Residents of Thuan Thanh, Que Vo and Yen Phong districts and Bac Ninh City in the northern province of Bac Ninh have been advised not to step out after 8:00 p.m. except to take patients to hospitals, for night shifts or to return home after work.

The Bac Ninh government on May 24 sent an urgent dispatch to districts, towns, cities and the relevant departments asking the governments of the four localities in the province to strictly practice social distancing in line with the prime minister’s Directive 16.

Under the order, households should keep a distance from other households, villages from other villages, communes from other communes and districts from other districts.

Apart from refraining from going out after 8:00 p.m., residents should stay at home and only go out to buy medicines, food and necessities, or for work to factories or production facilities, the local media reported.

Due to the complicated Covid-19 situation, the provincial government asked all the residents to make health declarations within three days, from May 24 to 26.

Those who develop symptoms of fever, a cough or shortness of breath should contact healthcare centers for guidelines.

HCMC rushes to reinstate quarantine centers for 30,000 people

The health authority of HCMC is working to reopen concentrated quarantine centers that would be able to handle 30,000 people in case the Covid-19 pandemic spreads further in the city, said a representative of the HCMC Center for Disease Control this morning, May 25.

These quarantine centers will include nine military-run facilities and one unit of the dormitory of the Vietnam National University HCMC, with a total capacity of 19,520 beds, reported Tien Phong newspaper.

Along with the existing 10,481 beds, the city will be able to handle 30,000 people at the concentrated quarantine centers, the representative added.

According to an urgent dispatch recently signed by Duong Anh Duc, vice chairman of the municipal government, the HCMC Military Command can temporarily use Campus 2 of the Can Gio Covid-19 treatment hospital to receive and quarantine those arriving from abroad, with 300 beds.

The HCMC Military Command is ramping up efforts to renovate quarantine centers under its management in order to hand over the Can Gio Covid-19 treatment hospital and Cu Chi Covid-19 field hospital to the city’s health sector.

The municipal government demanded that if the pandemic hits the city harder and infections soar, the HCMC Military Command has to hand over all of the beds at the Campus 2 to the HCMC Department of Health to receive and provide medical treatment to coronavirus patients.

The city’s government also asked the Campus 1 of the Can Gio hospital to get ready to receive, treat and quarantine suspected and confirmed Covid-19 cases.

Further, the city’s administration approved the resumption of backup quarantine facilities at universities for those in close contact with coronavirus patients.

In the current fourth coronavirus wave since April 27, the city had reported six coronavirus cases by community transmission as of this morning.

PM orders safety in industrial parks amidst COVID-19 resurgence

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has ordered localities and ministries and competent agencies to expeditiously work to contain COVID-19 in more than 300 industrial parks nationwide so as to prevent the disruption of the supply chain.

Under Dispatch No.680/CD/TTg, he stated that the outbreak has become more complicated in recent days, particularly it has spread to several industrial parks in the northern provinces of Bac Giang and Bac Ninh, posing a high risk of interruption in the supply chain and large-scale production.

In a bid to realise the dual goals of pandemic prevention and economic development, Chinh asked ministries, sectors and localities to stay vigilant, and strictly follow directions of the Secretariat, the Government, the Prime Minister and the Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.

Meanwhile, chairmen of the People’s Committees of cities and provinces, the ministers of Industry and Trade, and Planning and Investment are responsible to guide industrial parks and plants to carry out prevention measures, evaluate safety levels, as well as update their situation to the COVID-19 map.

Any plant failing to ensure safety will be ordered to halt operation.

Health declaration is compulsory for all workers and people involved, including suppliers, transporters of materials, goods and servings. Punishment will be meted out for anyone who does not make health declarations or make dishonest health declarations.

Additionally, the Minister of Health is asked to issue documents guiding quarantine and testing for workers at industrial parks in accordance with the developments of the outbreak.

Vietnam logged additional 57 domestic COVID-19 cases on early May 25, raising the infection tally to 5,461.

The new patients were recorded in five northern localities of Bac Giang, Bac Ninh, Hanoi, Lang Son and Ha Nam./.

Top Hanoi leader silences social distancing rumours

A top leader of the Hanoi capital on May 24 refuted rumours that the capital city is likely to apply social distancing to halt the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus amid rising COVID-19 threats.

Part of the block of apartments Times City has been cordoned off after a cluster of infection was announced on May 24.
There is no point in applying social distancing in the entire city as relevant forces of Hanoi have been implementing anti-coronavirus measures effectively, said Dinh Tien Dzung, Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee in a short interview granted to VietnamNet newswire.

He said areas with COVID-19 cases have been cordoned off immediately to prevent the virus spreading to the wider community.

Hanoi has recorded nearly 300 new cases since the virus recurred in Vietnam in late April. Most of the cases were detected at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases No2 and the K Cancer hospital No2.

During a meeting on May 10, Dzung asked local people to remain highly vigilant and stay calm to combat the disease, saying a serious worry will lead to social chaos.

The city does not impose social distance or blockade in an extreme way that only affects local socio-economic development, said the Hanoi leader.

He emphasized the importance of contact tracing and isolation, saying all those who are in direct or indirect contact with the source of infection must be placed in quarantine for medical surveillance.

He reminded localities and agencies to prepare all necessary equipment for medical examination and treatment, including test kits, ventilators, and protective clothing. Medical examination and treatment processes at hospitals must be tightened to prevent cross transmission, he stressed.

First 12 COVID-19 patients discharged from hospital in Bac Ninh hotspot

A field hospital of Bac Ninh province, Vietnam’s second largest COVID-19 hotspot, on May 24 discharged 12 patients following their full recovery from the disease.

The discharged patient have been given a certificate showing they have already recovered from the virus.
These are the first patients who COVID-19 have recovered from the disease since the virus broke out in Bac Ninh on May 5.

They have tested negative and shown no clinical signs of virus symptoms upon leaving the hospital.

The recovered patients are required to self-isolate at home for 14 days and be re-tested according to COVID-19 guidelines.

Located in Tien Du district, the field hospital No1 is capable of receiving 300 patients. Currently, it is giving treatment to 150 patients.

