Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on October 9 chaired a nationwide teleconference between the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control and 63 cities and provinces to review the fight against COVID-19 and discuss socio-economic recovery and development in the near future.

Chinh, who is also head of the National Steering Committee, affirmed that the pandemic has basically been under control nationwide, with significant reductions in new infections and deaths, especially in Ho Chi Minh City and the southern provinces of Binh Duong, Dong Nai and Long An.

In the immediate future, he requested issuing a temporary guideline on safely and flexibly adapting to and effectively controlling the pandemic.

Localities were asked to arrange transportation of residents who wish to return to their hometowns, ensuring traffic safety, social security and order.

About vaccine strategy, he asked for importing as many vaccines as possible at the earliest to roll out vaccinations for residents in a scientific, safe and effective manner; and stepping up production of vaccines at home in line with law.

Production must be restored in the spirit of ensuring safety and upholding the sense of responsibility of employers and workers, he said.

The Government leader directed ministries, agencies and localities to continue ensuring social welfare for all residents and studying a roadmap to vaccine passport application, re-open schools in safe areas and take measures to ensure political stability and social safety and order.

Since the fourth pandemic wave began in late April, the country has recorded nearly 828,000 infections, 91 percent of them recovered and 20,300 died from the disease. Ten out of 62 localities nationwide have gone through 14 days without new transmissions.

As of October 8, nearly 51.4 million doses of vaccine were administered, including around 23.8 million first and 13.8 million second shots. Up to 52.3 percent of the population aged 18 and above were given the first shots./.

Vietnam to evacuate 260,000 people before Lionrock makes landfall

Northern and north-central coastal provinces of Vietnam are planning to evacuate approximately 260,000 residents from flood- and landslide prone areas before tropical storm Lionrock makes landfall on October 10 evening.

At 01pm on October 9 the storm was churning through China’s Hainan island, with winds gusting 60-75kph near its centre. In the next 24 hours, Lionrock will move west and north-west into the Gulf of Tonkin at a speed of 10kph.

It will then likely change its course into west and south-west and intensify before weakening into a tropical depression and making landfall on October 10.

Lionrock is expected to dump heavy rain on coastal localities from Hai Phong and Quang Ninh in the north to Nghe An and Quang Ninh in the central region, with average rainfall of between 150-200mm. some parts of the central coastal region can record rainfall of up to 600mm.

Weather forecasters warned heavy rain can quickly pond in low-lying areas while mountainous areas are susceptible to landslides during the height of the storm.

The Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, requested that local authorities of nine provinces from Quang Ninh to Quang Binh call in fishing vessels to quickly seek storm shelters and evacuate residents from low-lying areas to a higher ground.

It is expected that relevant forces will move 260,722 residents of 70,440 households from flood- and landslide-prone areas to ensure safety and COVID-19 prevention and control requirements.

Col Nguyen Dinh Hung, deputy head of the Border Guard High Command's search and rescue office said over 59,106 fishing boats with more than 263,051 people on board have been informed about the storm.

According to the national weather bureau, a cold front is moving from north to south and is set to strike northern Vietnam on October 10. The cold snap will interact with Lionrock to cause a spell of heavy rain in the northern over the coming days.

Binh Phuoc to present 10,000 smart phones to poor students

The southern province of Binh Phuoc will present 10,000 smart phones to poor students in mid-October to assist them in online learning, said Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Education and Training Ho Hai Thach on October 8.

Thach said the department will also ask educational establishments to offer lessons via television, send photocopied materials to students, and call on organisations and individuals to support the effort.

At present, about 14,000 local students still lack equipment for online learning.

Statistics from the provincial Department of Information and Communications showed that so far, one school in Bu Dang district has lacked Internet connection and 22 others failed to receive Internet signals./.

Eighth ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Minerals wraps up

The 8th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Minerals (AMMin 8), which took place in form of teleconference, concluded on October 8, issuing a joint statement on the ASEAN Minerals Cooperation Action Plan (AMCAP).

Participating ministers agreed that the second phase of the AMCAP for 2021 – 2025 focuses on the promotion of domestic and international investment in all components of the mineral value chain; the application of sustainable mineral development principles and efforts to expand the participation and contributions of partners; and building human, institutional and technical capacity in mineral management, among others.

