Southern Regional Party Committee, including Nguyen Van Cu, Vo Van Tan, Phan Dang Luu, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai and others, to the firing squad.

The French set up three firing grounds to execute the revolutionaries. One of them was at Nga Ba Giong (Giong T Junction).

Though the uprising was a failure, it helped to spur the August Revolution of 1945.

During the resistance war against the US, Nga Ba Giong saw glorious feats of the military and locals in Xuan Thoi Thuong commune.

On the occasion, President Phuc visited and presented gifts to several policy beneficiary families in the district, including heroic Vietnamese mothers Nguyen Thi Se and Do Thi Net, and wounded soldier Le Van Cao./.

Early elections to be organised on Ca Mau's islands

Voters on Hon Khoai islands and Hon Chuoi islands off the coast of the southernmost province of Ca Mau will cast votes to elect deputies to the 15th National Assembly (NA) and People’s Councils at all levels on May 21, two days ahead of the scheduled date.

To ensure early voting is a success, the province’s Election Committee has sent documents to organisations in charge of election work on holding elections in accordance with the Law on the Election of Deputies to the National Assembly and People’s Councils.

Ca Mau has 852,514 eligible voters and 1,259 polling stations in 14 constituencies.

Amid the complex developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, prevention measures will be put in place to ensure safety.

Voters nationwide will go to the polls to select 500 deputies to the 15th NA from 866 candidates on May 23./.

Localities asked to stay vigilant as COVID-19 already exists in community

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam on May 19 requested all localities to be on high alert as the COVID-19 pandemic is creeping in the community, and stay ready to immediately zone off and quarantine any new infections.

Addressing a meeting of permanent members of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, Dam, who is head of the committee, said that all resources are being mobilised to stamp out the pandemic in the northern provinces of Bac Giang and Bac Ninh.

According to a report by the Ministry of Health (MoH), Vietnam has recorded 1,647 COVID-19 cases in 28 provinces and cities since April 27, including 605 in Bac Giang, 353 in Bac Ninh, and 256 in Hanoi. Most of the new cases had close contact with confirmed patients, and had been already quarantined or in locked-down areas.

Deputy Health Minister Tran Van Thuan said that people should strictly follow the MoH’s 5K message: khau trang (face mask), khu khuan (disinfection), khoang cach (distance), khong tu tap (no gathering), and khai bao y te (health declaration), and take part in COVID-19 vaccinations.

Dam highlighted the importance to renew and strengthen discipline, and tighten management over the reception and quarantine of foreigners and Vietnamese citizens entering the country.

All quarantine facilities and hotels registered for quarantine must ensure required conditions, and form a system to manage from prices to pandemic prevention and control conditions, he noted.

The Deputy PM urged the Ministry of Health to issue guidelines for combining different testing methods for people entering Vietnam, firstly by air.

The classification after testing can define who is safe enough to be quarantined for only seven days at designated facilities, instead of 14 or 21 days, he stated, adding that it is important for trading and travel, including welcoming foreign experts and repatriating Vietnamese citizens stranded aboard due to the pandemic.

He requested the Ministry of Health to issue new guidelines within a week and immediately organise testing and medical quarantine management following the new process.

The permanent members of the steering committee also agreed to assign the military medicine force to undertake testing for people in military quarantine establishments and the health sector to test people in civil quarantine facilities and hotels./.

Warnings raised over Covid-19 outbreak at Hosiden Vietnam

Bac Giang authorities have raised warnings over the outbreak at Hosiden Vietnam Company as it is suspected that all of the employees might have been infected.

On May 19, Bac Giang Provincial Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control issued an urgent document asking local district and city authorities to carry out viral tests for all employees at Hosident Vietnam who are being quarantined at home and quarantine centres. According to the committee, the test samples from Hosiden Vietnam have a very high positive rate.

Employees who are at quarantine centres must stay in separated areas because it is highly likely that they have been infected.

The authorities must carry out contact tracing carefully and announce the news publicly.

As of May 18, the outbreak at Hosiden Vietnam had a total of 238 cases, an increase of 43 cases compared to May 17. There were 2,583 F1 cases and 8,631 F2 cases.

Thanh Hoa busts drug trafficking ring

Police in the central province of Thanh Hoa reported on May 19 that they busted a drug trafficking ring from Laos and confiscated 10kg of meth.

Arrested traffickers include Hoang Ngoc Toan, 31; and Trinh Van Huy, 25, both residing in Truong Xuan commune, Tho Xuan district; and Pham Trung Kien, 20; and Tran Van Chung, 32, both residing in Lam Son ward, Bim Son township.

On the scene, police seized 10kg of meth, seven mobile phones, an automobile, nearly 600 million VND and a military gun.

Investigation on the case is ongoing./.

Vietnamese military medical experts help Laos fight COVID-19

The Vietnamese Defence Ministry has sent a team of military medical experts to Laos to help the country fight the second outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.

During May 3-19, they presented medical supplies to Lao localities and directly surveyed the Lao army’s COVID-19 prevention and control system.

The delegation also shared experience in and offered instructions related to testing, diagnosis and treatment, as well as COVID-19 prevention prevention and control measures.

At a working session at the headquarters of the Lao Defence Ministry on May 19, they offered suggestions to the Lao Defence Ministry and its COVID-19 prevention and control board to improve Lao army’s anti-pandemic capacity in the coming time.

On the occasion, deputy head of the General Department of Logistics of the Lao People's Army Maj. Gen. Bouasing Inthavong handed over friendship order to members of the delegation in recognition of their support to Lao Defence Ministry’s COVID-19 prevention and control, contributing to fostering the two countries' friendship./.

All buses in Hanoi installed with cameras

All of 1,778 buses in Hanoi have been equipped with cameras to monitor driver and passenger conduct, according to the Hanoi Public Transport Association.

Under the government’s decree issued last year on transport business and conditions, all buses, coaches and mini-buses in Hanoi will need to have two in-vehicle surveillance cameras.  

The move aims to stop driver behaviour that could threaten the safety of passengers and clamp down on buses carrying more passengers than they are permitted to.

Recording and storage of the images on the vehicles, including images of the drivers and doors of the vehicles, must be sent to police, traffic inspectors and licensing agencies to ensure transparent surveillance.

