Vietnam recorded additional 152 COVID-19 infections, including two imported, in the past six hours to 6pm on May 27, with a new outbreak detected in Ho Chi Minh City.

According to the Health Ministry, among the new cases, 84 were reported in Bac Giang, 22 in Bac Ninh, seven in Hanoi and one in Da Nang. All are in quarantine sites or locked-down areas.

Meanwhile, 36 new infections in HCM City are all related to a new outbreak found in the Revival Ekklesia Mission - a Christian church in Go Vap district.

The two imported cases entered Vietnam from the Philippines and Australia on April 28 and May 12, respectively and are being quarantined in Soc Trang province upon their arrival in Can Tho International Airport.

As of 6pm on May 27, Vietnam logged a total of 4,824 domestically-transmitted cases and 1,492 imported cases.

Report from the ministry’s Medical Examination Administration showed that the country has seen 2,853 recoveries and 46 deaths related to the disease.

Among active patients undergoing treatment, 111 have tested negative to coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 once, 40 twice, and 67 thrice./.

53 local COVID-19 cases added to national count over previous six hours

The nation recorded an additional 53 local COVID-19 cases at midday on May 27 in four localities, raising the national infection tally in the latest outbreak to 3,104, according to figures published by the Ministry of Health.

Among the fresh cases, Bac Ninh and Bac Giang recorded the highest at 30, and 21, respectively, while Dien Bien and Hai Duong posted one each.

All of the cases recorded in Bac Giang and Bac Giang hotspots are linked with their ndustrial parks which have been deemed to be hotbeds, whilst the cases in the other localities had previously come into contact with confirmed COVID-19 patients.

A further case was added to the infection tally relating to imported cases on the morning of May 27, raising the figure of cases brought in from abroad to 1,490.

A report compiled by the Ministry’s Medical Examination Administration indicates that the country has also seen 2,853 patients recover from the virus, whilst 45 deaths have been linked to the disease.

Furthermore, Bac Ninh, a current COVID-19 hotspot, has decided to establish two field hospitals that have a combined capacity of 700 beds, with both sites being established specifically to treat COVID-19 patients.

Moving forward, the hospitals will be responsible for providing first aid, quarantine, and treatment for local COVID-19 patients in an effort to curb the spread of the epidemic within the community.

The province had recorded a total of 654 local infections since the resurgence of the virus in late April.

Moreover, the Ninh Binh Provincial People's Committee has moved to suspend eat-in services for all restaurants, sidewalk and street eateries, along with closing all public areas from May 28. This will be implemented until further notice in an effort to slow the spread of the virus among the wider community.

The same day Da Nang Lung Hospital and Hoa Vang Medical Center also announced the discharge of five cases after being cured of COVID-19, with each of the patients being sent home to continue their isolation period as regulated by the Ministry of Health.

COVID-19 outbreak forces suspension of Hue traditional craft festival

Foreign visitors at Thuy Xuan incense making village in Hue

The 2021 Hue Traditional Craft Festival in the central city of Thua Thien-Hue will be suspended amid the complicated developments of COVID-19, according to the People’s Committee of Hue city.

The ninth edition of the festival, initially slated from May 29 to June 26, is re-scheduled for the latter half of July if the pandemic is brought under control.

More than 40 art performances will be organised, gathering together a large number of artists, actors, and artisans.

It will feature a wide range of events, such as a craft design contest, the Hue Culinary Festival, a sculpting camp, an “ao dai” (Vietnam’s traditional dress) week, and a book exhibition.

The biennial festival aims to conserve, honour and develop traditional craft of Vietnam and Hue in particular./.

Vietnam obtains six medals at Asia-Pacific Informatics Olympiad

Six Vietnamese students have pocketed medals, including two golds, at the Asia-Pacific Informatics Olympiad (APIO) 2021, the Ministry of Education and Training said on May 26.

With two gold, one silver, and three bronze medals, Vietnam ranked fourth among the 35 participating countries and territories at the event, following China, Iran, and Japan.

This result is the best compared to Vietnam’s performance at the previous APIOs, the ministry noted.

The gold medals went to a 12th grader from the high school for gifted students in natural sciences under the Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU), and an 11th grader from the Phan Boi Chau High School for the Gifted in Nghe An province.

Fifteen Vietnamese contestants competed online at the VNU University of Engineering and Technology on May 22.

According to the organisers’ regulation, the six with the highest scores were chosen to vie for awards, and all of them won medals.

The virtual APIO 2021, hosted by Indonesia, attracted 845 contestants, 228 of whom were nominated for medals.

Earlier, all the eight Vietnamese students participating in the Asian Physics Olympiad 2021 also won prizes, bringing home two golds, one silver, three bronzes and two certificates of merit./.

NA Standing Committee opens 56th meeting

The 14th National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee commenced the 56th meeting in Hanoi on May 27 morning, with preliminary results of the general elections among the issues high on the agenda.

In his opening speech, NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue noted that during this session, the Standing Committee will look into a preliminary report on the results of the elections of deputies to the 15th NA and all-level People’s Councils for the 2021 - 2026 tenure, held on May 23.

It will also give opinions on the Government’s reports on the 2019 State budget balance, the 2018 State finance, and the thrift practice and wastefulness prevention last year.

In the morning session, NA Secretary General and Chairman of the NA Office Bui Van Cuong, who is also Chief of the National Election Council's Office, delivered the preliminary report on the general elections’ results./.

Vietnam confirms 24 domestic COVID-19 infections on early May 27 morning

The number of domestically-transmitted COVID-19 cases in Vietnam has risen to 4,621 cases, with 24 patients confirmed in the past 12 hours to 6am on May 27, according to the Ministry of Health.

Of the new cases, 23 were recorded in Bac Giang province, and one in Lang Son.

As many as 3,051 domestic cases have been logged since the nation was hit by the fourth COVID-19 wave on April 27.

Another case was added to the imported infection tally on May 27 morning, raising the imported count of the outbreak to 1,490.

Report from the ministry’s Medical Examination Administration showed that the country has seen 2,853 recoveries and 45 deaths related to the disease.

Among active patients undergoing treatment, 111 tested negative to coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 once, 40 twice, and 67 thrice.

A total of 163,196 people who came in close contact with COVID-19 patients or arrived from pandemic-hit areas are being quarantined nationwide, including 5,292 in hospitals, 34,106 in other quarantine sites, and 123,798 at their places of residence.

Nearly 1.035 million COVID-19 vaccine shots were given to frontline medical workers and members of community-based anti-COVID-19 groups in the nation.

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)./.

Localities urged to announce forest status in 2020

By the end of 2020, the country’s forest area totaled 14.67 million ha, of which natural forests covered 10.27 million ha.

 

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has asked municipal and provincial People’s Committees to review updated data and announce forest status in 2020.