They said new strategies and effective tools must be devised to upgrade the ASEAN Mineral Database and Information System (AMDIS) to support more active investment promotion and the development of complete, high-quality geological data and resource maps.

Delivering his closing speech, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Quy Kien stressed that regarding emerging regional and international issues, it is necessary for ASEAN's centrality to be maintained and promoted in a bid to boost dialogue, cooperation, and the creation of an open transparent, inclusive and rules-based regional structure.

The AMMin 8 continues to affirm the strength of solidarity, resilience and the ability to flexibly adapt to challenges, he said.

The official noted that with the desire to unite the bloc for development, participants discussed and agreed on many drastic and practical measures to promote cooperation to overcome challenges facing ASEAN, maintain the collaboration momentum, and give directions for the ASEAN Community to develop stronger to truly become the core of the region.

Participating ministers expected Brunei will hold the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Minerals (ASOMM), which is slated for 2022; and Cambodia will host the AMMin 9 in 2023./.

Vietnam, New Zealand foreign ministers hold phone talks

Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son and his New Zealand counterpart Nanaia Mahuta discussed strengthening cooperation within the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum during their phone talks on October 8.

They also touched upon coordination and preparations for the APEC 2021 Leaders' Week, scheduled for November 8-12, and ways to promote relations between the two countries.

The ministers rejoiced at intensive and extensive developments of the bilateral strategic partnership, established in July 2020.

Mahuta spoke highly of achievements Vietnam has recorded over the past time, especially in COVID-19 containment and socio-economic development, and thanked the country for its coordination with New Zealand and other APEC members in promoting cooperation priorities in the APEC Year 2021, when New Zealand plays the host.

She briefed Son on New Zealand’s priorities during the APEC 2021 Leaders’ Week, and its agenda, and invited the Vietnamese minister to attend the 32nd APEC Ministerial Meeting slated for November 8-9.

For his part, Son congratulated New Zealand on its achievements in COVID-19 prevention and control, and socio-economic recovery and development.

The minister thanked and called on New Zealand to continue its donations of COVID-19 vaccines and medical supplies to Vietnam.

He also lauded New Zealand as the host of APEC 2021 as well as its initiatives and contributions to maintaining and fostering APEC collaboration, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Accepting Mahuta’s invitation to attend the 32nd APEC Ministerial Meeting, Son said that as an active and responsible member of APEC, Vietnam will continue its close coordination with New Zealand and other members to contribute to the success of the APEC 2021 Leaders’ Week.

The ministers agreed to maintain the close coordination in multilateral cooperation mechanisms to which both countries are members, enhance bilateral cooperation, and step up the sharing of information and policies in such areas as education-training, agriculture and climate change response./.

Meeting discusses pilot resumption of commercial flights

Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh chaired a nationwide teleconference on October 8 to discuss the resumption of domestic commercial flights.

At the event, a representative from the Transport Ministry presented a pilot plan to run 23 return flights a day, or 46 flights per day, from October 10-20, including 10 return flights between Ho Chi Minh City and localities, six others from Hanoi, four from Da Nang and three from Thanh Hoa.

Passengers must be fully vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19 within the past six months, test for SARS-CoV-2 using RT-PRC or rapid antigen testing method within 72 hours, and fill out health declarations before boarding.

Several localities like Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Quang Ninh, Quang Binh and Thanh Hoa agreed with the pilot plan and offered specific proposals.

A representative from the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines said all of its staff have been given the first shot while all pilots and 80 percent of flight attendants have been fully vaccinated.

Deputy Health Minister Do Xuan Tuyen said during the pilot time, the frequency of each flight should be less than a half.

Deputy PM Thanh said the resumption of flights is necessary to gradually restore socio-economic development but also poses infection risks.

He asked localities nationwide to closely keep track of residents and passengers coming from pandemic-hit areas and absolutely prevent the outbreak of complex infection hotspots./.

Vietnam assists Lao Defence Ministry with medical supplies

Deputy Minister of National Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen Hoang Xuan Chien received Lao Ambassador to Vietnam Sengphet Houngboungnuang in Hanoi on October 8.

Under the authorisation of Politburo member, Vice Secretary of the Central Military Commission and Minister of National Defence Gen. Phan Van Giang, Chien presented a token of medical supplies worth 5.2 billion VND (226,000 USD) to the ambassador, a gift of the Vietnamese Defence Ministry to its Lao counterpart./.