Videos and images must be stored for a minimum of 24 hours for vehicles on journeys of less than 500km and 72 hours for vehicles operating on journeys of more than 500km.

Chairman of the Hanoi Public Transport Association Nguyen Trong Thong, said at present said no specific regulations for the camera installation, causing difficulties for enterprises’ selection.

Thong added that it would cost VND7 million for installing a camera so many bus enterprises can have to spend up to VND2-3 million for this. Meanwhile, they have to pay for the costs by themselves not funded by the state budget.

The government needs to have measures to support bus companies in the costs for camera purchase as well as issue clear regulations on the installation, Thong suggested.

HCM City tightens COVID measures at drugstores, industrial parks

The chairman of HCM City People’s Committee, Nguyen Thanh Phong, has instructed Thủ Đức city, 21 city districts and other agencies to strengthen COVID-19 preventive measures, particularly at drugstores and industrial parks.   

Though the city has had only two community-transmitted cases in the last 20 days, the risk of an outbreak is still very high and could occur in any time, Phong said at a recent meeting with the city Steering Committee for COVID-19 prevention and control.

The HCM City Department of Health on May 17 told all drugstores to ask people who buy medicine for fever, cough, sore throat or shortness of breath to fill out an online health declaration.

If drugstores do not follow the rule, they will be fined. Drugstore staff must wear masks, wash hands with sanitisers, and keep a safe distance from customers.

In early May, a COVID-19 patient in Đà Nẵng said that he had gone to a drugstore in HCM City’s Bình Tân to buy medicine when he was in the city. The drugstore’s owner and her family’s members were quarantined and tested negative for coronavirus.

Since May 3, the city has carried out surveillance of people from other provinces and cities, following the April 30 and May 1 holiday. City health officials took 5,348 random samples from passengers at the airport. Among these, 4,640 have tested negative for coronavirus, and the others are waiting for results.

Health officials have continued taking samples in community and high-risk areas including markets, commercial centres, entertainment sites, restaurants, hotels, apartment buildings for workers, industrial parks and others, with 33,002 samples, including 31,318 that tested negative for coronavirus. The others are waiting for results.

Nguyễn Tấn Bỉnh, head of the city's Department of Health, said that 77,668 people at hospitals have provided samples for COVID-19 tests.  

On the same day, the city Department of Transport also instructed managers of bus and railway stations as well as transport business enterprises to strictly carry out preventive measures per the ministry’s protocols.

They must ask their staff and passengers to fill out health declaration forms and have their body temperature checked.

Drivers of buses and trains are not allowed to stop in COVID-19-hit provinces and cities to pick up and drop off passengers. They are banned from transporting more than 50 per cent of vehicle capacity.

The maximum number of people on vehicles including drivers and their assistants must be no more than 30. Passengers must be arranged to keep a safe distance between them.

About 12,500 vehicles were checked at 69 checkpoints throughout the city in a three-day period. The checkpoints on May 18 began fining people in vehicles for not wearing masks.  

Due to many new cases in the country occurring at industrial parks, the HCM City Export Processing Zone and Industrial Park Authority (HEPZA) and enterprises at the zones and parks have set up steering boards or teams for COVID-19 prevention and control. The boards and teams have developed several scenarios even if they have only one COVID-19 patient.

Industrial parks

Enterprises at export processing zones and industrial parks have set up hotlines to receive information about cases. They have evaluated the infection risks in their working facilities and apartment buildings, and have limited many events and mass gatherings.

Enterprises are also paying allowances to their workers who are currently quarantined, when it is required by local health officials. The allowance cannot be lower than the region-based minimum wage and can be even higher. The companies are not allowed to quarantine their workers if local health officials have not required it.

If companies face difficulties and have to lay off many workers, they must report to the Trade Union and employees management division at HEPZA to get assistance.

HEPZA and the city Trade Union have encouraged enterprises to offer proper assistance policies for laid-off workers. They should give priority to older workers, pregnant women, those who have young children, and those with financial difficulties.

The city has 17 export processing zones and industrial parks with more than 280,000 workers and nearly 3,000 foreign experts working at 1,500 enterprises.

Vietnam to attend Venezuela Book Fair in November

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has invited Vietnam to attend the 17th International Book Fair of Venezuela (FILVEN) 2021 as the main guest at the event.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Vietnamese Embassy in Venezuela led by Ambassador Le Viet Duyen will represent the country to take part in the fair slated for November.

Ambassador Duyen has sent a document to ask the Authority of Publication, Printing and Distribution to provide a number of books, newspapers, and publications in Spanish which can serve to introduce images of the country’s lands and citizens at the book fair.

During a recent meeting with leaders of The Gioi Publisher, Venezuelan Ambassador to Vietnam Tatiana Pugh Moreno requested that some works be translated from Vietnamese into Spanish so they can be put on display during the course of the fair.

The Venezuelan diplomat hoped that through these translated works, people from Venezuela and other South American nations will be able to gain a deep insight into Vietnamese land and people during their global integration process.

Under-35 writing contest launched

The Việt Nam Writers’ Association has launched a writing contest for authors under 35 years old as part of an effort to discover and support young talents. 

The 2021 National Writing Award for Young Writer will offer prizes in the categories of poetry, fiction, literary criticism and translation. 

Vietnamese writers at home and abroad are invited to participate the event. 

The organiser seeks works with themes about the lives of young people and their challenges and dreams in a globalised world. Women and children living in remote areas are also included.

Famous authors, poets and translators will be part of the jury. 

“We hope the annual contest will give writers under 35, particularly those from ethnic minority groups, a chance to develop their careers and bring writers and publishers together to offer new, quality books to readers,” veteran poet Hữu Việt of the association, a member of the contest’s organising board, said.

Many past winners at writing contests launched by organisations, such as the HCM City Writers' Association, Trẻ (Youth) Publishing House and Kim Đồng Publishing House, have become popular among readers.

Female writer Nguyễn Ngọc Tư of Cà Mau Province is an example. Tư was a winner at the National Youth Writing Competition, a contest aimed at writers under 20 years old, in 2000 organised by the HCM City Writers' Association and its partners. 