By 06.00am on May 24 Bac Ninh had recorded 499 positive cases, including 388 in Thuan Thanh district.  

Health declarations compulsory for workers at IPs in pandemic-stricken localities: Deputy PM

All workers at concentrated industrial parks and factories in the northern provinces of Bac Ninh and Bac Giang must complete health declarations, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam requested on May 24.

Speaking at a meeting between the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control and the two provinces, which have been hard hit by the pandemic, Dam asked the Ministries of Industry and Trade and Planning and Investment to coordinate in issuing guiding documents in this regard.

The Deputy PM, who is also head of the committee, lauded the efforts of the localities in fighting the pandemic, especially at industrial parks.

Regarding harvests in pandemic-stricken areas, he urged Bac Ninh, Bac Giang, and other localities to adopt flexible measures and create the conditions for local farmers to harvest their crops conveniently and safely.

Health declarations compulsory for workers at IPs in pandemic-stricken localities: Deputy PM hinh anh 2
At the meeting (Photo: VNA)

Chairman of the People’s Committee of Bac Giang province Le Anh Duong said the locality is focusing on preventing infections at accommodations for workers, stressing that the greatest difficulty lies in testing capacity.

Leaders of Bac Ninh and Bac Giang suggested the Ministry of Health soon issue temporary guidelines on medical home quarantine for F1 cases.

The two provinces have also been making plans to reopen factories and industrial parks under the supervision of the health sector./.

57 new domestic infections of COVID-19 logged on early March 25

Vietnam domestically recorded 57 more COVID-19 infections over the past 12 hours to 6:00am on May 25, according to the Health Ministry.

The cases comprised 45 in Bac Giang, two in Bac Ninh, four in Hanoi, four in Lang Son, and two in Ha Nam.

The new infections brought the national tally to 5,461, including 3,975 domestically-transmitted cases. The number of new patients posted since on April 27 when the latest wave of outbreaks hit the country amounted to 2,405.

Vietnam’s total number of recoveries from the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 reached 2,794. The death toll stood at 44.

Among active patients, 70 tested negative to coronavirus once, 41 twice, and 69 thrice.

The entire nation saw 165,935 people under quarantine and health monitoring across hospitals, residencies and other facilities.

Since April 29, 890,454 COVID-19 tests have been conducted./.

Vietnam gives India, Cambodia medical supplies for COVID-19 fight

The Ministry of Defence has presented the token of medical supplies to India to support the country’s fight against COVID-19.

Lieutenant General Vu Chien Thang, Director General of the Foreign Relations Department under the Ministry of Defence chaired the hand-over ceremony on May 24, during which he spotlighted fruitful development of the traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and India as well as their defence cooperation in recent times.

He expressed gratitude to the Indian Government and people for their support, valuable COVID-19 prevention experience and documents shared with Vietnam last year when Vietnam was hit by COVID-19 outbreaks.

Thang also thanked the Indian Ministry of Defence for its effective assistance in training to improve the quality of human resources, non-refundable aid and preferential credit packages for industrial and defence development.

He expressed his hope that these medical supplies will contribute to helping the Indian people overcome challenges from COVID-19 and soon repel the health crisis, which is causing severe effects in the South Asian country.

For his part, Indian Ambassador to Vietnam Pranay Verma thanked and highly valued the Vietnamese ministry’s valuable asisstance to the Indian people, saying that the ministry’s timely spiritual and material support shows solidarity, friendship and sharing of difficulties between the people and armies of the two countries.

He affirmed that in more than a year of dealing with COVID-19, India has learned important lessons about the importance of international cooperation in fighting the pandemic, emphasising the significance of Vietnam’s medical supplies for the Indian people at present.

The same day, under the authorisation of the Naval High Command, the Sai Gon Newport Corporation held a ceremony at the Moc Bai International Border Gate in the southern province of Tay Ninh to hand over medical equipment and supplies to the Royal Cambodian Navy to help the country prevent and control the COVID-19 pandemic.

The donations included two motorized sprayers, 10 battery-powered sprayers, 100,000 made-in-Vietnam three-layer medical masks, 500kg of disinfectant chemical Chloramin B, and 1,000 bottles of hand sanitizer.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Royal Cambodian Navy's Deputy Chief of the General Staff Vice Admiral Non Sophat expressed his sincere thanks to the Vietnam People's Navy for its assistance for its Cambodian counterpart in preventing the COVID-19 pandemic, saying that this demonstrates the good friendship between the two countries' navies, armies and people, he said.

The Sai Gon Newport Corporation also presented 10,000 medical face masks to officers and soldiers at the Moc Bai International Border Gate Border Guard Station./.

Vietnam’s digital transformation solutions win Stevie Awards

Two digital transformation solutions of Vietnam have won prizes of the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards for “Innovation in B2B Products & Services”.

The two winners, akaSAFE - an information security solution on cloud computing and FPT.eContract - an electronic contract solution, of the FPT group respectively secured silver and bronze in the category.

akaSAFE designs information security on cloud computing tailored to the specific characteristics of each business while checking and assessing security through each visit to the Cloud in real time.

Meanwhile, FPT.eContract is the first system in Vietnam to enable businesses, organisations, and individuals to self-create legally valid electronic contracts in a shortest period of time, using a modern digital signature technology.

The 2021 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards attracted more than 900 nominations from 29 countries, with over 100 executives around the world acting as judges.

The awards are an international business awards competition open to all organisations in the 29 nations of the Asia-Pacific region. Their focus is on recognising innovation in all its forms./.

Vietnam attends opening of 207th session of IPU Governing Council

A delegation of the National Assembly (NA) led by Standing Vice Chairman Tran Thanh Man attended the opening of the 207th session of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Governing Council via videoconference on May 24.

The session, chaired by IPU President Duarte Pacheco, was attended by IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong and representatives of 135 member parliaments.

Opening the two-day event, Pacheco said this is the second time the IPU Governing Council has met via videoconference, following the 206th session in November 2020.