Deputy PM talks with voters in Ba Ria-Vung Tau

A delegation of National Assembly deputies from the southern province of Ba Ria – Vung Tau led by permanent Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh met local voters online on October 8, ahead of the second session of the 15th legislature.

Speaking at the event, Minh informed voters about the country’s socio-economic performance in the past nine months, including the fight against COVID-19 pandemic.

He said Vietnam has so far basically controlled the pandemic, especially in southern localities like Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong Delta provinces and Ba Ria-Vung Tau.

One of the measures that the Vietnamese Party, State and Government have paid due attention to is rapid COVID-19 vaccine coverage. Over 50 million doses of vaccines have to date arrived in Vietnam. Between now and the year’s end, Vietnam could have 40-60 million more doses to vaccinate about 80 percent of its population aged above 18, he said.

Ba Ria-Vung Tau also sent a proposal to the Government seeking the supply of more vaccnes to the locality. On September 29, it received some 300,000 doses from the Health Ministry, which are being given to residents.

Voters at the event suggested stepping up vaccination, expanding priority groups eligible for early vaccination, ensuring publicity and transparency in providing financial assistance for those hit by the pandemic, and delivering timely support for affected firms and business households.

Minh also pledged to report their aspirations to the legislature and Government, thus helping them achieve the set targets./.

Quang Ninh to host 9th National Sports Games in 2022

At the opening ceremony of the 8th National Sports Games (Photo: VNA)

The northern province of Quang Ninh will host the 9th National Sports Games in November 2022, according to the Vietnam Sports Administration under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

About 8,000 officials, coaches and athletes of 65 sport delegations from the country’s all 63 provinces and cities and the army and the public security forces, and 1,600 referees will attend the event.

The athletes will compete for medals in 40 sports in five groups: Olympic, ASIAD, SEA Games, traditional games and recreational sports.

Quang Ninh boasts a 5000-seat multi-purpose gymnasium, a water sport area, a shooting range, an archery range, a stadium combined with athletics field, a gymnasium for martial arts and sword marks, three beach volleyball courts, two beach sepak takraw courts, and two tennis courts.

It also has a professional running track certified by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races./. 

U22 Vietnam to play int’l friendlies ahead of Asian Cup qualifiers

The Vietnamese U22 team are due to take on Tajikistan in a friendly game on October 11 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as part of the team’s preparations for the upcoming 2022 AFC U23 Asian Cup qualifiers.

The Tajiki team have made brilliant perfomances at both the U16 and U19 Asian Cups in recent years.
The match will serve as a good warmup for the U22 side as their Tajiki rivals have made brilliant perfomances at both the U16 and U19 Asian Cups in recent years.

Six days after the fixture, they are scheduled to place a friendly match against Kyrgyzstan’s U23s before heading to Kyrgyzstan on October 21 to compete in the qualifying round.

The team, coached by Korean expert Park Hang-seo, are scheduled to play Taipei (China) on October 27 and Myanmar on November 2 at the Dolon Omurzakov Stadium.

The team’s aim will be to stay top of Group I and qualify for the final round of the 2022 AFC U23 Asian Cup which is due to take place in Uzbekistan in June 2022.

Vietnam seeks to attract Spanish visitors

The Institute for Tourism Development Research organized an online workshop on October 8 to share experience in attracting Spanish visitors to Vietnam,

Addressing the event, Do Thi Thanh Hoa, deputy director of the institute, noted more than 20 million Spanish people, or more than half of the country’s population, book outbound tours annually, but the number of Spanish travelers to Vietnam remains modest.  

She cited statistics from the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, saying between 70,000 - 80,000 Spaniards chose Vietnam as a destination for their holiday between 2016 and 2019.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed tourism trends as well as the demand for products and services of international tourists, including Spaniards, said Hoa.

Currently, Spanish people are eager to travel again after the COVID-19 outbreak was brought under control, and Spain will still be the target market for Vietnamese tourism in the near future, she said.

Sharing Hoa’s view, Nguyen Quang Vinh, deputy head of the market research department of the institute, Spain is a potential market for Vietnam thanks to the visitors’ high spending levels and long stay.

Since 2018, Vietnam has unilaterally exempted visas for tourists from some Western European countries, including Spain, over a period of 15 days. The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism also launched a tourism promotion programme in capital Madrid in October 2018.