The request was made as forest coverage in a number of provinces and cities is shrinking, especially natural forests, due to unknown causes.

Accordingly, cities and provinces that saw the decrease last year must send detailed reports on locations, area and status of reduced natural forests to the ministry before June 10.

Localities also need to revamp forest management and protection, and seriously close natural forests in accordance with regulations of the Law on Forestry and the Party Central Committee's Secretariat Directive No. 13/CT-TW dated January 12, 2017 on intensifying the Party’s leadership over forest management, protection and development.

The ministry asked the localities that have yet to unveil their forest status in 2020, including Binh Thuan, Tay Ninh, Ca Mau, Thai Nguyen, Ho Chi Minh City and Gia Lai, to complete the work.

According to the ministry’s decision on the national forest status announcement in 2020, by the end of the year, the country’s forest area totaled 14.67 million ha, of which natural forests covered 10.27 million ha. The national forest coverage ratio was 42.01 percent./.

US university pledges cooperation with HCM City in human resources training

Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong on May 26 received Jefferey S. Goss, Associate Vice Provost at the Arizona State University (ASU) of the US, who is paying a working visit to the city.

Highly valuing the ASU’s standing and prestige in the fields of research and innovation, Phong applauded its cooperation activities in Vietnam to help the country improve training and human resources quality, noting that these programmes have helped HCM City reform training to provide the local manpower with work readiness and soft skills.

Discussing cooperation orientations, he welcomed Goss’s vision and idea to work with HCM City to turn the city into a centre for training and developing high-quality human resources.

The cooperation ideas match the city’s target of developing international-standard human resources equipped with sufficient knowledge and skills to meet job requirements in a global work environment and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Phong said.

For his part, Goss affirmed that the ASU will do its utmost in cooperation activities with HCM City.

The ASU, in coordination with US partners and enterprises in HCM City, has carried out programmes to connect universities with businesses, bringing about positive outcomes in training and research and also contributing to local development.

It owns sufficient resources, experience, as well as strong international partners, to help carry out the city’s world-standard human resources training project, he noted, adding that his university pledges continued cooperation with and support for HCM City in training high-quality human resources and will soon work out concrete cooperation programmes to implement the project.

At the meeting, the two sides discussed and reached consensus on comprehensive solutions in the international-standard human resources training project of HCM City.

The ASU, one of the largest public universities in the US and the world’s best universities, opened a representative office in HCM City in 2013./.

Vietnam Red Cross calls for donations to people affected by COVID-19

The Vietnam Red Cross Society (VRC) on May 26 issued a call for donations to support people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic from now until July 30.

As the pandemic is developing complicatedly in Vietnam as well as the world, in order to support poor and disadvantaged people infected with COVID-19, poor people and workers in quarantined and locked down areas, and people returning home without a job, the VRC Central Committee calls on VRC chapters at all levels nationwide to encourage officials, members, volunteers and youth to help the affected people.

Specifically, the chapters will call on their officials, members and volunteers to disseminate information on the pandemic situation and persuade people to seriously take COVID-19 prevention and control measures.

For provinces and cities severely affected by the pandemic, they will actively update the numbers of cases and deaths, affected areas, damage and people's needs; implement emergency relief activities; and maintain voluntary blood donation activities in a flexible form.

On May 26, Vietnam documented 235 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, raising the total number of domestic infections to 4,597, including 3,027 since April 27./.

Vietnam Airlines provides free transport of medical personnel for Bac Ninh, Bac Giang

Vietnam Airlines will provide free transport of personnel who are sent to assist with the anti-pandemic fight in the northern provinces of Bac Ninh and Bac Giang, the largest hotspots of COVID-19 in the country, as from May 26.

The airline also exempts luggage fees for those personnel, allowing them to take along more medical supplies and materials for epidemic prevention and disease treatment.

Vietnam Airlines said it took the move in response to the appeal of the Health Minister on supporting localities seriously affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In early May, the national flag carrier also transported medical experts and medical supplies sent by the Vietnamese Party, government and people to Laos to help the neighbouring country cope with COVID-19.

Besides, Vietnam Airlines is the transporter of COVID-19 vaccine provided by COVAX Facilities and vaccine materials in the country.

The airline has always accompanied the Government and the community in COVID-19 prevention and control efforts since the pandemic began. It has carried out numerous flights to repatriate Vietnamese from abroad, or transport medical personnel and medical supplies to serve the anti-pandemic fight in the country, as well as to support other countries./.

Vietnam to host first national cultural heritage photo contest

A national cultural heritage photo contest and exhibition, the first of its kind in Vietnam, is set to be launched in late May, aiming to raise awareness of heritage conservation within the local community.

Competitors are able to submit their entries detailing various aspects of Vietnamese heritage, including local historical and cultural sites, architecture, art, and enthralling scenic spots.

The most outstanding artworks will then be selected for a photo exhibition. They will also be used for photo books to be released with the theme of Vietnamese cultural heritage. The selected photos will also be posted on various social media platforms for public view.

A launching ceremony for the event is scheduled to begin in late May, with the competition’s awards ceremony and heritage photo exhibition set to take place this November in Hanoi.

The event is being organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as part of activities in the lead up to Vietnam Cultural Heritage Day on November 23.

Vietnam rescues sick Filipino sailor off Nha Trang coast

A sailor from the Philippines was rescued in Vietnamese waters on May 25 by a Vietnamese marine rescue team after suffering from severe abdominal pain.

Guerrero Rosmeni Nedia, 24, fell sick on board of MAYASAN, a Panamanian oil tanker sailing from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Japan.

The rescue operation happened in waters roughly 180 nautical miles to southeast of Nha Trang, central Vietnam.

Following Nedia’s condition worsening, the captain of the ship immediately contacted the Vietnamese Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) for help.

The rescue ship SAR 27-01 was then sent out to reach MAYASAN and Nedia was later brought ashore for examination and treatment.

At present he is recovering from his illness, said doctors at Khanh Hoa province’s General Hospital.

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 Vietnam safe. 

VN aiming to have 150 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine by end of year

Vietnam will try to acquire 150 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to immunise 75 per cent of the country's population by the end of this year, said Minister of Health Nguyễn Thanh Long.

The fourth wave of COVID-19 in Vietnam has become complex and more serious than those prior, the minister said on Monday.

“This time, the pandemic might last longer,” he said.

However, under the direction of the Government, the Prime Minister and the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 prevention and control, the entire political system and citizens had pitched in to fight the pandemic, he said.

Therefore, although the pandemic occurred in over 30 provinces and cities, up to now, there are six provinces and cities that have been free of new infections for 14 days, according to the ministry.

As for Bắc Giang and Bắc Ninh, the leaders of these two provinces have said they are trying to control the outbreaks step by step in the area.

Vaccinate

Long said in the world and Việt Nam, vaccines are the effective tools and "weapons" to prevent and combat infectious diseases and bring life back to normal.