Her first book, Cánh Đồng Bất Tận (Endless Fields), was a bestseller as soon as it hit HCM City bookshops in 2005. 

The book was also honoured with the Southeast Asian Writers Award in 2008. The award is given annually by the Thai Royal Family to encourage and honour poets and writers in Southeast Asia.

Tư has succeeded in impressing both young and older readers by focusing on rural life, featuring the simple lifestyle of farmers in her native province of Cà Mau in the south.

She has released 30 books in different categories of fiction, short stories and poem. 

Participants in the 2021 National Writing Award for Young Writer must submit their work on paper and send to the contest organiser Việt Nam Writers’ Association-Creating Office at 9 Nguyễn Đình Chiểu Street, Nguyễn Du Ward, Hai Bà Trưng District, Hà Nội. 

Entries should be postmarked by Septemper 30. 

The best works will be published by leading printers, magazines and newspapers. The prize winners will be announced in early 2022.

Vietnam continues to leave good impression on tourists

Vietnam tourism continues to leave good impressions on tourists around the world according to the voting in the Travelers' Choice Awards 2021 from TripAdvisor, the world's largest travel website.

In the category “Asia's Most Popular Destinations 2021”, famous Vietnamese destinations such as Hanoi, Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang have remained travellers’ choices for many years.

Accordingly, Hanoi ranked second, the ancient town of Hoi An in central Quang Nam province fourth, Ho Chi Minh City 11th and central Da Nang city 16th.

Hanoi was also ranked sixth among the 25 most popular destinations in the world by Tripadvisor.

"The charming Vietnamese capital has aged well, preserving the Old Quarter, monuments and colonial architecture, while making room for modern development alongside," TripAdvisor wrote.

"Hanoi may have shrugged off several former names, including Thang Long but it hasn't forgotten its past, as sites such as Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum and Hoa Lo Prison can attest. Lakes, parks, shady boulevards and more than 600 temples and pagodas add to the appeal of this city, easily explored by taxi."

The travel site also hailed Hoi An, a UNESCO heritage site in the central province of Quang Nam, as "a well-preserved example of an important Southeast Asian trading port from the 15th-19th centuries

"On the 14th day of each lunar month, the town trades its electric lights for traditional colored lanterns. Sights include the Japanese Covered Bridge and Quan Cong Temple," TripAdvisor recommended.

Meanwhile, Ho Chi Minh City ranks 11th in the list with the iconic bustle of the largest city in Vietnam. This city sets the cultural and economic pace for the country. There are many attractions for tourists such as the War Remnants Museum and the Jade Emperor Pagoda.

The fourth Vietnamese city on this list is Da Nang. According to TripAdvisor, “Da Nang is laid-back and friendly, maybe because everyone you meet has just finished an amazing meal. Culinary tours are a hugely popular way to experience literal local flavor.”.

In addition, in the top 25 destinations in Asia, Vietnam has two representatives: An Bang Beach (Hoi An) and My Khe Beach (Da Nang). “Small Group Hanoi Street Food Tour with a Real Foodie” ranked among the list of top 10 Experiences in Asia.

"The awards reveal where travelers ventured in 2020, while travel was still open, as well as where they dreamed of going while the pandemic kept them stuck at home," the travel site noted.

CIHBT facing severe blood shortage amid pandemic

The Central Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion has announced it is facing a severe shortage of blood and urged people to donate blood to maintain supply amid the fourth wave of COVID-19.

Deputy director of the institute Phạm Tuấn Dương said due to the re-emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, many blood donors did not come to give blood after registering, leading to a sharp decrease in blood reserves.

Many entities have postponed or cancelled blood donation drives, even in localities without reported COVID-19 cases. 

As a result, the blood reserves at the institute and many blood centres have decreased sharply, especially in the northern region where many localities are the hotspot of the pandemic.

In the institute alone, between April 27 and May 11, the amount of blood received was only 30 per cent of the goal.

As many as 47 blood donation schedules with the expected reception of 25,000 blood units were postponed or cancelled. 

The Central Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion is the unit responsible for supplying blood to 27 provinces and cities in the north home to ​​​​40 million people.

In the first 12 days of this month, the institute received only 2,920 blood units but provided 4,822 blood units. On average, the institute still needs up to 1,000 units of blood and nearly 200 units of platelets per day.

In the southern region, the same situation has occurred at HCM City’s Blood Transfusion and Hematology Hospital. So far, 23 blood donation schedules with the equivalent of 4,200 units of blood have been cancelled. The amount of blood received in the first half of this month was only 50 per cent of the plan.

To deal with the situation, Dương has urged localities to maintain their blood donation plans and strengthen blood donation schedules in localities with no reported COVID-19 cases. Blood donation must comply with the Ministry of Health’s regulations on pandemic prevention and control. 

The institute also suggested hospitals temporarily delay planned surgery to save emergency blood supply and encourage patients' family members in medical facilities that are under lockdown to participate in blood donation.

Vietnamese labour exports to Taiwan suspended until mid-June

The Department of Overseas Labour (DoLAB) announced on May 18 that labour export activities to Taiwan (China) will be suspended as of May 19 until June 18 as part of efforts to deal with a recent surge in the number of COVID-19 cases in Taiwan.

The Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (CDC) launched fresh containment measures, including an entry ban on non-residents who do not have a valid Alien Resident Certificate (ARC).

Exceptions may be made for individuals who obtain entry permission for emergency or humanitarian reasons.

The Taiwan CDC also added that the move will be adjusted on a rolling basis, with future decisions based on the status of the pandemic and the effectiveness of new measures.

The DoLAB requested that firms inform Vietnamese labourers who are waiting for their exit procedures, and contact Taiwanese counterparts to adjust their recruitment plans for local migrant workers.

The department also asked that businesses co-operate with the labour management board in Taiwan to handle the situation.

During the first four months of the year, Taiwan received a total of 15,055 Vietnamese labourers, including 5,255 female workers.

Electric bus project implemented across Hanoi

Electric buses have started a trial run on some Hanoi streets.

The buses will run on three routes including Hao Nam-Vinhomes Ocean Park, West Lake Water Park-Vinhomes Smart City and Times City-Hanoi's administrative complex which is across the road from Tay Ho People's Committee Headquarters.