However, he admitted that the Spaniards know little about Vietnam as a country which is rich in tourism resources, beautiful and friendly.

To attract Spaniards to Vietnam, experts attending the workshop proposed that the tourism sector fully study this market to better cater to local people’s tastes, especially when Vietnam moves into the new normal status in the post pandemic period.

Some delegates also proposed that the government extend the visa-free stay for Spanish tourists to Vietnam from the current 15 days to 30 days, in order to attract more Spanish holidaymakers to the country.

Students in HCMC expected to return to schools in January 2022

As per the plan, students in Ho Chi Minh City will return to schools in January 2022, said Director of Department of Education and Training Nguyen Van Hieu.

According to a report by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, as of October 7, 99.8 percent of senior high school students have been taking online learning while 97.9 percent of junior high school students and 97.73 percent of primary students have been taking distance education respectively.

Director Hieu said that more than 1,500 educational institutions in the southern metropolis are currently being used for Covid-19 quarantine or treatment facilities. Up to now, only 150 schools have been repaired and for on-campus courses. It is expected that all schools will be handed over in mid-November 2021.

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training yesterday said that 112 students of first and second graders of Thanh An Primary School in Thanh An commune in outlying district Can Gio will return to school for on-site learning from October 11.

The Department of Education and Training in districts and Thu Duc City had directed schools to review students’ participation in online learning to discover those who lack learning equipment and students whose father or mother died from the coronavirus Covid-19 outbreak so that administrators encourage and present learning materials and equipment such as desktop computers, tablets and smartphones to students. In addition, many students were given welfare packages and scholarships helping them feel more secure in their studies.

Response to wildlife-related violations reaches 97.6 percent: Report

Despite effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ration of response of authorities nationwide to wildlife-related violations reported by people reached 97.6 percent of the total, according to a report released by Education for Nature Vietnam (ENV) on October 7.

According to the report, which focuses on assessing the efficiency of handling wildlife violations reported by people in 2020, the above-mentioned rate is 13.6 percent higher than the rate of 2019.

The rate of successful settlement of violation cases related to wildlife in general and live wild animals in 2020 is equivalent to the 2019 results.

The central city of Da Nang and the southern province of Binh Duong are the two leading localities nationwide in handling violations reported by people, rescuing 125 endangered, precious and rare wild animals. Last year, these localities were also among the five localities reporting the best results in this work.

Ten localities with the highest rate of response to reports of wildlife violations from people are Binh Duong, Da Nang, Ha Tinh, Nghe An, Thanh Hoa, Kien Giang, Hai Phong, Binh Phuoc, Gia Lai and Ho Chi Minh City.

Localities with the highest efficiency in handling violations related to live wild animal are Dak Lak, Binh Duong, Da Nang, Lam Dong and Dong Nai.

Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are the two localities that have recorded the highest numbers of wildlife violations reported by people.

HCM City’s authorities handled 99.7 percent of the total 309 violations, the report said.

However, the efficiency of handling violations in Hanoi and HCM City still remained low.

Deputy Director of ENV Bui Thi Ha highlighted the important role played by the community in the work, saying that its support effectively contributes to preventing and eliminating illegal wildlife trade and transport in the country.

ENV expects the average ration of successful settlement of wildlife-related violations reported by the public to reach at least 50 percent of the total in 2021./.

City residents safely, flexibly adapt to new normalcy situation

One week after returning to the new normalcy, almost all residents in HCMC have safely, flexibly adapted to the city's dual plans of recovering the economy along with the pandemic fight. Many enterprises, production and business facilities, business households have step-by-step resumed their operations to meet the people's demands and create jobs.

From October 1 to October 3, 5,279 enterprises resumed their operations and the figure reached 9,200 by October 6.

As for business activities at export processing and industrial zones in advance of October 1, only 70,000 out of 288,000 employees worked, accounting for 24 percent and the number of enterprises operating was 746 out of 1,412, reaching nearly 50 percent.

After three days of loosening the social distancing restrictions, nearly 135,000 out of 288,000 employees and workers registered to come back to their jobs, accounting for 46 percent; the number of operating enterprises increased from 53 percent to 60 percent. By October 6, 164,000 employees and workers returned to their factories and enterprises, accounting for nearly 57 percent and the number of companies resuming their businesses reached 69 percent.