In recent times, the Politburo has issued drastic instructions on accessing COVID-19 vaccines, with one resolution issued by the Government.

The minister said the Ministry of Health had sought every way to access all vaccine sources in the world.

"We started negotiations very early, starting from May 2020. Currently, we are trying to have 150 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine from now until the end of 2021,” Long said.

Since experts said the effectiveness of the vaccines could last only six months to a year, Việt Nam must ensure enough COVID-19 vaccines for the people for the following years as well, he noted.

The second strategy is to self-research, develop, and produce to ensure the domestic supply of COVID-19 vaccine, and at the same time participate in the global vaccine supply chain.

There are currently three research and development units for COVID-19 vaccines in the country, including one that has prepared for phase 3 trials.

“On the other hand, Việt Nam has a plan to purchase copyrights and receive technology transfer for COVID-19 vaccine production as well as co-operate with vaccine manufacturers around the world so we can be self-sufficient at the earliest,” Long said.

"We have high expectations for the purchase of copyrights and technology transfer for COVID-19 vaccine production in the country,” he said.

Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính has also seriously considered free accessibility to vaccines for all Vietnamese people, which is a huge challenge given the country’s limited financial resources.

“The Prime Minister has asked for economical spending with expenditures to ensure a sustainable State budget for the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines, and at the same time called for the support of all corporations, businesses, organisations and individuals. The Prime Minister's decision to establish a vaccine fund has paved the way for ensuring a sustainable and fair financial source in accessing vaccines for all Vietnamese people," Long said. 

The whole country shares difficulties with frontline people

Thousands of kind-hearted people and organisations across the country have donated money and medical supplies to ease the burden on frontline doctors, nurse, officers and people suffering from the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic's fourth wave.

In Điện Biên Province, sponsors have sent 15 refrigerators, 1.5 tonnes of fresh fruit and vegetables, 110 handheld thermometers, 1000 N95 medical masks; 100 sets of medical protective suits; 40 packages of milk and instant noodle; 25,000 4-layer antibacterial masks; five fans and 10 portable speakers with rechargeable batteries to local quarantined areas.

The items were sent after Chảo Mắn On, a reporter of Nậm Pồ Centre for Culture, Radio and Television appealed for help via her Facebook page.

The call was made after she saw a severe lack of food and medical supplies in the local quarantined areas, she said.

On said the number of people in quarantined areas topped 1,000 in Si Pa Phìn Commune after the locality recorded an additional seven cases.

“The increase of the quarantined people caused the severe lack of food and medical supplies,” she added.

On said she felt very touched after receiving the donations from kind-hearted people throughout the country.

Meanwhile, women of Nà Sự 2 Village, Chà Nưa Commune also made bánh chưng (square glutinous rice cake) to send to people in the quarantined areas in Si Pa Phìn Commune , she said.

Ngô Quốc Anh, head of a volunteer group in Điện Biên Province said when he went to local villages to call for support, he realised that although they were poor, people were ready to give all they had to help.

“Some people donated chickens, some eggs, others even gave firewood to the quarantined areas,” he said.

“The spirit makes my heart feel very warm.”

In Bắc Giang Province, the locality hit hardest by the fourth wave of COVID-19, 1,670 protective suits; 12,500 medical masks; over 600 milk cakes and other necessities were sent to quarantined areas in just two days after Đặng Diệu Linh, an administrator of a Facebook’s fan page with over 56,000 members, called for support.

Linh said she asked for beds and fans for hospitals and healthcare centres where COVID-19 patients were being treated in Bắc Giang Province .

Cao Thị Hoàn, an administrator of a Facebook fan page with over 10,000 members said after two days of calling for support, she and her friends collected 500 medical protective suits, 1,200 medical masks for frontline doctors and nurses at Bạch Mai Hospital and the National Cancer Hospital (K Hospital).

The group also transferred 500 medical protective suits, 5,000 medical masks, 500 cloth masks and thousands of anti-droplet hats to Bắc Giang Province's Traditional Medicine Hospital.

Hoàn said the support for the hospitals would continue.

Many artists have also used their celebrity status to help. Singer Tùng Dương and his friends raised VNĐ400 million ($17,300) to buy medical supplies for Bắc Giang Province.

Actor Đại Nghĩa collected VNĐ1.2 billion ($52,000) from sponsors to buy medical supplies for hospitals in Bắc Ninh, Vĩnh Phúc, An Giang and Hà Nội.

Singer Hà Anh Tuấn has raised VNĐ500 million (US$21,600) from his recent concert’s ticket revenue to support the COVID-19 vaccine fund.

Actor Xuân Bắc, who joined with volunteer groups to bring necessities and medical supplies said: “The small items show our attention to frontline people, we hope them always stay safe and keep up the good work.” 

Da Nang donates $43,000 to aid Laos COVID-19 fight

A donation of VNĐ1 billion (US$43,000) will be sent from Đà Nẵng City to support five localities of Laos – Salavan, Champasak, Attapu, Savannakhet and Sekong – in the fight against COVID-19.

Chairman of Đà Nẵng City’s People’s Committee, Lê Trung Chinh, said the cash donation will help provinces in Laos ease the financial burden of COVID-19 preventive measures amid the outbreak in Laos.

Earlier, the city delivered medical equipment to support the hardest-hit Vietnamese provinces of Bắc Ninh and Bắc Giang.

Mass testing has been rapidly conducted at industrial zones and living quarters and for taxi drivers since last week with more than 290,000 people being tested. The samples of 13,000 of the total 25,000 workers in industrial zones and parks in the city were negative with SARS-COV-2. The remaining results are pending.

Meanwhile, neighbouring Quảng Nam Province began easing COVID-19 restrictions in Duy Xuyên, Đại Lộc districts, Hội An City and Điện Bàn Town from Tuesday as the outbreak is under control.

Karaoke, bars, discotheque, massage and mass gatherings in public are still banned throughout the province. 

Cafes and restaurants in Thừa Thiên Huế Province reopened last weekend, but only groups of less than 10 people can gather.

A living area in Phú Lộc Town has been locked down since May 13, while social distancing orders still remain at Phong Hiền Commune of Phong Điền District.

The provincial Centre for Disease Control (CDC) said 610 COVID-19 close contact cases had tested negative twice, while 5,900 indirect contacts were negative for the first time since being quarantined from May 3.

Quảng Ngãi Province has retained five medical checkpoints at roads to control the flow of people returning from COVID-19 hit localities. At least 10,000 local residents of Quảng Ngãi had returned home from different provinces, and 4,000 were isolated at home with daily medical checks and health declarations.

Test samples of 16,145 people were negative for SARS-COV-2, the province’s CDC has reported. 