On January 18, the IPU Executive Committee decided that given the COVID-19 pandemic’s complex developments and impacts, the 142nd IPU Assembly on May 26 will be teleconferenced under the theme of “Overcoming the pandemic today and building a better tomorrow: the role of parliaments”.

Pacheco stressed that despite the complicated COVID-19 situation around the globe, the IPU and member parliaments have still maintained their normal activities.

He called on member parliaments to enhance cooperation to seek solutions to defeat the pandemic and boost socio-economic recovery.

The IPU President held that it is necessary to promote the IPU’s presence and effectiveness, complete its strategies to increase women’s participation in the IPU, and consolidate the democracy and strength of parliaments around the world.

During the session, delegates are set to adopt the session’s agenda, the special rules of procedure for the virtual sessions of the Assembly and standing committees, the summary records of the Governing Council’s 206th session, the vision of the IPU President and report on his activities since the 206th session of the Governing Council, the Annual IPU Impact Report by the Secretary General on the activities of the IPU in 2020, and the financial results for last year.

The Governing Council will also elect additional members to the Executive Committee and other IPU bodies./.

Online English teaching conference highlights effective methodologies amid pandemic

International and local English lecturers have discussed teaching methodologies during a recent outline conference as the COVID-19 pandemic has interrupted teachers’ traditional face-to-face classrooms and shifted into e-learning settings.

Dr Ho Thi Quynh Nhu of Hue Industrial College said that adjusting the curricula to sustain the quality of teaching and learning becomes an urgent need in most countries.

Lecturer Nguyen Cam Nhung at the University of Languages and International Studies under Vietnam National University in Hanoi said that there were a number of challenges that teachers encountered in adapting to remote teaching, such as technological issues, classroom management, and material adaptation.

This was revealed from her study aimed at shedding light on how Vietnamese teachers who teach English as a foreign language respond to remote teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a study conducted by lecturers of Saigon University Vietnam and HCM City University of Technology and Education, many universities in the city have invested to set up infrastructure for online education. To guarantee students to be able to track their learning along with online classes, Learning Management System platforms are quickly brought into use.

Nicky Hockly, director of Pedagogy at The Consultants-E, an online training and development organisation in the UK, said: “Although videoconferencing platforms are easily accessible these days, it can be challenging for teachers to engage and motivate students in live online classes.”

In her presentation, Hockly spoke about how to create live online tasks, key online teaching skills, and engaging online classes.

Prof. Yilin Sun, who directs faculty development programmes at Seattle College in the US said: “Our life and work as TESOL (teaching English to speakers of other languages) educators have changed significantly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As we cope with the many pandemic disruptions and fight against Coronavirus fatigue, educators must build confidence, skill and strategies to face new challenges and continue our actions and innovations to be successful in the new realities that define our professional and social lives.”

She also shared practices and applicable strategies to help English language teaching educators broaden their professional horizons and deepen their understanding of essential teaching strategies and skills during challenging times.

The OpenTESOL International Conference series was established in 2012 by the Faculty of Foreign Languages and the Graduate School of HCM City Open University.

OpenTESOL is a conference for local and international professionals in the field of foreign languages teaching and learning. It aims to establish a quality hub for sharing ideas of appropriate pedagogies in different teaching and learning contexts.

It has strengthened ties between the foreign language teaching communities in the city and other provinces in Vietnam and connected local communities with international language education institutions or associations.

State-of-the-art research into language and language education was also presented at OpenTESOL./.

Traffic accidents claim 2,656 lives in first five months

As many as 5,182 traffic accidents were reported in five months from December 15, 2020 to May 14, claiming 2,656 lives and injuring 3,788 people, according to the National Traffic Safety Committee.

The figures dropped by 5.92 percent, 0.41 percent and 4.4 percent, respectively, year on year.

In the period, 3,291 road accidents killed 2,609 people. Meanwhile, 31 railway accidents left 25 dead and seven injured. Twenty-one accidents on waterways claimed 14 lives and injured one, while five maritime accidents left eight dead or missing.

During April 15 to May 14, there were 962 traffic accidents, leaving 491 dead and injuring 675 people.

The figures represented year-on-year decreases of 3.61 percent in the number of cases and 7.18 percent in the number of fatalities, but a rise of 2.27 percent in the number of injuries./.

Honda Vietnam stays national football squads' main sponsor

Honda Vietnam will continue to cooperate with the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), and be the official sponsor of Vietnam’s national football teams for the 2021-24 period, the motor company announced on May 24.

In the 2019-21 period, Honda Vietnam was the main sponsor of the national football teams. During the period, Vietnamese football has obtained various achievements in the international arena, according to the VFF.

Of note, Vietnam won two gold medals in both women’s and men’s tournaments at the 30th Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) held two years ago.

At present, the national men’s football team is gearing up for the remaining matches at the Group G qualifiers for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Honda Vietnam General Director Mihara Daiki said that the sponsorship is a significant move of the company to support the national teams in the time to come.

VFF General Secretary Le Hoai Anh thanked the motor company for its support for Vietnamese football at large and the national teams in particular, adding that it will be a source of encouragement for the squads to fulfil their targets./.

Australian-funded initiative aims to eliminate violence against women, children

The Australian Government will sponsor 9.5 million AUD (7.34 million USD) for a four-year initiative with the Vietnamese relevant agencies and the United Nations which aims to support women and children who are victims of violence.

The information was revealed by Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Robyn Mudie during a conference held on May 24 to review a project entitled “Supporting interventions to eliminate violence against women and children in Vietnam under COVID-19” funded by the Government of Australia in the 2020-21, and sign a new initiative on the elimination of violence against women and children in Vietnam for the next four years.

“Over the last 12 months, all countries have learnt that a comprehensive response to the pandemic means responding to the challenges faced by women and children, and working to ensure their safety,” the ambassador said at the event.

She added that over the next four years, the programme will increase prevention strategies and response efforts to end violence against women and children.

“We hope that this long-term, practical approach will make a difference where it matters most, and that women and children will be able to seek and receive help when they need it,” Mudie noted.

The initiative will be carried out from June until July 2025. It strives to have all women and children in Vietnam, including the vulnerable, lead a life without violence, through a number of intensive prevention strategies and multi-sectoral countermeasures.