The Saigon High-tech Park recorded 27,300 workers returning to their companies accounting for nearly 55 percent. Meanwhile, 88 out of 188 enterprises are re-operating in the park, reaching 74 percent.

With the high demand of working forces from enterprises, the city is calling for laborers to continue their jobs instead of returning to their hometowns.

According to Deputy Director of the Municipal Department of Transport Bui Hoa An, the agency has received over 9,000 registered letters from residents to bring their children and relatives back to the city. By the afternoon of October 6, the unit has piloted the app via its website for people to register as regulated.

Deputy Director of the City Department of Industry and Trade Le Huynh Minh Tu said that 28 out of 234 traditional markets re-opened in District 5, Cu Chi and Can Gio districts; and it is expected that three more ones will be resumed their activities on October 8.

As for inter-provincial travel between HCMC and the four neighboring provinces of Binh Duong, Long An, Dong Nai and Tay Ninh, the city has received the opinions of these localities and HCMC will issue the detailed unanimous plans on traveling for each province from October 8.

Speaking at the conference, Deputy Head of the HCMC Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control Pham Duc Hai informed that by 6 p.m. on Thursday, the Ministry of Health announced 403,997 Covid-19 infections in Ho Chi Minh City. The city health sector is carrying out the treatment for 20,905 patients, including 1,735 children under 16 years old and 631 severe cases with ventilators.

On October 6, the city recorded 1,205 hospitalized patients, 2,740 recovered cases from coronavirus and 92 deaths related to SARS-CoV-2.

Regarding the vaccination process, the city has run out of 11,965,360 doses of vaccines, including 7,013,921 for the first routine shots and 4,951,439 ones for the second routine.
The information was released at a press conference of the HCMC Steering Committee for Covid-19 Pandemic Prevention and Control yesterday afternoon. 

“For Love of Hanoi” awards nominations announced

 

The Thao & Van Hoa (Sports and Culture) daily of the Vietnam News Agency announced 11 nominations for the 14th “Bui Xuan Phai: For Love of Hanoi” Awards.

There are three nominations for the Work Prize. They are the book and photo exhibition “Hanoi 1967-1975” by photographer Thomas Billhardt, the set of books “Thang Long Kinh ki-Ke cho” and the book “Tay choi”.

The Idea Prize sees four nominations, including the project on rebuilding the architecture of Dien Huu - One Pillar Pagoda by virtual reality technolog.

The awards were initiated in 2008 by the The Thao & Van Hoa daily and Bui Xuan Phai’s family.

The awards have been organised annually to honour late painter Bui Xuan Phai, a founder of modern art in Vietnam./.

UNDP: Vietnam moves toward safely living with COVID-19

Countries around the world are moving from living in zero COVID-19 to living safely with it and Vietnam is no exception, said Patrick Haverman, Deputy Resident Representative of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in Vietnam.

In a recent interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency, he said that the first priority of Vietnam is the health of the people. And with the vaccination rates increasing, the country is slowly opening up its economy.

Mentioning the response to the pandemic, he emphasised the need for a more flexible approach, including shorter lockdowns, shorter quarantine periods, and acceleration of vaccinations.

He commented the Government of Vietnam for its vaccination diplomacy, saying it is amazing how fast people in the country get vaccinated against the coronavirus disease.

“We have seen priorities and how the older and more vulnerable should have a priority for getting vaccination. And with that response, there could be slightly opening up of the economy very carefully,” he noted.

According to Patrick Haverman the UNDP recently launched two reports on the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable households in Vietnam and the implementation of the second support package of the Government for people affected by COVID-19.

Vietnam can support growth, employment and incomes with a larger cash assistance programme for vulnerable households without fear of inflation or a negative impact on the balance of payments.

To achieve the twin objectives of supporting vulnerable households and stimulating economic growth, the cash assistance programme should be launched as quickly as possible. The quickest way to deliver this support is to provide an immediate benefit to children under 6 years old; pregnant women; elderly people from 60 years of age, including elderly people from 80 years of age that are beneficiaries of regular cash assistance programmes without pensions; and people with disabilities.

Administrative requirements should be kept to a minimum, and an electronic register of individuals should be compiled listing households and individuals who have received support.

Regarding Vietnam's reopening in the coming time, the UNDP representative said the Government of Vietnam is doing good and vaccination is really important.