The buses will not pick up passengers yet as they are only testing the routes. Afterwards, they will be integrated into the city's public transport system.

The previous trial has been carried out at Vinhomes Ocean Park Urban Area in Gia Lam District.

The bus can carry up to 72 passengers with 25 seats and standing space for 47 passengers. There will also be wifi and USB portals on the bus. The buses have a built-in system to monitor the driver. Passengers can download a mobile app to search for information about the routes and bus stops.

All information about the trip and the stations is displayed on the bus. The electric buses are assembled by VinGroup in Hai Phong City. The bus can travel 220-260km per battery charge which lasts about two hours. Bus stops and bus stations are also being built at Vinhomes Ocean Park Depot.

The depot has solar panels and most of the charging and bus washing will be automatic.

In the coming time, about 150-200 buses will be used in Hanoi, HCM City and Phu Quoc between 5 am and 10 pm every day. There will be a bus every 10-20 minutes.

Boat people run out of jobs amid Covid-19 pandemic

Hundreds of tourist boats are being left idle while boat people struggle to find incomes at the UNESCO's Heritage Trang An Tourism Site in Ninh Binh Province.  

Hundreds of tourist boats are being left idle amid Covid-19 pandemic at the UNESCO's Heritage Trang An Tourism Site in Ninh Binh Province. 

After Ninh Binh People's Committee ordered all tourist spots to close in early May, all boat people in the area became unemployed. Earlier, because there were no international tourists and only a few domestic tourists, the boat people may only had one trip a month and couldn't afford daily expenses.

A boatman from Ninh Xuan Commune said he used to have three to five tour trip a month but now the boats were mostly left idle.

Nguyen Thi Hanh said she used to earn over VND4m (USD174) a month thanks to the boat but now both she and her husband have to do many odd jobs to earn money.

"We became porters, bricklayers and whatever we can do and earn about VND3m a month," she said.

Statistics from the Management Board of the Trang An Landscape Complex and Tam Coc-Bich Dong Complex show that over 3,000 boat people have become unemployed. Over 1,000 other boat people in different tourist spots like Thung Nham or Van Long Lake also became unemployed.

Ha Duc Kim, chairman of Ninh Xuan Commune People's Committee, said they had 700 unemployed boat people in the area.

"It's still unclear when the outbreak will be controlled so people can travel and work again. We will give career consultancy to the boat people so that they can other jobs," he said.

Hoang Van Hoan, vice chairman of Truong Yen Commune People's Committee, said there were 800 boat people in their commune.

"Some people have found jobs as bricklayers but the incomes are really not much," he said.

Enterprises and the healthcare front

For enterprises, protecting the people’s health does not look like their mandate, but hundreds of local businesses have rolled up their sleeves for the common cause in the midst of the raging Covid-19 pandemic. Aware of their corporate social responsibility, enterprises across the country have opened their coffers, pouring out hundreds of billions of Vietnamese dong to finance the national vaccination drive.

Just three weeks ago, the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of HCMC organized a function to receive donations from enterprises for the city’s program to buy vaccines for fighting the Covid-19 pandemic, and the enthusiasm from enterprises amazed many attendees.

“As of April 23 this year, the city had received more than VND200 billion from 31 organizations and individuals,” said To Thi Bich Chau, head of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of HCMC, at the function. That is not to mention donations in kind worth nearly VND70 billion contributed to the city’s vaccination drive.

Wholehearted donations

At the event, Hung Thinh Corporation donated a huge sum of VND50 billion to buy vaccines. Nguyen Nam Hien, deputy general director of Hung Thinh Corporation, noted that the corporation has responded to the call from the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of HCMC, contributing VND50 billion for HCMC and other localities to buy vaccines. “Apart from this donation, we will continue to support other activities of HCMC and the country to fight the Covid-19 pandemic,” he promised.

In fact, this huge donation is just a part of the corporation’s CSR program to support the community in tough times. When the pandemic surfaced last year, Hung Thinh already donated nearly VND50 billion in cash and in kind, including Covid-19 diagnosis machines, portable X-ray machines, protective gears for medical personnel, and other essential items for frontline workers.

Numerous other enterprises in the country have since early this year also given big bugs for the vaccination program.

On February 25, An Phat Holdings handed over VND20 billion to help the northern province of Hai Duong acquire vaccines for the local people who were then struggling with the third wave of Covid-19 outbreaks. Pham Van Tuan, a senior executive of An Phat Holdings, remarked that the company wished to join forces with the provincial government and other entities to quickly contain outbreaks. Earlier that same month, An Phat Holdings had already donated VND10 billion plus medical supplies worth VND3.5 billion to the provincial government to help with the fight against Covid-19.

In similar gestures, Thaiholdings and LienVietPostBank on February 5 donated a combined VND21 billion to the Ministry of Health to acquire Covid-19 vaccines. Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long, speaking at the donation ceremony, highly regarded the generosity of the two companies, stressing “access to Covid-19 vaccines is a top priority of the healthcare sector.”

The minister also reckoned the development of domestic vaccine candidates, saying initial but encouraging results have been achieved. Nanogen has surpassed the first-stage clinical trial and is ready for the second-stage trial, said the minister, referring to the local vaccine candidate. Meanwhile, two other locally-developed candidates by IVAX and VABIOTEC have yielded highly-prospective pre-clinical results.

The development of local Covid-19 vaccines has also earned strong support from local enterprises. Besides giving financial support to buy vaccines, the multi-sector business corporation Vingroup on February 27 handed VND20 billion to the Ministry of Health to support the clinical trial of Covivac vaccine by IVAX. This support, said Minister Long at the donation ceremony, would help speed up the clinical trial of the local vaccine candidate, helping the country launch a Made-in-Vietnam Covid-19 vaccine in the coming time.

According to the health ministry’s website, Vingroup is a strong pioneer in backing the fight against Covid-19. Last year, the group provided over VND1,270 billion, or more than US$50 million, to fund activities against the pandemic, including manufacturing ventilators, acquiring medical machines, and financing projects to respond to Covid-19 outbreaks.

The list of donors for the fight against Covid-19 has been extending over the past year since the pandemic hit the country. These include Nestle Vietnam and Lavie – the latter being a member of Nestle Group – donating nearly VND40 billion, and Vietcombank giving VND4.2 billion to Hai Duong Province to buy a Covid-19 diagnosis machine, among others.