For her part, UN Population Fund (UNFPA) Representative in Vietnam Naomi Kitahara said the programme showed a partnership between the Governments of Vietnam and Australia and UN bodies in addressing violence against women and children in Vietnam, which must be a top priority of all./.

Vietnam, France bolster defence cooperation

Vietnam and France have enjoyed positive strides in their relations, especially in defence, over the years, thereby strengthening the strategic partnership, Minister of Defence Sen. Lt. Gen. Phan Van Giang has said.

He made the remark while hosting a reception for French Ambassador to Vietnam Nicolas Warnery in Hanoi on May 24.

At the reception, the Vietnamese minister underlined that due attention has been paid to the bilateral defence cooperation, which has been constantly promoted through the effective implementation of the agreement on defence cooperation between the nations and specialised agreements signed in the exchange of delegations, training, military medicine, hydro-geography and United Nations peacekeeping.

He spoke highly of the countries’ cooperation at multilateral forums and welcomed France’s standpoint on the region, voicing his hope that the countries will continue working together in a more effective manner, thus contributing to peace and stability in the region and the world.

For his part, Warnery believed that in his new position as Defence Minister of Vietnam, Giang will make further significant contributions to the development and cooperation between the two countries and armies.

The two sides agreed to maintain exchange of delegations at all levels, especially high level, in a suitable form in line with COVID-19 developments. They will continue to bolster efficient cooperation fields and seek new ones which match demand and capacity of each side.

The countries also consented to organise activities marking the 30th founding anniversary of the Vietnam-France defence cooperation (1991-2021)./.

More aid for overseas Vietnamese amid COVID-19

The Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee handed over 4.05 billion VND (175,600 USD) on May 24 to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to support overseas Vietnamese in the COVID-19 fight.

Deputy Foreign Minister Dang Minh Khoi, who is also Chairman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, highlighted the significance of the aid, especially amid the complex developments of the pandemic in a number of countries.

The assistance will help Vietnamese living abroad overcome the difficulties and stabilise their lives, he said, adding that it demonstrates the attention they receive from the Party, State, and people.

Relevant agencies have organised 468 flights bringing home 113,000 Vietnamese from more than 59 countries and territories since the pandemic broke out early last year, while also providing 830,000 face masks along with protective suits, medical supplies, food, and other necessities for Vietnamese in 20 locations hit hard by COVID-19, according to Khoi.

Meanwhile, overseas Vietnamese have also raised nearly 80 billion VND and sent home goods in support of pandemic and flood response efforts.

In the time ahead, the ministry will continue to coordinate with relevant agencies to allocate the 4 billion VND aid package to overseas Vietnamese affected by the pandemic, he said./.

Vietnam’s COVID-19 death toll reaches 44

The National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control on May 24 confirmed one more COVID-19 related death – a 38-year-old worker at an industrial park in the northern province of Bac Giang, raising the death toll in Vietnam to 44.

After being tested positive to coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, the female patient received treatment at the Health Centre of Yen Dung district from May 17.

After five days of treatment, her health condition worsened with signs of respiratory failure. She was hospitalised to the Bac Giang General Hospital on May 22, where she was diagnosed with pneumonia with symptoms of respiratory failure.

At the midnight of May 23, the patient showed a shortness of breath and lung damage, and received high flow oxygen therapy. However, her condition was not improved. She died in early morning of May 24 due to septic shock on pneumonia condition caused by SARS-CoV-2, with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

This is the ninth death in the fourth wave of COVID-19 hitting Vietnam since April 27./.

 

Financial aid presented to help military in COVID-19 fight

The Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee handed over 54.5 billion VND (2.36 million VND) in donations to the Ministry of National Defence (MoD) on May 24 to assist COVID-19 prevention and control efforts.

At the presentation ceremony in Hanoi, President of the VFF Central Committee Do Van Chien thanked leaders of the Central Military Commission, the MoD, and the entire armed forces, especially military personnel, for actively and effectively engaging in the COVID-19 fight.

Noting the complex developments of the pandemic, he said the VFF Central Committee’s Standing Board proposes the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat continue calling for donations to help frontline forces, including healthcare and military units.

The aid will also be spent on assisting poor and disadvantaged people as well as those in quarantine sites suffering from income cuts, he added.

Chien expressed a hope that the Central Military Commission and the MoD will keep encouraging officers and soldiers in the army to promote their role as one of the pioneering forces in the COVID-19 fight, helping the country weather the pandemic.

Appreciating the support for frontline forces, including the army, Deputy Minister of National Defence Sen. Lt. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien pledged that the financial aid will be used for the right purpose and in the most effective manner.

The military is maintaining about 1,900 checkpoints along more than 5,000km of land border and 3,260km of sea border. More than 13,000 military and police personnel are working around the clock to control illegal border crossings and prevent the transmission of the coronavirus.

The military is running 175 quarantine facilities, which have accommodated nearly 230,000 people in quarantine so far, the deputy minister said, adding that it is ready to expand quarantine facilities at the request of the Government and the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.

As of noon on May 24, Vietnam had recorded 5,308 cases of COVID-19, with 3,823 cases of community transmission. These include 2,721 recoveries and 43 fatalities. The number of domestic infections since April 27, when the latest outbreak began, stands at 2,253, according to the Ministry of Health./.

Solidarity, national pride, people’s trust enhanced after elections: NEC official

The elections of deputies to the 15th National Assembly (NA) and People’s Councils at all levels in the 2021-2026 tenure on May 23 were a success, NA General Secretary and Chairman of the NA Office Bui Van Cuong has affirmed.

Speaking to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA), Cuong, who is also a member of the National Election Council (NEC) and head of the NEC Office, said success is shown in the high voter turnout, smooth election activities, strict implementation of pandemic prevention and control measures, guaranteed security, and effective communications.

A spirit of solidarity, national pride, and people’s trust in the Party and State were also promoted through the elections, he said.

He lauded localities’ efforts to overcome the difficulties posed by COVID-19 in organising the elections.