To reopen, vaccination should be the first priority, he said, adding that Vietnam should impose a bit more flexible lockdowns, meaning not locking down the whole city.

These are important conditions for Vietnam to slowly open and promote its economy with the assistance of social protection programmes, he stated.

“So we think the country is on the right track. We have seen it is slowly opening up. And with that, the Vietnamese economy can come like a growing again. So we hope for a good recovery of the economy,” he concluded./.

Rapid COVID-19 test waived for truck drivers at Mong Cai Int’t Border Gate

Certain truck drivers are no longer required to take rapid COVID-19 tests at the Km15-Dan Tien Wharf’s checkpoint before entering Mong Cai International Border Gates – bordering China – in the northern province of Quang Ninh, according to a new policy of Mong Cai City’s authority.

Truck drivers and their cabin companions travelling from other cities and provinces will not need to take the test at the checkpoint if they and their vehicles already complete all necessary pandemic control measures, including rapid anti-gene COVID-19 tests, at Bach Dang Bridge’s checkpoint which supervises entry to and exit from the province.

Taking effect since 0:00am on October 6, the policy is part of the province’s moves to gradually relax COVID-19 preventive rules and resume social and economic activities. It is expected to speed up transports of goods and cut costs for businesses.

People entering Mong Cai city had been requested to get rapid COVID-19 tests at Customs Checkpoint at Km15 – Dan Tien Wharf since September 6./.

Southern localities on COVID-19 alert as stranded workers return home

Many provinces in the southwestern region of Vietnam have reactivated concentrated isolation and COVID-19 treatment facilities as thousands of stranded people, mostly workers, are returning home from coronavirus hotspots.

Over the past days thousands of people have driven motorbikes returning to their home from coronavirus hotspots such as Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, and Dong Nai which are home to major industrial parks, after these localities eased social distancing measures. Local authorities have arranged temporary accommodation, delivered food, and conducted quick COVID-19 tests for the returnees.

Tan Hiep district in Kien Giang province has so far welcomed approximately 4,000 returnees, many of whom were pregnant women and children. Meanwhile, Ca Mau and An Giang provinces have received 6,000 and 17,000 people respectively, posing a huge challenge to local authorities.

An Giang has arranged schools as concentrated isolation areas and at the same time made plans to allow returnees to quarantine themselves at home in order to avoid overloading at military run quarantine facilities.

Similarly, Soc Trang has put into operation isolation areas and asymptomatic F0 treatment areas, with each room having separate toilets to prevent cases of cross transmission.

The flux of returnees from coronavirus hotspots have raised concerns about the possibility of the virus to spread in coming localities. Indeed, hundreds of positive COVID-19 patients have been found following the recent mass movement of people. Relevant agencies have detected 14, 70, 60, and 50 F0 cases among those coming back to An Giang, Dong Thap, Soc Trang, and Hau Giang provinces, respectively.

Currently, thousands of people are continuing to flock to southwestern localities, prompting local authorities to fear that the sheer number of returnees will overwhelm quarantine capacities and risk more infections.

In provinces such as An Giang, Kien Giang, and Soc Trang, relevant forces are now working hard to classify groups of returnees depending on their vaccination and testing status so that the returnees are monitored either at home or in concentrated isolation facilities.

Nguyen Thanh Binh, chairman of the An Giang provincial administration, suggested that Ho Chi Minh City, and Binh Duong, Dong Nai, and Long An provinces persuade workers to stay with incentives and prioritise vaccinating them, in an attempt to halt the mass movements.

Returnees are also required to co-ordinate with local authorities to trace suspect cases and undergo COVID-19 tests to nip in a bud a possible outbreak in the community.

Cham ethnics in Binh Thuan celebrate Kate festival

 

The Cham Brahman ethnic people in the south central province of Binh Thuan are celebrating their yearly Kate Festival from October 4-6.

To ensure COVID-19 prevention and control, especially amid complex developments of the pandemic in the province’s Phan Thiet city, this year's celebration is not held at Po Sah Inu tower as usual.

The managing board of the tower and dignitaries in Ham Thuan Bac district on October 5 performed the most important ritual of the festival in a simple, solemn and safe manner, closely following COVID-19 preventive measures.

Falling on the first day of the seventh month of the Cham calendar, Kate is the biggest event in the year of the Cham followers of Brahmanism to pay respect to gods and pray for productive harvests and multiple natural and human resources.