Vaccines for own workers

Before giving their helping hand to the community, many enterprises have earlier pledged to protect their own workers by seeking approval from health authorities to vaccinate their employees against Covid-19.

Kim Oanh Group, for example, in early March unveiled its plan to acquire over 5,000 vaccine doses for its employees and their relatives who will be given the shot all free of charge upon approval from the health ministry, according to Tuoi Tre. Hung Thinh Corporation has also announced its plan to buy over 14,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccines for all its staff and their familities. This similar move has also been announced by other enterprises, including Dat Xanh, An Gia, Hi-Kool Vietnam, and Gotec Land among others.

Nguyen Dinh Trung, chairman of Hung Thinh, said the corporation as well as many other enterprises are willing to finance inoculation against Covid-19 for all their employees and their relatives. “Such a move is not only a necessary response to protect the workforce as the most valuable asset of enterprises, but also a corporate responsibility to share the burden with the State, the community and the entire society,” Trung was quoted in Giadinh.net. He furthered that with vaccines as a shield, the war against Covid-19 will certainly come to success.

In a recent meeting, Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long rallied the participation of the business community in the vaccination drive, saying their support would help the country realize the program to safeguard all the people from the pandemic. According to the ministry, Vietnam needs to import some 150 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines this year, which will require huge financial resources and exert great pressure on the State budget.

Although protecting the people’s health is not a mandate of the business community, their active participation, either via direct donations to the relevant State agencies or through vaccination plans for their own workers, is also a great contribution to the common cause of the nation to ward off the pandemic for the good of the economy and the community. Such contribution is all the more urgent now that the fourth wave of Covid-19 has attacked the country, with hundreds of infections confirmed each day, which requires not only efforts by State agencies, healthcare authorities and other frontline workers, but also the participation of enterprises. To some extent, enterprises joining the drive can also be considered as frontline forces.

Nurse encountering anaphylaxis after Covid-19 vaccination recovers

A Danang Hospital nurse, who suffered from an anaphylactic reaction following her first shot of a Covid-19 vaccine, has recovered and discharged from the hospital after one week of treatment, the Ministry of Health said today, May 18.

According to Ha Son Binh, head of the hospital’s intensive care and anti-poison unit, the nurse had no history of allergic reactions and underlying medical conditions before she received the vaccine, reported Bnews.

Three minutes after being vaccinated, she developed symptoms of anaphylaxis, shortness of breath, respiratory failure, acute pulmonary edema, heart arrhythmia and cardiac arrest. She was immediately taken into intensive care and put on a ventilator.

After 72 hours of intensive care, she was better and weaned from the ventilator steadily, while continuing to be monitored at the hospital.

Before implementing its Covid-19 inoculation program, Danang Hospital had organized training sessions on how to cope with post-vaccination reactions and guidelines for providing emergency treatment for cases of anaphylaxis.

During the program, the hospital equipped the emergency area with adequate medical equipment. It had also mapped out response plans and arranged intensive care teams in vaccination locations to monitor vaccinated people.

HCMC urges early development of Ring Road No. 4

The HCMC government has proposed the Ministry of Transport accelerate the execution of the Ring Road No. 4 project, which will pass through five localities—HCMC, Binh Duong, Long An, Dong Nai and Ba Ria-Vung Tau.

The project, together with the Ring Road No. 3 project, have lagged behind schedule, putting pressure on five national highways; therefore, the city pushed for the quick execution of the project to boost the economic development of the southern key economic zone, according to the local media.

The city suggested the Ministry of Transport study dividing the project into phases, its scale, investment form and solutions to connect the road to key traffic routes.

The ministry should coordinate with the Ministry of Planning and Investment and other relevant ministries to consider allocating part of the State capital for the 2021-2025 period for the project as required by the prime minister.

According to the HCMC government, the Ring Road No. 4 project will help connect satellite urban areas in the city with other localities in the southern key economic zone, contributing to bolstering the region’s socioeconomic development.

Once in place, the road will help link key economic zones with Hiep Phuoc Port in HCMC, Long An Port in the province of the same name and Phu My Port in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province with the Long Thanh International Airport, thus saving time and reducing logistics costs.

In addition to Ring Road No. 4, the city had earlier proposed the Ministry of Transport speed up the completion of the 89-kilometer Ring Road No. 3. Only a 16.3-kilometer section of the road in Binh Duong has been completed. The remaining sections require an estimated total investment of over VND60.68 trillion.

According to the HCMC Department of Transport, the Ring Road No. 4 project was supposed to be 198 kilometers long, have six to eight lanes and require an estimated cost of VND100 trillion. The project was divided into sections, of which only the Ben Luc-Hiep Phuoc section, which will have a length of 35.8 kilometers and an investment of VND20 trillion, has its prefeasibility report completed.

The prefeasibility study for the four remaining sections—Phu My-Trang Bom, Trang Bom-National Highway 13, National Highway 13- National Highway 22 and National Highway 22-Ben Luc—has yet to be conducted.

Photographic exhibition introduces Italian mountains to Vietnamese audience

The Consulate General of Italy in HCMC will organize the “Italian Routes” photographic exhibition introducing the Italian mountains and mountaineering from May 20 until June 12, 2021, at the HCMC Museum of Fine Arts.

The exhibition will continue in Hanoi from June 25 to July 25 at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology.

The “Italian Routes - Mountains, mountaineering, climate change” exhibition is a project of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, showcasing the outstanding work of photographer Fabiano Ventura and will be promoted by the Embassies and Consulates General of Italy in the world, heading to the COP26 co-chaired by the UK and Italy at the end of 2021 in Glasgow.

“Vietnam has been chosen as the first destination thanks to the country’s effective containment of the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Dante Brandi, Consul General of Italy in HCMC.

The aim of the exhibition is to highlight to an international audience the great Italian tradition linked to mountain culture and mountaineering as a means of understanding the mountain territory, its environmental value and the importance of environmental awareness in the practices of accessing natural habitats to preserve the ecosystems.