Dozens of Covid-19 patients in worsened condition

Seventy-seven Covid-19 patients in Vietnam have experienced worsened health conditions, accounting for 3.1% of the country’s total Covid-19 cases.

According to the Ministry of Health, among those, 23 are in critical condition, including four using Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) treatment. 

Another 92 other patients are using the high Flow Nasal Oxygen therapy.

The ministry reported that up to 55.1% of Covid-19 patients did not display any symptoms, while 36.1% had light symptoms.

To date, 2,814 Covid-19 patients in Vietnam have fully recovered, while 44 others have died with the majority of them with underlying medical conditions.

The two variants of Covid-19 namely B.1.1.7 (firstly found in the UK) and B.1.617.2 (first detected in India) are still common in Vietnam.

National week launched to raise public awareness about tobacco harm

A national no-tobacco week is being held from May 25 to 31 in response to World No Tobacco Day 2021, with a view to raising public awareness about the harmful effects of smoking.

The Ministry of Health (MoH) has called on sectors, ministries, organisations, and localities to work together in organising communications activities to help cut the number of smokers in the country.

It has joined hands with ministries, sectors, socio-political organisations, and localities to step up efforts on preventing and controlling smoking. Although its smoking rate fell to 21.7 percent of adults in 2020 from 22.5 percent in 2015, Vietnam remains in the top 15 countries in the world with the highest rates.

The ministry said inter-sectoral cooperation is necessary to outline plans and implement measures on cutting tobacco use, while the Law on the Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms must be strictly followed.

Besides tobacco, information on waterpipe (shisha) smoking, e-cigarette vaping, and heated tobacco must be promoted in the community, it said.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), around 780 million people worldwide want to quit smoking. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to millions of smokers wanting to give up for fear that the habit will increase their exposure to infection.

The WHO has recently launched a year-long global campaign for World No Tobacco Day 2021, called “Commit to Quit”. The campaign aims to help 100 million people worldwide give up smoking through various initiatives and digital solutions./.

Three defendants jailed for organising illegal border crossing

The People’s Court in the northern border province of Cao Bang sentenced three men to prison with terms ranging from four to five years on the charge of “organising illegal exit” at a trial on May 26.

According to the indictment, on November 10, 2020, the three defendants, all from Pac Rinh ward, Quang Trung commune, Trung Khanh district, used motorbikes to take five Cambodian women from Tra Linh town to the border area in Bao Bien hamlet of Tri Phuong commune (Trung Khanh district) with the intention of crossing the border illegally.

They were stopped and detained by local police and border guards.

The trial was held at the inter-provincial bus terminal to raise local people’s awareness about entry and exit regulations./.

Risky human-animal interaction can lead to serious disease outbreaks: WWF report

More than a year after the COVID-19 outbreak, a new report by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and GlobeScan shows that there is a strong understanding that risky human-animal interaction, often connected to deforestation and high-risk wildlife trade, can lead to serious disease outbreaks.

The report entitled “COVID-19 One Year Later: Public Perceptions about Pandemics and their Links to Nature” builds on the study “Opinion Survey on COVID-19 and Wildlife Trade in 5 Asian Markets” conducted by WWF and GlobeScan in 2020 to understand public attitudes and behaviours regarding COVID-19 and future pandemics.

It said 46 percent of all surveyed participants listed disease transmission from animals to humans as the root cause most likely to trigger future pandemics.

In addition, the majority of those surveyed believe that preventing future pandemics begins with addressing root causes, including high-risk wildlife trade and deforestation.

People from all five surveyed countries, including Vietnam, China, Myanmar, Thailand and the US, strongly support government efforts to close high-risk markets selling animals from the wild (85 percent) and stop deforestation (88 percent). In Vietnam, the agreement rates to these matters are 94 percent and 95 percent, respectively.

Marco Lambertini, WWF International Director General, said that the prevention of pandemics is estimated to cost 100 times less than responding to them. The pandemic has made it blatantly clear that investing in planetary health and nature is the only way to avoid paying such a terrible social and economic price again in the future.

The report results serve as an important foundation for Vietnam and other countries in the region to consider decisions on closing wildlife markets and closing forests to proactively prevent the pandemic.

WWF is calling on decision makers to include interventions needed to address key drivers of zoonotic disease outbreaks in their pandemic prevention plans. Closing forests and high-risk wildlife markets, for example, will help recover wildlife populations and maintain local and global biodiversity that naturally help regulate disease, as well as help ensure the sustainable use of natural resources.

To support the fight against COVID-19, citizens are highly recommended not to buy, sell or consume wildlife products to prevent pandemics and ensure the safety of themselves and the community./.

Da Nang donates 43,000 USD to aid Laos’ COVID-19 fight

A donation of 1 billion VND (43,000 USD) will be sent from central Da Nang city to support five localities of Laos – Salavan, Champasak, Attapu, Savannakhet and Sekong – in the fight against COVID-19.

Chairman of the Da Nang City People’s Committee Le Trung Chinh said the cash donation will help provinces in Laos ease the financial burden of COVID-19 preventive measures amid the outbreak in Laos.

Earlier, the city delivered medical equipment to support the hardest-hit Vietnamese provinces of Bac Ninh and Bac Giang.

Mass testing has been rapidly conducted at industrial zones and living quarters and for taxi drivers since last week with more than 290,000 people being tested. The samples of 13,000 of the total 25,000 workers in industrial zones and parks in the city were negative with SARS-COV-2. The remaining results are pending.

Meanwhile, neighbouring Quang Nam province began easing COVID-19 restrictions in Duy Xuyen an Dai Loc districts, Hoi An city and Dien Ban township from May 25 as the outbreak is under control.

Karaoke, bars, discotheque, massage and mass gatherings in public are still banned throughout the province.

Cafes and restaurants in Thua Thien-Hue province reopened last weekend, but only groups of less than 10 people can gather.

A living area in Phu Loc township has been locked down since May 13, while social distancing orders still remain at Phong Hien commune of Phong Dien district.

The provincial Centre for Disease Control (CDC) said 610 COVID-19 close contact cases had tested negative twice, while 5,900 indirect contacts were negative for the first time since being quarantined from May 3.

Quang Ngai province has retained five medical checkpoints at roads to control the flow of people returning from COVID-19 hit localities. At least 10,000 local residents of Quang Ngai had returned home from different provinces, and 4,000 were isolated at home with daily medical checks and health declarations.

Test samples of 16,145 people were negative for SARS-COV-2, the province’s CDC has reported./.

Cambodia receives more medical supplies from Vietnam

The Cambodian Ministry of Health on May 26 received 800 ventilators and medical supplies, including 2 million medical masks and 300,000 N95 masks, presented by the Vietnamese Government and people, to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the handover ceremony in Phnom Penh, Cambodian Minister of Health Mam Bun Heng thanked the Vietnamese Government and people for the gifts worth 200,000 USD, which come at a time when Cambodia is battling with the pandemic.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia Vu Quang Minh spoke highly of the efforts of the Cambodian government and people, including the Ministry of Health, in the fight against COVID-19.