Cuong underlined active and careful preparations, close coordination and a high sense of responsibility among forces engaged in election activities as being major factors contributing to the success.

Most cities and provinces reported high rates of turnout of over 90 percent in the May 23 elections, with some recording a rate of as high as 99.99 percent as of 10pm the same day, reported the NEC. It was one of the major political events in Vietnam this year./.

Vietnam’s general elections grab international media’s attention

Vietnam’s general elections have grabbed attention of global and regional media outlets which highlighted the event’s importance to the country, the special circumstances of the elections and the role of the new legislature to the national development.

Laos’ LaoPhatthana News, Malaysia’s The Star and New Straits Times, China’s Xinhua, Japan’s Nikkei Asia and NHK, UK’s Reuters, among others, reported that the elections took place as Vietnam battles a severe COVID-19 resurgence, so it was a major challenge to secure a safe and smooth event.

“The election this year takes place amid the complicated development of COVID-19 in the country,” Xinhua said. “Authorities have asked voters to strictly follow COVID-19 prevention and control protocols, including wearing masks and maintaining social distancing at polling stations,” it reported.

Nikkei Asia quoted Ha Hoang Hop, a visiting senior fellow at Singaporean research group ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, as saying that the Vietnamese government has enforced stricter prevention measures at all voting sites, as the current COVID-19 situation are complicated and uncertain.

The elections of deputies to the 15th National Assembly and People’s Councils of all levels for the 2021-26 tenure was an important political event in Vietnam, which had been organized in a very professional manner and conducted without any blemish, reported eurasiareview.com, adding that Vietnamese people willingly cooperated with the organisers without any raucous.

The site said to ensure the success of the elections and minimise impacts from the pandemic, the National Election Council (NEC) has issued a number of documents directing and guiding how to safely conduct the elections, including those instructing the making of voter lists and voting methods for voters undertaking quarantine in pandemic-hit areas.

It went on to underline Vietnam’s 35 years of development process, saying its achievements in economy, foreign policy and defence-security domains inject a sense of confidence to cope with the current difficulties and challenges triggered by external factors.

“In the light of this, sound election preparation is a further extension of people’s aspirations to scale new heights in the development process,” the website wrote.

“For the forthcoming elections, the credentials of the candidates have been evaluated and those found to be deserving delegates are put in the fray,” it continued. “This is also an affirmation of Vietnam’s achievements under the leadership of the Communist Party in all fields, especially economy and epidemic prevention.”

The website said in the foreign policy domain, the party has demonstrated an independent stance, which has enabled the government to achieve outstandingly in many bilateral as well as regional issues, thereby enhancing the country’s standing before the global community./.

Japanese media spotlight Vietnamese NA election

The Japanese media on May 22-23 spotlighted the election of deputies to the 15th National Assembly in Vietnam, especially at a time when the Southeast Asian country is battling with the resurgence of COVID-19 since late April.

On May 23, the television broadcaster NHK reported that voters wore masks, disinfected their hands and had their temperatures checked before casting ballots.

At a polling station in Hanoi, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong said voters should fulfill their citizen duties and elect the most suitable candidates. 

The same day, Kyodo News news agency said Vietnam held its one-in-five-years parliamentary election while taking precautions to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus amid a spike in new cases.

Polling stations have taken strict precautions such as temperature checks, physical distancing and wearing of masks.

The results will be announced by mid-June.

A day earlier, Nikkei Asia said Vietnam has gone on high alert nationwide in order to contain COVID-19 outbreaks in the north in the context of the election./.

Bird's eye view photos featuring Vietnam’s beauty impress international viewers

Twenty-one works of 14 Vietnamese photographers have been listed in Top 100 best drone photos at the 2020 35AWARDS International Photography Contest.

35AWARDS is a major international award initiated in 2015 by the creators of the professional photo community 35photo.pro.

Each year, the competition has five juries from 50 countries evaluating the entries in three stages.

Last year’s contest attracted the participation of 123,400 photographers from 173 countries and territories, competing in 27 categories.

The winning photos feature beautiful and colorful Vietnam with viewers all over the world./.

Dedicated health workers on offshore islands

 

The role of grassroots-level physicians and healthcare workers is important for everyone, especially those going out to sea on fishing trips or living on islands without specialised hospitals. Join us in the following to learn more about the work of doctors and nurses on Vietnam’s islands. 

Nguyen Xuan Truong is a member of Naval Squadron 129 under the Saigon Newport Corporation, a unit of the Vietnamese Naval Force. He became sick during a trip offshore not long ago, forcing his ship to dock on Nam Yet Island. He received treatment from local physicians and is now much better.

Health clinics on islands have received ongoing attention from the Party, the State, and the military in recent years, and been equipped with modern medical equipment to improve health examinations and treatment.

Given the complex developments of COVID-19, physicians and healthcare workers on islands are serious about pandemic prevention and control efforts, to protect local people and soldiers.

The government is still striving to improve the quality of healthcare on islands so that soldiers, fishermen, and residents have peace of mind as they contribute to protecting Vietnam’s national sovereignty over its seas and islands./.

Adjustments to master plan create new vision for Da Nang’s development

Adjustments to the master plan for central Da Nang city to 2030 and vision to 2045 approved recently by the Prime Minister are believed to “open the door” for it to map out its vision and orientation for the future.

Under the adjustments, the city aims to become a major socio-economic centre of Vietnam and Southeast Asia, a hub for entrepreneurship, innovation, tourism, commerce, finance, logistics, high-technology, IT, and supporting industries, a centre for culture-sports, high-quality education and healthcare, and science and technology, and a destination for regional and international events.

At the same time, it expects to become an international seaport city, acting as a “core” in the urban chain and a growth pole of the key economic zone in the central and Central Highlands regions, in tandem with promoting its stature as an ecological, modern, smart, and liveable city, which will help it firmly ensure national defence and security and Vietnam’s sovereignty over its sea and islands.

Da Nang will be divided into 12 sub-areas: the western ecological sub-area, the eastern ecological sub-area, the Han riverside and eastern coast sub-area, the Da Nang Bay sub-area, the Lien Chieu Seaport sub-area, the hi-tech sub-area, the green core centre sub-area, the innovation sub-area, the airport sub-area, the hillside urban sub-area, the hi-tech agriculture sub-area, and the development reserve sub-area.