There are about 153,000 Cham people in Vietnam, of whom over 41,000 live in Binh Thuan province./.

Online exhibition celebrates 67th anniversary of Capital Liberation Day

An online exhibition featuring works of art and graphics on Hanoi themed “Memories of Hanoi” will open on October 8 as part of activities to celebrate the 67th anniversary of Capital Liberation Day.

Hosted by the Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum, the exhibition at https://www.facebook.com/baotangmythuat and http://vnfam.vn will display 25 art works with various materials such as: lacquer, oil paint, silk, gouache, watercolour, lead, and wood carving selected from the museum's collection.

Online exhibition celebrates 67th anniversary of Capital Liberation Day hinh anh 2
(Photo: the Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum)

The works, with own style of painters, will recall the memories of the important date in the history of the capital city.

On October 10, 1954, Hanoi was liberated from French colonial rule, beginning a new era for the country.

The exhibition is hoped to help the public learn more about the resistance war of Hanoians and the nation./.

Photo of Hue woman wins prize in National Geographic competition

A photo featuring a Vietnamese woman wearing traditional clothing in the imperial city of Hue has been granted the second prize in The People Category of National Geographic Traveller Photography Competition 2021.

Vietnamese woman in traditional clothing in the Imperial City of Hue by Walter Monticelli.
The photo was captured by photographer Walter Monticelli of the UK during his visit to the central city of Thua Thien-Hue.

Speaking on the National Geographic website, Monticelli said that while he was walking between temples in the ancient Vietnamese capital, he heard a faint melody playing in the distance.

“Following the sound, I reached a room in which a group of women wearing traditional clothing were playing music with traditional Vietnamese instruments,” says the British photographer.

“I’d been standing there for a while taking in the sound when I noticed this lady sitting next to the entrance enjoying the music her friends were playing,” he added.

Elsewhere, the first prize in the People Category went to Claire Waring who captured a stunning image of ice fishing on the frozen sea in Hokkaido, Japan.

Exhibition opens to celebrate Hanoi's 67th liberation anniversary

The Hanoi Library, in collaboration with the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports, is hosting an exhibition of books and publications to mark the 67th anniversary of the capital city's liberation from the French (October 10, 1954 - 2021).

The exhibition, which is being held virtually, features the history, civilisation, and glorious heroic tradition of the city as well as the outstanding achievements of Hanoi. It helps the public have a better understanding of the historical and cultural traditions, the thousand-year-old heroic city, the prospects and achievements of Hanoi capital.

The exhibition focuses on five main contents including the leadership of the Party and President Ho Chi Minh in the resistance war against the French colonialists; Hanoi and the day the nation launched its resistance against the French; the Vietnamese people's resistance war against the French; Hanoi capital – the glorious liberation day; Hanoi - The capital of a thousand years of civilisation and heroes and the City for Peace.

The Liberation Day (October 10, 1954) has become a milestone in the history of the construction and development of the capital and the country. It marked a turning point for the city and opened a new period of development in the history of Thang Long - Dong Do - Hanoi.

The winners of the Hanoi Reading Culture Ambassador Contest were announced on the same day. It aims to inspire and spread the passion for reading at schools and in the community.

The contest has attracted 22,705 written entries and 417 videos from students of 293 schools in the city.

The winners of the Reading Culture Ambassador contest receive awards.(Photo: VNA)
Tran Van Ha, Director of the Hanoi Library, said that many of the entries were rich in content and forms, reflecting their understanding, passion for reading and calling for the community to read books.

The Organising Board has selected 10 collectives and 20 individuals to award and submit entries to the final round of the national "Reading Culture Ambassador" contest.

The education and training division of Thanh Tri and Hai Ba Trung Districts won the first collective prize.

Three individual first prizes were presented to eleventh grader Vu Thuy Hien from Xuan Phuong High School in Nam Tu Liem district; seventh-grader Nguyen The Hieu from Trung Hoa Junior High School in Cau Giay district and five grader Hoang Gia Vinh from Ai Mo B Primary School in Long Bien district./.

Communication campaign looks to reduce plastic waste

The information portal and communication campaign “Joining hands to reduce plastic waste” made debut on October 7 at https://chungtaygiamnhua.com.