He thanked the Cambodian Ministry of Health for following Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen’s directions to offer free vaccinations to staff of foreign representative offices.

During their phone talks on April 6, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen agreed to effectively realise agreements reached by the two countries’ leaders, enhance national defence-security coordination, improve the efficiency of border management, curb the spread of pandemic and ensure smooth goods flows via border gates.

PM Chinh expressed his belief that the Cambodian Government and people, under the sound leadership of PM Hun Sen, will soon drive back the pandemic and reap new achievements.

They also directed the two health ministers share experience in combating COVID-19.

Earlier, in April 2020 and April 2021, the Vietnamese Party, State, Government and people handed over medical supplies, including testing kits, medical and anti-bacteria masks, protective gears and cash worth 500,000 USD, to Cambodia./.

Police seize haul of face masks of unknown origin in Hanoi

The Hanoi Police have seized over 71,100 face masks of unknown origin owned by a Chinese national amid Vietnam’s continued battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.

The haul of face masks was owned by Lin Xue Mei, a 32-year-old Chinese national residing in Vinsmart City of Hanoi’s Bac Tu Liem district.

During interrogations, the Chinese suspect confessed to purchasing the products from an unknown person on the internet for VND40 million.

She also could not provide a receipt or invoice for the face masks, but said if the products were sold out, she would potentially earn up to VND100 million.

A further investigation into the case is underway.

Vietnam stresses role of comprehensive, lasting political settlement for Syria

Vietnamese Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy emphasised the central role of a comprehensive and lasting political settlement to bring stability to Syria while attending a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) session on May 26.

The regular session on the political and humanitarian situation in Syria, held virtually, was attended by Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Syria Geir Pedersen and UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock.

The two speakers pointed out the particularly dire situation facing the Syrian people amid the continued political deadlock and the negotiations between the government and the opposition at the Constitutional Committee, under the UN mediation, yet to make concrete progress.

Security uncertainties remain in some areas and always pose latent risk of escalation, seriously affecting civilian life, they said, noting the relentless humanitarian crisis severely aggravated by the economic downturn and COVID-19.

They also repeated the UN Secretary-General’s appeal for the extension of the mechanism for cross-border aid delivery into Syria so as to ensure humanitarian assistance for the Syrian people, especially the millions of people forced to leave their homes in the northwest of this country.

UNSC member states highlighted the importance of promoting a political solution, especially stepping up the negotiation process at the Constitutional Committee, on the basis of UNSC Resolution 2254 so as to thoroughly deal with the crisis in Syria.

In his remarks, Ambassador Quy, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN, said building trust among the parties concerned, enhancing diplomatic efforts, and maintaining security stability have a particularly special role to play in supporting the political process.

He shared the concern about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Syria, including food and water insecurity, the shortage of basic goods, and the pandemic’s serious impacts.

The diplomat called for boosting cooperation in delivering humanitarian aid throughout Syria and enhancing international support for humanitarian activities, with the focus placed on the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines./.

Digital learning innovation fund aims to provide equal access to English studying

The British Council on May 26 debut its “Digital Learning Innovation Fund” that aims to optimise digital technologies in English learning, teaching and testing as part of a strategy to provide more equal education access to all amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The fund establishment is part of cooperation between the UK and Vietnam in implementing new in-depth studies and encouraging innovation, thus supporting the National Foreign Languages Project launched in 2008 with a remit to renovate foreign language teaching and learning in the national education system in 2025 and beyond.

The ideal of the fund was first introduced in September 2020 at an online event on cooperation in English teaching between the UK and Vietnam. As of March 2021, the fund had received support from nine agencies of the UK and Vietnam in building initiatives, three of which have been selected to receive sponsorship in the first pilot year of the fund.

At a talk on the application of learning method using digital technology in the post-COVID-19 period, the three initiatives were introduced.

They are Digital English Theatre initiative designed by International House Belfast, Hands Up project and Can Tho University; an initiative by International House London and Hanoi Pedagogical University 2; and ViVEXELT project on online exchange on Engish teaching method in Vietnam by Coventry University and the Hanoi University of Science and Technology.

The three projects were aunched in April 2021 and will run through the next 9-12 months. After completing, lessons learnt from them will be discussed, while the possibility of expansion will be considered.

After the piloting period, the British Council will continue to consider the continuation of digital renovation initiatives in the future with coverage in Vietnam and Southeast Asian region./.

Russian newswire hails Vietnamese NA’s role in promoting int’l integration

Russian e-newspaper Rusvesna (Russia Spring) on May 26 ran an article highlighting the role played by the Vietnamese National Assembly (NA) in promoting international economic integration and comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia.

The article also underlined Vietnam’s elections of deputies to the 15th National Assembly (NA) and People's Councils at all levels for the 2021-2026 tenure on May 23, affirming that the general election was a success.

During the last five years, Vietnam signed three agreements on establishing multilateral free trade areas with partners, namely the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the EU – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), and Regional Comprehensive Partnership Agreement (RCEP).

Meanwhile, two bilateral free trade agreements between Vietnam and the UK (UKVFTA) and between ASEAN and Hong Kong (AHKFTA) were also signed during the period.

All these agreements have positive impacts on Vietnam's economic integration, bringing benefits to the country as most of Vietnam's industries are geared towards exports, the article stressed.

The 15th NA, together with the Party and Government of Vietnam, will continue to perform the tasks set by the 13th NA, especially realising the goal of turning the country into a developed economy by the mid-21st century, it said.

Regarding Vietnam-Russia relations, the article said meetings of representatives of the Russian and Vietnamese legislative bodies at various levels take place annually. Notably, then Vietnamese NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan and Chairman of the State Duma of Russia Vyacheslav Volodin signed an agreement on establishment of a high-level inter-parliamentary commission in Hanoi in late 2018.

The Vietnamese NA has made many important contributions to promoting cooperation with Russia, it noted.

The article showed a belief that coordination between the two legislatures will be further strengthened, and their direct dialogues through the high-level inter-parliamentary commission will be resumed after the COVID-19 pandemic is under control./.

Da Nang tops Vietnam ICT Index for 12 straight years

The central city of Da Nang has maintained its leading position in terms of readiness for Information and Communications Technology (ICT) development and application, topping the Vietnam ICT Index rankings for another year in 2020.

This was the 12th consecutive year it had secured first place in the ratings of Vietnam’s 63 cities and provinces, according to a report of the Vietnam Association for Information Processing (VAIP) and the Ministry of Information and Communications’ Department of Information Technology.

The coastal resort city posted a total score of 0.9238 in last year’s rankings; 12 percent higher than that of the runner-up - neighbouring Thua Thien-Hue province (0.8147). The northern province of Quang Ninh came third with a score of 0.6909, followed by the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho (0.6845) and Ho Chi Minh City (0.5852).