It is forecasted that, by 2030, Da Nang’s population will stand at about 1.79 million.

The city will adjust its single-centre urban structure (Thanh Khe and Hai Chau districts) into multi-polar development areas.

It will set up two so-called “economic belts”, with the northern part focusing on high-tech industry and seaport-logistics and the southern part on innovation and high-tech agriculture.

There will be four priority job creation clusters: a hi-tech industrial cluster, a seaport and logistics cluster, a hi-tech agricultural cluster, and an innovation cluster.

According to Ngo Viet Nam Son, a member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Group, this is a new phase for Da Nang in terms of planning.

He said the city will develop areas with special functions, such as a hi-tech zone attached to the Lien Chieu Port urban area and innovative urban areas associated with universities, towards turning Da Nang into a multi-centre city with diverse identities.

Logistics and seaport development will help it become a regional centre with greater potential than it has now, Son said.

However, this is only a master plan, he noted, and it is necessary to adopt detailed plans for the city’s future development.

As soon as the adjustments to Da Nang’s master plan were announced, 11 domestic and foreign investors expressed desires to set up research and investment projects in many areas of the city.

Chairwoman of the BRG Group Nguyen Thi Nga said the city is an especially important investment destination for the group.

It has invested in high-end resorts in the city, she noted, adding that these adjustments will give investors a clear and consistent orientation, creating more favourable conditions for business development and the city’s development overall.

“I believe that with the effort and determination of local leaders, people, and businesses, Da Nang will become a major socio-economic centre of the country and the region,” Nga said.

The BRG Group has proposed the study of a master plan for the development of the southern area of Hoa Vang district.

According to Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Le Trung Chinh, with these adjustments, Da Nang will overcome its limitations, effectively utilise its urban areas, and offer solutions to environmental and population issues and climate change adaptation.

It will continue to improve its competitiveness, promote administrative reforms, and remove difficulties facing people and businesses, Chinh said./.

Vietnam plans activities in response to World Oceans Day

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has sent an dispatch on the hosting of activities under the Vietnam Sea and Islands Week and responding to the World Oceans Day (June 8) to ministries, sectors, organisations and authorities of localities nationwide.

From June 1 to 15, these activities are set to be held in an efficient and effective manner, ensuring COVID-19-prevention and control measures.

In the dispatch, the ministry has ordered units involved to focus on comprehensive communications work regarding issues relating to sea and islands, including information on Vietnam’s legitimate rights and interests at sea in accordance with international law; the Party’s viewpoints and guidelines as well as the State’s policies and laws on sea and islands; environmental protection, biodiversity development and climate change response; and international cooperation in the field.

Localities have been asked to intensify their control of the collection, transport and treatment of waste, particularly plastic waste, in coastal areas and islands, with the building of public facilities for environmental protection encouraged.

This year, the World Oceans Day themed "The Ocean: Life and Livelihoods" will shed light on the wonder of the ocean and how it is our life source, supporting humanity and every other organism on Earth.

Following the idea, a theme of "ocean protection and sustainable development of marine livelihoods in Vietnam" has been selected for the Vietnam Sea and Islands Week. There are also among the goals set to concretise the contents of the nation’s resolution on the strategy for sustainable development of Vietnam's marine economy to 2030, with a vision to 2045./.

Australian-funded initiative aims to eliminate violence against women, children

The Australian Government will sponsor AUD9.5 million (US$7.34 million) for a four-year initiative with the Vietnamese relevant agencies and the United Nations which aims to support women and children who are victims of violence.

Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Robyn Mudie speaks at the event (Photo: Australian Embassy in Vietnam
The information was revealed by Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Robyn Mudie during a conference held on May 24 to review a project entitled “Supporting interventions to eliminate violence against women and children in Vietnam under COVID-19” funded by the Government of Australia in the 2020-21, and sign a new initiative on the elimination of violence against women and children in Vietnam for the next four years.

“Over the last 12 months, all countries have learnt that a comprehensive response to the pandemic means responding to the challenges faced by women and children, and working to ensure their safety,” the ambassador said at the event.

She added that over the next four years, the programme will increase prevention strategies and response efforts to end violence against women and children.

“We hope that this long-term, practical approach will make a difference where it matters most, and that women and children will be able to seek and receive help when they need it,” Mudie noted.

The initiative will be carried out from June until July 2025. It strives to have all women and children in Vietnam, including the vulnerable, lead a life without violence, through a number of intensive prevention strategies and multi-sectoral countermeasures. 

For her part, UN Population Fund (UNFPA) Representative in Vietnam Naomi Kitahara said the programme showed a partnership between the Governments of Vietnam and Australia and UN bodies in addressing violence against women and children in Vietnam, which must be a top priority of all.

A Hosiden Vietnam worker dies of COVID-19 in Bac Giang hotspot

A female worker of Hosiden Vietnam Co. Ltd. infected with COVID-19 has died in Bac Giang, the country’s largest coronavirus hotspot, the provincial People Committee confirmed on May 24.

The 38-year-old woman hails from Lang Son province and works for Hosiden Vietnam, an electronic parts supplier at Quang Chau industrial park. 

She tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus on May 18 and was immediately transferred to the Bac Giang general hospital for treatment.

Since hospitalization, her health deteriorated and doctors decided to transfer the patient to the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Hanoi for further examination.

However, she died on the way to Hanoi on May 24.  

The patient was diagnosed with septic shock and severe pneumonia caused by COVID-19.

Hosiden Vietnam is the epicenter of the country’s fourth COVID-19 wave that broke out in late April. Hundreds of cases have been detected closely linked to the outbreak at the company.

The Ministry of Health (MoH) later confirmed the fatality.

Earlier in the morning, the MoH announced the eighth COVID-19 death during the fourth wave and also the 43rd death since last year.

Vietnam welcomes WHO’s COVID-19 vaccine technology transfer hub initiative

A Vietnamese official on May 24 welcomed the World Health Organisation’s initiative on establishing a COVID-19 vaccine technology transfer hub, saying it is a concrete example of a new global mechanism to prepare for future pandemics.