The central part of the exhibition, “Italian Mountains”, is an ideal journey that from the Gran Paradiso range explores the entire Alpine arc from west to east, crossing the massifs of Mont Blanc, Mount Rosa and Cervino, Bernina, Ortles-Cevedale and Adamello, moving on to the east, reaching the Dolomites and the Julian Alps. The Italian route ends with the main Apennine mountain group, the Gran Sasso.

Each of the nine mountain groups is represented by large-format photographs that highlight their evocative landscape aspects and by comparative historical and contemporary images that highlight the evolution of the glacial masses, underlining the effects of climate change on the mountain landscape.

Each group is accompanied by an introduction panel illustrating its geographical, historical and geo-glaciological characteristics, together with a suggested itinerary. Finally, each mountain section is enriched with reproductions of documents and historical material on the first alpine explorations.

The photographic section is accompanied by video recordings of the expedition, “On the Trails of the Glaciers - Alps 2020”, made in the same places as the nine proposed stages.

The final section, “A Look at the World”, extends the perspective to the Earth's most important mountain ranges, underlining the continuity of mountaineering culture at a global level.

The Consulate General of Italy will also combine the Italian Routes exhibition with a complementary exhibition titled “Landscapes of Vietnam - Ecological Diversity, New Climate Pattern, New Discovery” by remarkable Vietnamese photographers Hoang The Nhiem, Hoang Giang Hai and Tran Dang Dang Khoa on the subject of Vietnamese caves and mountains.

The exhibition will offer a glimpse into local mountain areas through the eyes of prominent local artists, providing a great addition to the audience with a comparative approach.

This duo exhibition with well-curated photography is an opportunity for visitors to see the distinctiveness of nature and beautiful landscapes of the two countries.

All events organized by the Consulate General of Italy will strictly comply with preventive measures of Covid-19. All attendees are requested to wear face masks and disinfect their hands with sanitizer.

Buyers of drugs for respiratory diseases must fill health declaration

For early detection of people contracting the coronavirus disease in the community, those buying medicine for respiratory diseases such as the common cold, influenza must fill health declaration according to the Department of Health’s document to its sub-divisions in Thu Duc City and districts citywide.  

The Department yesterday sent a document to its sub-divisions across the city asking to increase detection of Covid-19 infected people due to the complex development of the coronavirus pandemic.

As per the Department’s direction, health authorities in districts mu instruct retail drug stores to carry out preventative measures following the Ministry of Health’s guideline including donning facemasks, washing hands with soaps and keeping safety distance with others.

Additionally, drug store assistants should request buyers of medications for respiratory diseases to fill their health declaration at http://tokhaiyte.vn or apps NCOVI, Vietnam Health Declaration on smartphones.
When drug store assistants suspect a person to infect with Covid-19, they should inform related agencies to monitor the suspected cases. Any drug stores fall foul of the Department’s regulation, they will receive punishment.

The 37th coronavirus-related death in Vietnam since the pathogen hit the country in early 2020 was recorded yesterday, according to the Ministry of Health.  This is the second virus-related fatality to have been recorded in the country this year.

Shipping services halted in Danang to curb Covid-19

Danang has decided to temporarily stop the app-based taxi and delivery services to curb Covid-19 spread. 

Speaking at a meeting on May 16, Danang Party Secretary Nguyen Van Quang said that app-based taxi and shipping services would be asked to stop temporarily until further notice.

"The drivers will also be ordered to go to medical stations for Covid-19 tests and fill in medical declaration forms," he said.

A driver has been tested positive for Covid-19 on May 15 after he fell ill and took a Covid-19 test at Son Tra District Medical Station.

As the situation is becoming more complicated, Danang authorities have asked localities to tighten monitoring and strictly deal with violators. The city has reported 135 Covid-19 cases since May 3.

Two Quang Binh fishermen missing after collision at sea

Two Vietnamese fishermen have gone missing after their boat was hit by an unidentified ship off the coast of the Son Tra Peninsula in Danang City.

Fishing boat QB 923.70-TS with five fishermen on board was operating around 26 nautical miles off the Son Tra Peninsula at around 4 am on Sunday when it suddenly collided with a metal-hulled ship. 

It was still dark at that time, so the fishermen failed to identify the ship.

The incident left two fishermen to be missing. A nearby vessel rescued three people on the fishing boat.

The case is under investigation and local authorities have continued searching for the missing.

Finance ministry urges transparency in budget allocation for Covid-19 fight  

Local authorities are urged to ensure the quality, price, and use of state assets in a transparent and public manner.

Provinces/cities are urged to stay active in allocating their provincial budget and other legal financial means to aid the Covid-19 fight, ensuring efficiency and transparency during the process.

The Ministry of Finance (MoF) released the instruction on funding and public procurement of goods and services, including equipment, chemicals, and biological products needed for Covid-19 prevention and control. 

The MoF also noted the central government would provide support for localities if needed.

“Leaders of provinces/cities are responsible for the process of public procurement of equipment, chemicals, and biological products in accordance with the Procurement Law and other regulations,” noted the ministry.

“In case of an urgent situation, provinces/cities are authorized to directly purchase goods and products,” it added.

Regarding the use of state funds for public procurement works to maintain operations of state agencies, the MoF requested price listings from at least three suppliers to calculate the contract price.

Before proceeding with subsequent steps, competent authorities are expected to review and approve the estimated costs, as well as carrying out the appraisal process to goods and products valuation in line with the Law on Prices.

The MoF urged local authorities to ensure the quality, price, and use of government funds in a transparent and public manner, saying this is key to prevent waste and losses of public money.

“The priority is to keep an adequate supply of medical products and equipment necessary for the Covid-19 fight under the instruction of the government,” noted the MoF.

NA Vice Chairman extends greetings to Buddhist community on Buddha’s birthday

Politburo member and Standing Vice Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Tran Thanh Man on May 19 visited Venerable Thich Thanh Nhieu, Vice Standing Chairman of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS), and other Buddhist dignitaries on the occasion of Buddha’s 2565th birthday and the 40th founding anniversary of the VBS.

Man extended his best wishes to Buddhist dignitaries and followers, expressing a hope that they will enjoy a peaceful festival and continue to maintain solidarity as part of the national great unity bloc.