It scored 1.00 in the category of IT application, leaving all other cities and provinces in its wake. The second highest score went to Quang Ninh and Can Tho (both 0.48).

Da Nang also ranked fifth in the national IT Industry Index, after HCM City, Hanoi, and northern Bac Ninh and Thai Nguyen provinces, and among the top 5 in the sale and distribution of IT products and services, together with Hanoi, Can Tho, HCM City, and the Mekong Delta’s Long An province.

The result is expected to lay a basis for the city to move to the next level in its digital transformation process.

During the 2021-2025 period, the city plans to ready itself in terms of infrastructure and databases for the full implementation of its smart city efforts and connection to the ASEAN smart city network. It will continue to promote the use of technologies from the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) in enterprises and in society.

Da Nang looks to build a synchronous telecoms infrastructure system along with regional and inter-regional core networks, and expand the 5G mobile coverage to the entire city and broadband connection to all enterprises and households.

It will also upgrade the e-Government platform; complete the Local Government Service Platform (LGSP); connect with the National Government Service Platform (NGSP) for sharing data with ministries and central agencies; and put into operation a data service portal to provide information from the municipal government to the public and businesses.

The city aims to have at least 30 percent of online public services using digital signatures in administrative procedures and have 100 percent of public services performed online at the third and fourth levels.

Da Nang was the first city in Vietnam to launch an e-Government system, in 2014, and transferred this system to 16 cities and provinces around the country in 2016.

A report revealed that Da Nang’s e-Government system had been used by 225 agencies and 4,000 users.

The city had provided 1,200 online administration procedures, including one-stop shops, residential management, public transport, and water supervision, through the e-Government system, while free wireless internet services offer a maximum of 20,000 connections in public places, according to the city’s information and communications department.

Its IT infrastructure is available for smart connections for air control, water, garbage, meteorology and energy agencies. It can also provide earthquake and tsunami warnings, and data on flooding, erosion, sewage management, and food safety.

Launched in Vietnam in 2005 and based on UN criteria, the Vietnam ICT Index assesses technical infrastructure, human resource infrastructure, IT application, online public services delivery, and the IT industry in cities and provinces.

It has secured a prestigious reputation over the years and serves as a foundation for the ministry and local authorities to adopt suitable policies to develop the ICT sector and the IT industry nationwide./.

Buddha’s birthday marked in scaled-down ceremony

The Vietnam Buddhist Shangha (VBS) celebrated Buddha’s 2565th birthday in a scaled-down ceremony in Hanoi on May 26 amid the resurgence in COVID-19 cases in the northern region.

The ceremony was broadcast on An Vien Television and livestreamed on social media to allow Buddhists to join the celebrations.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and the Vietnam Fatherland Front’s Central Committee sent flowers to congratulate the VBS on the occasion.

In a message sent to the ceremony, VBS Supreme Patriarch Most Venerable Thich Pho Tue stressed, the COVID-19 pandemic has made the entire world realise that all countries must stick together and act together for the common good.

On the occasion, the most venerable called on every person to remain supportive and show solidarity with the Government and society toovercome the pandemic, return to normal life, and develop the country./.

Communal house for Vietnamese Cambodians inaugurated in Kampot

A communal house for Vietnamese-Cambodians was inaugurated in Cambodia’s Kampot province on May 26 after more than four months of construction.

The 25,000 USD house is built on an area of 750 sq.m, which was acquired in 2014 with assistance from Vietnam’s Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang.

It will serve as a venue for community and charity activities, as well as Vietnamese and Khmer language classes.

Also on May 26 morning, donors from Phnom Penh and Ta Keo presented 100 gift packages, including rice, noodles and face masks, to Vietnamese Cambodians and Khmer people in Kampot, and classroom furniture to the provincial Khmer-Vietnamese Association.

Since 2008, hundreds of Cambodian children of Vietnamese origin, monks and nuns have joined Vietnamese and Khmer language classes held by the association./.

Vietnam suggests Singapore join hands in COVID-19 fight

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh has suggested Singapore closely cooperate with Vietnam and support each other in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and accessing sources of safe and effective vaccines.

During a reception for newly-appointed Singaporean Ambassador to Vietnam Jaya Ratnam on May 26, the Deputy PM expressed his delight at the fruitful development in the bilateral relations across fields despite difficulties caused by the health crisis.

The two sides have effectively maintained all-level bilateral exchanges, especially the phone call between Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong in April to discuss priorities to be promoted in the coming time, Minh said.

He emphasised the need for the two sides to coordinate in reviewing and promoting all-around cooperation within the framework of the Vietnam-Singapore Economic Connectivity Agreement, and expand cooperation in the spheres of digital economy, smart city, infrastructure development, and information technology.

Minh expressed his belief that during his tenure, the ambassador will make positive contributions to further boosting the Vietnam - Singapore strategic partnership, and effectively promoting bilateral cooperation mechanisms.

He hoped the 15th Vietnam-Singapore Connectivity Ministerial Meeting and the 14th political consultation will be organised in 2021, and the two sides will continue to closely coordinate at multilateral forums, especially at ASEAN and the UN.

Deputy PM Minh took the occasion to thank the Singaporean side for supporting Vietnam as the ASEAN Chair 2020 and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.

For his part, Jaya affirmed that he will do his utmost to continue strongly and practically promoting the Vietnam – Singapore strategic partnership.

Singapore was the largest foreign investor in Vietnam in the first four months of 2021 with a total investment capital of over 4.8 billion USD, accounting for nearly 39.6 percent of the total foreign investment to Vietnam./.

Deputy-ministerial level Vietnam-Italy political consultation held

Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister To Anh Dung and Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy Manlio Di Stefano chaired the third political consultation at deputy foreign ministerial level via a teleconference on May 26.

Di Stefano conveyed congratulations from Italian senior leaders to leaders of the Vietnamese Party, State, Government and National Assembly, while affirming his wish to boost cooperation between the two countries.

He stressed cooperation in trade and investment continues to be a pillar in the Italy-Vietnam strategic partnership. Despite COIVD-19, bilateral trade reached 1.8 billion USD in the first four months of this year, up 28 percent from the same period last year.

Deputy FM Dung affirmed Vietnam’s consistent external policy, with promoting relations with important partners, including Italy.
He highly valued the bilateral effective cooperation across areas in recent times. Italy is Vietnam’s fourth largest trade partner in the European Union (EU), while Vietnam is Italy’s biggest trade partner in ASEAN.

He said the two sides need to take advantage of positive impacts brought by the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) to meet the target of raising bilateral trade to 5 billion USD.

He asked Italy to soon ratify the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), and facilitate economic cooperation between Vietnam and the EU as well as and Italy.