Vietnam will establish a technology transfer hub to help boost vaccine production capacity regionally and globally, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan told the 74th World Health Assembly.

He proposed that the Director-General of WHO accelerate the initiative and promote cooperation as well as support from technology developers to soon realize the scheme.

Thuan also reiterated Vietnam’s commitment to mobilize the political system, the entire society, as well as the technical system and resources to respond to the pandemic.

Vietnam is trying its best to control outbreaks while maintaining socio-economic stability and ensuring national health security, he stressed.

Noting that COVID-19 is not the last pandemic for humankind, Thuan said it’s time to discuss how to better prepare for the next pandemic.

Vietnam believes that a more cohesive global response mechanism is needed to get the entire government and society involved in the fight, while helping countries improve their preparedness and response capabilities, said the Vietnamese health official.

The 74th World Health Assembly is taking place in an online format from May 24 to June 1, attracting the participation of United Nations and world leaders, including UN General Secretary Antonio Guterres, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Retired teacher debuts paintings

An exhibition by amateur painter and former teacher Nguyễn Ngọc Dậu has captured the hearts of professional artists. 

The exhibition in Hà Nội features paintings selected from more than 100 works created over the last three years. The paintings are in different themes such as still-life, landscape and people. 

She paints people in daily life featuring mountainous horses carrying goods at a weekly market, festival-goers, mountainous women working in the fields and the pain of separation between soldiers and their families. 

"I'm moved by the paintings," said veteran artist Đỗ Đức. "Like a professional and veteran artist, Dậu's paintings have made a strong impression."

"Overall, the layout and colours are as tight as a professional painter. Looking at the details, the sincere innocence on each line is also in sync with the structure of the painting."

Dậu, 76, is a retired teacher. Her love for fine arts was inspired by her brothers who studied fine arts at the Industrial Fine Arts College.

But neither of them have been able to exhibit their work as one died suddenly and the other had a debilitating accident, leaving Dậu as his caregiver.

"My brother died while he was going to have an exhibition," said Dậu. "It urges me to paint."

One of the most striking paintings features a soldier pinning flowers on his lover's head. The painting looks romantic with the light violet colours to show the artist's loyalty to her late lover.

The painting was made with all Dậu's memory about her only lover a soldier who died in battle in 1975. Dậu could not love anyone after him. 

"The painting is vivid," said veteran artist Lê Trí Dũng who is also a popular curator. "This is a unique exhibition with beautiful and emotional paintings."

The exhibition is running at 16 Ngô Quyền Exhibition House until May 27.

Patient with liver cirrhosis is Việt Nam’s 43rd COVID-19 death

The treatment subcommittee of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control Monday morning reported the 43rd COVID-19 related death, a 50-year-old male patient with liver cirrhosis.

The liver disease was reportedly a result of years of heavy drinking, but the man had given up drinking for about two years.

One week before being admitted to Hải Dương Province General Hospital, the patient suffered from high fever, chills, jaundice, stomach swelling and digestive issues.

His blood culture was identified as positive for Ochrobactrum anthropic bacteria and he was subsequently given a five-day course of antibiotics but it failed to alleviate the infection.

He was transferred to the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Hà Nội on April 25 with diagnosed sepsis and cirrhosis ascites.

On May 5, the patient tested positive for coronavirus.

The patient was actively given resuscitation intervention with continuous mechanical ventilation and dialysis, administration of antibiotics, blood transfusion, diuretic, choleretic, and laxatives but still the patient's conditions gradually deteriorated, and septic shock, gastrointestinal bleeding, increasing ascites, and multiple organ failure developed.

On May 21, the leading experts council for treating COVID-19 patients have said the patient’s condition is critical and death is imminent.

The patient died on Sunday night, with the cause of death given as septic shock, multiple organ failure, sepsis, gastrointestinal bleeding, and SARS-CoV-2 infection with underlying condition noted as ascites in liver cirrhosis.

This has been the eighth death in the fourth wave of COVID-19 hitting Việt Nam since April 27 with a few clusters detected in the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases and the National Cancer Hospital in Hà Nội. 

HCM City records new domestic COVID-19 cases with Indian, UK variants

HCM City has reported a new COVID-19 community transmission case, a 18-month-old boy whose grandmother had tested positive for COVID-19, according to the city’s Department of Health.

The boy was put under quanrantine along with three other people from his family in Tân Bình District at a Government-run concentrated quanrantine facility on May 20 after the grandmother, patient No 4780, tested positive with COVID-19 on the same day.

He was transferred to the HCM City Children Hospital for treatment on Sunday after a second test was positive. The first test on May 20 showed a negative result.

He is now in stable health condition.

On May 20, the city reported that the 58-year-old grandmother, who sells noodle soup in District 3, and her two children who live with her in the same house tested positive.

On May 15 and 18, the boy’s mother took him to visit the grandmother in District 3.

Speaking at a meeting with the HCM City Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control on Monday morning, director of the Health Department Nguyễn Tấn Bỉnh said that eight areas in the city are now placed under quarantine to curb the spread of the virus, including residential areas in District 3, Gò Vấp and Bình Tân, block A1 Sun View Town apartment building, the Medic Medical Centre, Quang Trung Clinic and Grove joint stock company.

The health authorities have conducted contact tracing and testing for 8,374 people in the city, including 365 people who had close contact with COVID-19 patients, Bỉnh said.

The city for the first time detected the Indian COVID variant and the UK variant in community transmission cases over the last week, he said.

Nguyễn Thành Phong, chairman of the city’s People’s Committee, said that the city found two community transmission clusters with five new cases over the past week after more than 20 days without any new cases.

He said the city must maintain high alert with stricter social distancing in public places with a high risk of infection such as traditional markets, commercial centres, retail markets, bus stations, gas stations and hospitals.

He ordered hospitals to fully prepare for temporary quarantine plans if suspected infections at the hospital are detected and to limit the number of visitors at the hospital.