He recognised and lauded the important contributions made by the VBS over the years, noting that the organisation has encouraged Buddhists to abide by Party and State policies and laws, as well as regulations on COVID-19 prevention and control, and to engage in charity activities while actively joining movements to support the needy.

Underlining that COVID-19 remains a complex matter ahead of the general elections, Man said he hopes the VBS will call on the Buddhist community to safely and effectively take part.

Venerable Thich Thanh Nhieu said that celebrations of Buddha’s 2565th birthday take place amid a joyful atmosphere thanks to the success of the 13th National Party Congress and the upcoming general elections as well as the VBS’s 40th anniversary and the Buddhism national congress in the 2022-2027 tenure.

He added that the VBS has issued guidelines to Executive Boards in localities and pagodas to implement pandemic prevention and control measures.

According to Venerable Thich Thanh Nhieu, over the last year the VBS has presented 1 billion VND (43,450 USD) to Laos and Cambodia and medical supplies worth 14 billion VND (608,315 USD) to India.

He pledged that the VBS will continue to raise funds to support people inside and outside of the country in pandemic prevention and control efforts, while encouraging Buddhist followers to take part in the elections on May 23 and continue their involvement in charity activities./.

Early voting held for officers, soldiers in Bac Lieu

Thirty-seven officers and soldiers working at sea off the coast of southern Bac Lieu province cast their votes to elect deputies to the 15th National Assembly (NA) and People’s Councils at all levels on May 19, four days ahead of the scheduled date for the national elections.

The officers and soldiers are working aboard Coast Guard Ship 3001 and Van Hoa Ship 792 of Naval Region 5. Their early voting was approved by the National Election Council earlier.

The voting took place in line with legal regulation within one hour.

Voters nationwide will go to the poll to select 500 deputies to the 15th NA from 866 candidates on May 23./.

Ha Tinh: Endangered turtle returned to ocean

Relevant agencies in Loc Ha district in the north-central province of Ha Tinh released a rare turtle weighing 80kg back into the sea on May 19.

A local fisherman had found the turtle trapped in his fishing net and voluntarily handed it over to authorities.

Measuring 1.2 metres in length, the turtle was identified as an endangered animal under World Wide Fund for Nature classifications. It was in normal health when being released.

Only seven species of sea turtle exist around the world, five of which are found off Vietnam’s coast./.

President Ho Chi Minh's birthday marked in Venezuela, Chile

The Vietnamese Embassy in Venezuela laid flowers at President Ho Chi Minh's statue in Simon Bolivar Boulevard in Caracas on May 19 on the occasion of his 131st birthday.

Addressing the ceremony, Ambassador Le Viet Duyen highlighted milestones in President Ho Chi Minh's revolutionary career and his great contributions to the glorious revolutionary cause of the Vietnamese Party and people.

He emphasised that President Ho Chi Minh devoted his whole life to the country’s struggle for Vietnam’s revolution for national liberation and contributed to struggles of nations worldwide for peace, independence, democracy and social progress.

Meanwhile, representatives from the Venezuelan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Venezuela-Vietnam Friendship Association expressed their admiration for President Ho Chi Minh who led the Vietnamese revolution to achieve great victories.

Previously, an exhibition featuring documents and photos on President Ho Chi Minh’s life and career and Vietnam’s land and people was organised at Rómulo Gallegos University as part of activities under a project to honour the hero of national liberation and great man of culture of Vietnam.

Ambassador Duyen proposed working with the university to connect with the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics of Vietnam to strengthen research cooperation activities on Ho Chi Minh Thought in the time to come.

Meanwhile, an online workshop spotlighting President Ho Chi Minh’s great thought was organised by the India – Vietnam Solidarity Committee in West Bengal.

Participants expressed their immense love and admiration for the Vietnamese great leader. They also expressed solidarity and reaffirmed the traditional friendship between Vietnam and India, especially amidst the COVID-19 pandemic ravaging in India.

The same day, the Vietnamese Embassies in Germany, Algeria, Chile and Mexico held ceremonies to offer flowers and incense to President Ho Chi Minh.

President Ho Chi Minh led Vietnam to success in its struggle for national independence. On September 2, 1945, he read the Declaration of Independence, proclaiming to the world the foundation of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

His revolutionary career contributed to bringing independence, freedom, and happiness to not only the Vietnamese people but also to all oppressed peoples of the world./.

President Ho Chi Minh’s birth anniversary celebrated in France

The Vietnamese Embassy in France and Montreuil’s administration and people paid floral tribute to late President Ho Chi Minh at his statue in Montreau Park on May 19 (local time) to mark his 131st birth anniversary (May 19, 1890).

A moment of silence was observed in commemoration of the beloved leader of the Vietnamese people.

Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Chargé d'affaires Duong Nguyen Quoc Vinh expressed his heartfelt gratitude towards the local government for holding such a commemoration for President Ho Chi Minh on his birth anniversary every year. This demonstrates the long-standing friendship between generations of French and Vietnamese people, stemming from their struggle for independence and freedom in the past, he said.

He also highly appreciated Montreuil’s viewpoint on considering President Ho Chi Minh’s statue as well as remembrances and documents preserved and displayed at the Museum of Living History as a part of its indispensable cultural heritage.

Deputy Mayor of Montreuil Florian Vigneron, for his part, recalled the time President Ho Chi Minh lived in France to find ways to liberate the Vietnamese people and historic milestones in Vietnam-France relations.

He said it was an honour for him to attend the annual flower offering, adding that through this event, Montreuil wants to continue maintain the precious friendship between the city and Vietnam.

Vigneron once again thanked Vietnamese people for donating face marks to aid the city’s COVID-19 response efforts.

Previously, the embassy visited and laid flowers at House No 9 in Compoint Alley in Paris’ District 17, where President Ho Chi Minh lived between 1921 and 1923./.

Son La border guards present gifts to Lao counterparts

The Red Cross Society of the northern mountainous province of Son La visited and presented gifts to border guards at Chieng Khuong border gate in Song Ma district of Vietnam and border guard station 212 in the Lao province of Houaphanh.

The gifts include 4,500 face masks, drinking water, instant noodles and other necessities.

Vice Commander of Company 212 Major Xaiphone Phengthongdy thanked the Vietnamese side for the gifts and wished to receive further support in the near future.