Discussing the current pandemic situation, the two sides said that vaccination is an important factor for the early opening of economies, affirming their commitment to continuing coordination in sharing experience in pandemic prevention and control, accessing safe and effective vaccine sources as well as transferring vaccine production technology. They also vowed to collaborate with and support each other in taking post-COVID-19 economic development measures.

The two sides agreed to strengthen the exchange of delegations and regular contacts between the two countries' high-ranking leaders, continue to effectively implement the mechanisms that they have built up over the years, and coordinate in mapping out activities to celebrate the 50th founding anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations and the 10th anniversary of the Vietnam-Italy Strategic Partnership in 2023.

On the multilateral aspect, the two sides agreed to continue to actively coordinate in sharing information and exchanging consultative views and stances on international and regional issues of mutual concern.

Deputy FM Dung welcomed Italy for becoming a development partner of ASEAN during Vietnam's Chairmanship, expressing his belief that this is the basis to make ASEAN - Italy cooperation more effective and substantive.

At the end of the political consultation, on behalf of the Governments of the two countries, Dung and Di Stefano signed the Action Plan to implement the Vietnam - Italy Strategic Partnership for the 2021-2022 period, with a vision toward 2023. Accordingly, the two countries will focus on boosting collaboration in politics, diplomacy, defence, science and technology, culture, tourism, and development cooperation, energy, environment, sustainable development and transportation./.

Seminar spotlights Ho Chi Minh’s path for national independence, socialism

A national symposium, themed Ho Chi Minh and his journey to realise an aspiration for national independence and socialism, took place virtually on May 26 to mark the 110th year of the late President’s departure to seek ways for national salvation and 80th year of his return to the country.

In his opening speech, Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics Nguyen Xuan Thang stated each step in the President’s 30-year journey, beginning on June 5, 1911, was closely connected to key decisions and historical milestones in Vietnam’s revolutionary cause.

He said achievements the nation obtained over the past 35 years were proofs that the Communist Party o Vietnam's reform policy was right and creative.

The path to socialism that the Party, President Ho Chi Minh and Vietnamese people have chosen is consistent with the reality of the country and development trends, he noted.

At the event, scholars focused on analysing reports presented, and giving opinions on and analysing the process of the Party applying, supplementing and developing Ho Chi Minh's thought, whose core idea is his ideology on national independence and socialism.

Concluding the seminar, Chairman of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Information and Education Nguyen Trong Nghia said close to 60 reports sent to the seminar have inherited the results of previous scientific studies about President Ho Chi Minh./.

Banks donate big to fund COVID-19 vaccine procurement

The Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam (Vietcombank) on May 26 donated a total of 38 billion VND (nearly 1.65 million USD) to finance the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines in 10 cities and provinces.

Bac Giang, Bac Ninh, Hanoi, and Ho Chi Minh City received 5 billion VND each while Da Nang, Vinh Phuc, Dien Bien, Hung Yen, Hai Duong, and Lang Son were each given 3 billion VND.

Vietcombank was the most recent to fund vaccine procurement in response to the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV)’s call for domestic lenders to contribute resources to the COVID-19 fight.

It joined three other banks - BIDV, Vietinbank and Agribank - in donating a combined 100 billion VND to help the country purchase more vaccines.

Additionally, HDbank, the Sovico Group, and SHB have contributed a total of 75 billion VND to the COVID-19 vaccine fund, while the T&T Group has donated one million doses of vaccine.

The SBV has raised some 500 billion VND to help the country’s COVID-19 relief efforts, according to Governor Nguyen Thi Hong.

The fourth batch of AstraZeneca vaccine arrived at Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport on May 25, bringing the total number of doses delivered to Vietnam by the UK-based pharmaceutical firm to 2.9 million.

By the end of 2021, Vietnam will have received about 110 million COVID-19 vaccine doses, including 38.9 million under the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access Facility (COVAX), 30 million from AstraZeneca, and 31 million from Pfizer/BioNTech.

However, the ministry targeted having enough 150 million doses to inoculate 75 percent of the Vietnamese population as directed by the Politburo and the Government.

As of May 25, the country had administered over 1.03 million shots, primarily to frontline workers./.

PM urges curbing of COVID-19 in Bac Ninh, Bac Giang provinces

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has urged ministries, agencies, and localities to take more drastic action to drive back the COVID-19 pandemic in northern Bac Ninh and Bac Giang provinces while ensuring production and trade are not disrupted.

During an online meeting on May 26 with leaders of the two provinces, where the pandemic is spreading in industrial parks (IPs), the PM directed agencies to work with Bac Ninh and Bac Giang to increase testing capacity, especially in quarantined areas, use technology, as requested by the Ministry of Information and Communications, seriously follow the “5K vaccine” message, and tighten exits and entries.

He asked for the upgrading of infrastructure and treatment capacity and the provision of more medical supplies for the two provinces to cope with the pandemic, particularly vaccines, and the consideration of quarantine for “F1” cases in households, factories, and enterprises.

The PM reminded ministries and agencies to work closely together to build the COVID-19 response fund, step up access to vaccines for the vaccination rollout, tighten the management of entries, exits and residency, outline safe and effective production, trade, and goods transportation procedures, and tackle difficulties in financial procedures to support residents and businesses hit by the pandemic.

Participants suggested imposing lockdowns and social distancing measures in more areas in the two provinces, closely monitoring quarantine, accelerating testing on a large scale, and prioritising vaccinations for workers in local IPs./.

Deputy PM inspects COVID-19 prevention in Bac Giang’s industrial parks

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam on May 26 inspected COVID-19 prevention and control at industrial parks (IPs) in the northern province of Bac Giang, and reported on the situation in the locality to Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh through a virtual meeting.

During his field trip, Dam, who is also head of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, reminded the local authorities to continuously follow regulations on quarantine, and take creative pandemic prevention measures in IPs and residential areas.

He praised Bac Giang for its efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19, especially in collection of samples for testing and piloting self-quarantine areas and quick response teams.

He ordered the health sector to maximise its support for Bac Giang to effectively respond to the pandemic.

The Deputy PM also underlined the necessity to facilitate trade of goods, as well as ensure effective epidemic prevention. 

According to Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Le Anh Duong, the local authorities will choose eight businesses to pilot an industrial production chain and build a pilot model on pandemic prevention and production stabilisation in businesses.

These are long-term and central task to ensure the dual goals of COVID-19 containment and economic development, he said.

Attention has been paid to solutions to stablise the life of workers and local residents, especially in areas hardest hit by COVID-19, Duong added.

Vietnam logged additional 40 domestically-infected COVID-19 cases on May 26 morning, raising the infection tally to 5,971.

The new patients were recorded in the five northern localities of Bac Giang, Bac Ninh, Hanoi, Dien Bien and Hai Duong./.