The HCM City Export Processing Zone and Industrial Park Authority in coordination with local authorities and health officials were asked to adjust working hours to limit the number of workers on the same shifts at factories and workplaces, he said.

HEPZA was also asked to work with companies to conduct a quick response to infections detected at export processing zones and industrial parks and put in place measures for COVID-19 prevention and control. 

38-year-old woman dies of COVID-19

Health authorities on Monday reported the death due to COVID-19 of a 38-year-old woman with no underlying health conditions, the youngest victim in the fourth wave of infections since April 27.  

The victim, the 44th COVID-19 related death, worked at an industrial zone in northern Bắc Giang Province.

The National Steering Committee on COVID-19 Prevention and Control said the patient had symptoms of high fever, cough, and sore throat. She tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and was hospitalised at Yên Dũng District Medical Centre on ​​May 17.

After five days of treatment, the patient showed signs of respiratory failure. On the evening of May 22, the patient was transferred to Bắc Giang General Hospital after showing no signs of improvement. She was later diagnosed to have pneumonia due to COVID-19 complications of respiratory failure.

The patient was treated with an oxygen mask and antibiotics.

At about 12am on May 23, the patient’s health condition got worse. Her X-ray results showed both of her lungs were damaged. At 10pm, the patient suffered severe respiratory failure.

After medical consultation between the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases and Bạch Mai Hospital, the patient was treated with mechanical ventilation but showed no improvement and suffered emergency circulatory arrest failure.

The patient died at 4.30am on Monday with the cause of death given as septic shock, severe acute respiratory distress syndrome and pneumonia.

This is the ninth death in the fourth wave of COVID-19 in Việt Nam. 

Online English teaching conference highlights effective methodologies amid pandemic

International and local English lecturers on May 22 discussed teaching methodologies during an outline conference as the COVID-19 pandemic has interrupted teachers’ traditional face-to-face classrooms and shifted into e-learning settings.

Dr Hồ Thị Quỳnh Như of Huế Industrial College said that adjusting the curricula to sustain the quality of teaching and learning becomes an urgent need in most countries.

Lecturer Nguyễn Cẩm Nhung at the University of Languages and International Studies under Vietnam National University in Hà Nội said that there were a number of challenges that teachers encountered in adapting to remote teaching, such as technological issues, classroom management, and material adaptation.

This was revealed from her study aimed at shedding light on how Vietnamese teachers who teach English as a foreign language respond to remote teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a study conducted by lecturers of Saigon University Vietnam and HCM City University of Technology and Education, many universities in the city have invested to set up infrastructure for online education. To guarantee students to be able to track their learning along with online classes, Learning Management System platforms are quickly brought into use.

Nicky Hockly, director of Pedagogy at The Consultants-E, an online training and development organisation in the UK, said: “Although videoconferencing platforms are easily accessible these days, it can be challenging for teachers to engage and motivate students in live online classes.”

In her presentation, Hockly spoke about how to create live online tasks, key online teaching skills, and engaging online classes. 

OpenTESOL International Conference 2021 on May 22 at HCM City Open University highlights effective online English teaching amid the COVID-19 pandemic. — Photo Courtesy of the university
Prof. Yilin Sun, who directs faculty development programs at Seattle College in the US said: “Our life and work as TESOL (teaching English to speakers of other languages) educators have changed significantly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As we cope with the many pandemic disruptions and fight against Coronavirus fatigue, educators must build confidence, skill and strategies to face new challenges and continue our actions and innovations to be successful in the new realities that define our professional and social lives.”

She also shared practices and applicable strategies to help English language teaching educators broaden their professional horizons and deepen their understanding of essential teaching strategies and skills during challenging times.

The OpenTESOL International Conference series was established in 2012 by the Faculty of Foreign Languages and the Graduate School of HCM City Open University.

OpenTESOL is a conference for local and international professionals in the field of foreign languages teaching and learning. It aims to establish a quality hub for sharing ideas of appropriate pedagogies in different teaching and learning contexts.

It has strengthened ties between the foreign language teaching communities in the city and other provinces in Việt Nam and connected local communities with international language education institutions or associations.  

 State-of-the-art research into language and language education was also presented at OpenTESOL. 

National flags to be gifted to fishermen

Người Lao Động (Labourer) newspaper in 2021 continues to host a fishermen support programme and offer 560,000 national flags to 28 coastal provinces and cities nationwide.

The newspaper, together with the High Command of Việt Nam People's Navy, will donate 100,000 national flags to fishermen living in the areas managed by the navy, including zones 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

Meanwhile, 100,000 flags will be gifted to fishermen in the areas under the management of the Việt Nam Coast Guard.

The newspaper will also coordinate with the Việt Nam’s fisheries surveillance force, fishery unions and the Directorate of Fisheries under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to present 100,000 flags to fishermen.

Locals living along the border lines of provinces and cities with land borders would be gifted 100,000 national flags by the newspaper and the High Command of Việt Nam Border Guard. Flagpoles would be constructed in some border areas.

Besides, the newspaper has worked with armed forces to hold the flag raising ceremony at some islands and present 40,000 national flags to fishermen living there.

After two years of implementation, this programme has been held 80 times. 

Frontline workers get exhausted from sweltering weather

Exhausted, working in sweltering conditions, some even fainting because over the pressure, but still determined to serve the nation. Here are some of the country’s unsung heroes photographed as take they take a breather from working around the clock on the frontline to keep Việt Nam safe. 

Hanoi students win medals at 2021 Nordic-Baltic Physics Olympiad

Students from Hanoi bagged one gold, two silver, and a bronze at the 2021 Nordic-Baltic Physics Olympiad, the municipal Department of Education and Training announced on May 14. 

Tran Dinh Dung won the gold medal, while silver medals went to Nguyen Manh Duc and Le Duc An and Dinh Tran Hai Chien picked up the bronze.

All are in Grade 11 at the Hanoi-Amsterdam High School for the Gifted.

First held in 2003, the Nordic-Baltic Physics Olympiad targets high school students in Nordic-Baltic countries.

In 2021, due to impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the competition was organised online in Sweden from May 8-13.

This is the first time students from Hanoi have participated.

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