Chairwoman of the provincial Red Cross Society Cam Thi Chuyen hoped that the Vietnamese and Lao border guards would stay united to overcome challenges amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vice Political Commissar of the provincial border guard Col. Vu Duc Tu said the activity will contribute to fostering solidarity and friendship between the two nations./.

Vietnam presents medical supplies to South Sudan

Head of the Vietnam’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, on behalf of the Vietnamese Government, has symbolically presented anti-COVID-19 medical supplies to the Government of South Sudan.

The supplies include 1,000 protective suits and 100,000 anti-bacteria masks produced by Vietnamese defence companies, which were carried by the Royal Australian Air Force.

Speaking at the event  in New York on May 19, Ambassador Quy said with the gift, the Vietnamese Government wants to share difficulties with South Sudan in the fight against the pandemic.

According to the Worldometers data, the number of COVID-19 infections reached 10,652 and deaths amounted to 115 as of May 19.

Vietnam has deployed peacekeeping forces in the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) since 2014. Later from 2018, the country launched the level-2 field hospital with 63 medical and technical staff there who are rotated annually. There are about 18,500 in the UNMISS now.

In response to the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres’s appeal to vaccination for the UN peacekeeping mission forces, Vietnam actively inoculated staff of the level-2 hospital No.3 before their departure and carried vaccines to South Sudan to give Vietnamese forces shots./.

More support sent to help Laos combat COVID-19

The 705 International Cooperation Company on May 19 handed over 250,000 antibacterial face masks, 30,000 cloth masks, 750kg of Chloramine B chemical flour and 3,500 hand sanitizers worth 1.9 billion VND (82,278 USD) as a gift of the Vietnam People’s Army’s Military Region 2 to provinces and units in North Laos to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Colonel Bui Van Dai, member of the Party Committee of Military Region 2 and the company’s chairman, said that the gift demonstrates the profound attention and close sentiments of the military region’s Party Committee and units towards northern Lao provinces and units.

Chief of the Lao People's Armed Forces’ Infantry Division Major General Sayavong Saynamthilath expressed his profound gratitude and affirmed the medical supplies will be handed over to right persons.

On the same day, at the headquarters of the Lao Health Ministry, representatives of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee and the family of donor Tran Viet Tuan presented over 300,000 medical face masks worth 10,000 USD to support Laos’ fight against the pandemic.

The face masks then will be delivered to Laos’ Central Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, the Lao Youth Union Central Committee, the overseas Vietnamese Association in Vientiane, the coordinating board of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in Laos, and the Vietnamese Embassy in the country./.

Vietnamese ambassador presents credentials to Surinamese FM

Vietnamese Ambassador to Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Guyana and Suriname Pham Thi Kim Hoa has presented a copy of her credentials to Surinamese Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Business and International Cooperation Albert R. Ramdin during a recent virtual ceremony.

At the event, the ambassador conveyed greetings of Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President Nguyen Xuan Phuc to the Surinamese President and people.

She vowed to spare no efforts to strengthen the Vietnam-Suriname solidarity, friendship and prosperity.

Previously, the Vietnamese diplomat paid a courtesy visit to Vice President of Brazil Hamilton Mourao.

The Vice President said that Vietnam is one of the fastest growing countries in Southeast Asia, with an important strategic position and located in a crucial maritime route.

Brazil considers Vietnam its important partner and it will continue working closely with the Southeast Asian country to further strengthen the bilateral relations, Mourao said, affirming that there is great potential for the two sides to expand their all-around cooperation in the framework of their comprehensive partnership.

For her part, Hoa affirmed that Vietnam appreciates Brazil's important role and position in the international arena, and wishes to strengthen the comprehensive partnership between the two countries.

The ambassador suggested the two countries strengthen exchange of delegations at all levels after the COVID-19 pandemic is under control.

She proposed the two sides maintain cooperation mechanisms such as the political consultation between the two foreign ministries and the Vietnam - Brazil Joint Committee in Vietnam – the important channels for promoting the bilateral relations./.

HCM City, Saint Petersburg strengthen bilateral relations

Leaders of Ho Chi Minh City and Russia’s Saint Petersburg city held a teleconference on May 19 to discuss cooperation orientations, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Vietnam - Russia strategic partnership.

Secretary of the HCM City Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen emphasised the two peoples’ special sentiment, whose foundation was laid when President Ho Chi Minh, then known as Nguyen Ai Quoc, set foot in the Soviet Union for the first time, in 1923, to seek ways for national salvation.

Nen affirmed that the Vietnamese people always keep in mind the Soviet Union people’s wholehearted support and assistance for Vietnam during the struggle for national independence and reunification, as well as post-war reconstruction and the development of many economic sectors like hydropower, oil and gas, and other industries.

Today’s relations between Vietnam and Russia are the continuation and inheritance of the traditional friendship nurtured through many generations. In 2001, Russia was the first country in the world Vietnam had set up a strategic partnership with, and the ties were elevated to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2012, he noted.

He held that the cooperation potential between HCM City and Saint Petersburg remains huge since both are “dynamic development locomotives” of their respective countries.

While HCM City is working hard to develop a smart and modern city and become an economic, financial, trade, and scientific - technological hub of Vietnam and Southeast Asia as a whole, Saint Petersburg is currently a major economic, scientific, technical, cultural, and tourism centre of Russia.

Apart from existing cooperation areas, they are considering collaboration in pharmaceutical production and cancer treatment and sharing water loss reduction technology and experience. Both are also taking steps necessary for the establishment of an economic, tourism and cultural centre of HCM City in Saint Petersburg, according to the Secretary.

Speaking at the event, Governor of Saint Petersburg Alexander Beglov expressed his delight at the flourishing Russia - Vietnam cooperation, based on mutual trust and respect, which has been substantially contributed by the twin cities.

The cities have become closer and closer year by year with new cooperation areas present and economic links increasingly expanded, he remarked.

Beglov said difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic are unable to hamper the cities’ enhancement of their ties, assuring that the HCM City centre for economy, tourism, and culture will be established in Saint Petersburg as soon as pandemic-triggered restriction measures are lifted.

During the teleconference, the two sides discussed a number of important cooperation issues in economy, culture, tourism, and people-to-people exchange./.

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