National week launched to raise public awareness about tobacco harm

A national no-tobacco week is being held from May 25 to 31 in response to World No Tobacco Day 2021, with a view to raising public awareness about the harmful effects of smoking.

The Ministry of Health (MoH) has called on sectors, ministries, organisations, and localities to work together in organising communications activities to help cut the number of smokers in the country.

It has joined hands with ministries, sectors, socio-political organisations, and localities to step up efforts on preventing and controlling smoking. Although its smoking rate fell to 21.7 percent of adults in 2020 from 22.5 percent in 2015, Vietnam remains in the top 15 countries in the world with the highest rates.

The ministry said inter-sectoral cooperation is necessary to outline plans and implement measures on cutting tobacco use, while the Law on the Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms must be strictly followed.

Besides tobacco, information on waterpipe (shisha) smoking, e-cigarette vaping, and heated tobacco must be promoted in the community, it said.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), around 780 million people worldwide want to quit smoking. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to millions of smokers wanting to give up for fear that the habit will increase their exposure to infection.

The WHO has recently launched a year-long global campaign for World No Tobacco Day 2021, called “Commit to Quit”. The campaign aims to help 100 million people worldwide give up smoking through various initiatives and digital solutions./.

Vietnam attends opening ceremony of 142nd IPU Assembly

A delegation of the National Assembly (NA) led by Standing Vice Chairman Tran Thanh Man attended the opening of the 142nd Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly via videoconference on May 26.

As part of his opening speech at the event which ran with the theme of “Overcoming the pandemic today and building a better tomorrow: the role of parliaments”, Duarte Pacheco, president of the IPU, emphasized that the 142nd IPU Assembly is a time when parliamentarians globally can come together. Participants can gather whilst sharing a common goal and committing to boosting inter-parliamentary dialogue and cooperation.

The IPU president also noted the severe challenges caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic following over three million deaths globally. This is in addition to natural disasters and economic recessions which have reversed significant progress made in human development.

As a means of coping with the negative impact of the pandemic, it remains necessary for countries to develop new breakthroughs to collaborate at this time, he stressed.

According Pacheco, it is currently hard for nations to access COVID-19 vaccines, thereby countries must unite to create an effective supply source. Due to the current conditions, all nations must join hands, connect equally, and create a solid foundation worldwide based on the digital platform in order to gradually overcome the pandemic.

Upon addressing the event, Tran Thanh Man, vice chairman of the NA, said from the outset of the pandemic, the country has taken a range of drastic, synchronous, and timely actions to enjoy the participation of the entire political system in the fight against COVID-19.

The nation has also carried out the dual goal of both effectively combating the pandemic whilst protecting the health of citizens, thereby ensuring socio-economic development and social security moving into the new normal.

The major focus the country’s battle against COVID-19 is to advise all citizens to strictly follow the Ministry of Health's 5K message of khau trang (facemask), khu khuan (disinfection), khoang cach (distance), khong tu tap (no gathering), and khai bao y te (health declaration). This is alongside using vaccines and increasing the use of information technology.

So far the nation has largely been able to contain the spread of the pandemic whilst maintaining stability and socio-economic development. These efforts have gained people's trust, support, and the appreciation of international friends, Man said.

In the struggle against the pandemic, the NA has worked with the Government on allocating the budget in a timely manner to respond to the spread of COVID-19, alongside adopting a range of measures and policies to support people and local firms. This has been done while sharing experiences in dealing with the epidemic at inter-parliamentary multilateral forums, as well as taking practical actions that show solidarity alongside parliaments based in other countries, with actions including donating masks and medical supplies.

Man also underlined the necessity of continuing to promote the partnership between the IPU and regional and international parliamentary organisations throughout the region to prevent and cope with crises or emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

The IPU should therefore call on countries that have advantage in terms of vaccine production to support people in developing countries, along with those suffering from the severe consequences of COVID-19 in terms of gaining equal access to vaccines and modern medical equipment at a reasonable cost.

Furthermore, member parliaments must urgently finalise national policies to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, swiftly allocate budgets, whilst intensify government supervision and accountability when implementing schemes and crisis handling mechanisms to overcome the negative impact of the pandemic.

The Vietnamese delegation representing the NA also proposed that the World Health Organization and other countries promote partnerships and co-operation in technology transfer to boost vaccine production and training to improve the world’s COVID-19 response capacity.

Vietnam, Italy to increase high-level reciprocal visits

Vietnam and Italy have agreed to increase high-level visit exchanges between the two countries to effectively implement bilateral cooperation mechanisms.

The agreement was reached during the Vietnam-Italy political consultation at the Deputy Foreign Ministerial level held on May 26.

Manlio Di Stefano, Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs of Italy, congratulated Vietnam on its recent outstanding achievements in foreign affairs, especially its role of ASEAN Chair in 2020 and a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, and affirmed Italy’s desires to promote cooperation with Vietnam.

Trade and investment cooperation continues to be one of the pillars in the Vietnam - Italy strategic partnership, he stressed, adding despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, bilateral trade turnover in the first four months of 2021 reached US$1.8 billion, up 28% over the same period in 2020.

For his part, Deputy Foreign Minister of Vietnam To Anh Dzung reiterated Vietnam’s consistent policy of strengthening its relations with important partners, especially strategic partners like Italy.

He spoke highly of the cooperation efficiency between the two countries over the years in all fields, noting that Italy is Vietnam’s fourth largest trading partner in the European Union and the latter is the former’s largest trading partner in ASEAN.

He suggested that both sides take advantage of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) to raise their two-way trade turnover to US$5 billion this year and beyond.

He proposed that Italy soon ratify the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) to facilitate economic cooperation between Vietnam and the EU as well as with Italy.

Exchanging views about the current COVID-19 pandemic, both sides underlined the importance of vaccination and affirmed their commitment to sharing experience in epidemic prevention and control, accessing safe and effective vaccine sources as well as transferring vaccine production technology. They also agreed to coordinate and support each other in implementing measures for economic development in the post COVID period.

The two sides also agreed to strengthen the exchange of high-level visits and regular contacts between the two countries, develop joint programmes in the lead up to 50 years of the Vietnam-Italy diplomacy and 10 years of their strategic partnership in 2023.

On the multilateral level, the two sides agreed to continue close coordination, share information, and exchange views on international and regional issues of mutual concern.

Deputy Minister To Anh Dzung welcomed Italy as an ASEAN Development Partner during Vietnam’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2020, which he believed would further ramp up ASEAN - Italy cooperation.

At the end of the political consultation, the two diplomats signed an Action Plan to implement the Vietnam - Italy Strategic Partnership for 2021-2022 and with a vision for 2023. Accordingly, both sides will focus on bilateral cooperation in such areas as politics, diplomacy, national defense, science and technology, culture, tourism, development cooperation, energy, environment, sustainable development, and transportation.

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