The communication campaign is part of activities within the pilot project “Initiative to establish a supermarket alliance to reduce the consumption of single-use plastic bags in Vietnam” (Plastic Alliance).

It is an initiative of the project “Rethinking Plastics – Circular Economy Solutions to Marine Litter” funded by the European Union and the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, and supporting a transition towards a circular economy for plastics to reduce plastic waste leakage into the sea.

Fanny Quertamp, Senior Specialist of the "Rethinking Plastics" project, affirmed that, within the framework of the project, the EU and the German ministry will stand side by side with Vietnam in efforts to reduce ocean plastic waste, by encouraging supermarkets and consumers to change their habits in order to reduce the use of single-use plastic bags.

The communication campaign has been implemented from October with various forms of communications expected to bring the most effective influences to promote changes in behaviours of the whole society./.

Traditional craft villages of Hà Nội strive to grow amid COVID-19 

The local government is supporting traditional craft villages around Hà Nội to overcome difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

These measures are aimed at improving business practices in traditional villages. 

Head of the Hà Nội Department of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Rural Development Division, Nguyễn Văn Chí, said Hà Nội has 1,350 craft villages producing diverse, sophisticated and high-quality products. Some of these products have gained firm footholds in the market.

Craft villages employ around one million labourers in rural areas with an average income of VNĐ5-6 million per month per person, according to Chí.

However, on top of COVID-19, these villages are facing numerous other issues like environmental pollution, limited production areas and outdated equipment and technology, which leads to small production scales and ineffective production methods. They also face difficulties in obtaining access to preferential loans.

Nguyễn Tuấn Anh, a resident in Dị Nậu Commune, Thạch Thất District, said: “Limited production areas discouraged my family from investing in modern machines and technology. We also do not have storage for materials and products”. 

Over the past two years, due to COVID-19, there have been times when production in craft villages has come to a standstill. More prolonged effects are also felt, such as disruption in material supply and product consumption.

Đinh Văn Soi, owner of Soi Hà Production Establishment in Chuyên Mỹ Commune, Phú Xuyên District, said: “Our mother-of-pearl mosaic products were chiefly exported to other countries, but since 2020 we could not export our products due to interrupted transportation and labour cuts. Our revenue dropped by around 30 per cent.” 

In order to help craft villages improve their production and business practices, local authorities have employed many measures. In Chuyên Mỹ Commune, the local People’s Committee has helped find temporary jobs for workers in other fields such as services or agricultural production, to provide an income.

Đinh Văn Soi, the owner of Soi Hà Production Establishment, said: “We focus on design and product promotion to gradually increase the development of mother-of-pearl mosaics in craft villages.”

Authorities of Thạch Thất District have invested in infrastructure to improve conditions for business activities and to speed up the creation of industrial clusters, allowing traditional craft villages to isolate production areas.

Practical support has also been offered to craft villages.

Director of the municipal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chu Phú Mỹ, said the department has helped traditional craft villages to build trademarks, register their intellectual rights and has supported the development of some production models, including the production of silk products from lotus fibre in Phùng Xá Commune of Mỹ Đức District.

Hà Nội’s Department of Science and Technology has helped wood production villages in Thạch Thất District to tackle dust, waste and emissions. 

The municipal Department of Industry and Trade is prepared to support 14 establishments in applying modern machinery and equipment to production.

The State Bank of Vietnam’s Hà Nội branch has also directed credit institutions to study and implement measures to support their customers in craft villages.

Together with support from the State and efforts of artisans, traditional craft villages of Hà Nội are expected to overcome the current difficulties to maintain production, while continue observing COVID-19 prevention and control regulations. 

Con Dao plans to welcome tourists back from October 15

Authorities in southern Ba Ria-Vung Tau province will allow Six Sense Con Dao Resort on Con Dao island to welcome fully vaccinated travellers from October 15.

The provincial authorities asked the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) to resume flights to/from Con Dao, as part of a plan to revive the economy.

Earlier, the provincial People’s Committee agreed to resume domestic flights to/from Con Dao Airport to serve the travelling of residents and tourists.

As of October 6, 16 out of 20 localities have responded to CAAV’s plan on gradually resuming domestic flights with 13 back the plan and three did not agree.

HCM City and the provinces of Dien Bien, Khanh Hoa, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Thanh Hoa, Phu Quoc (Kien Giang Province), Dak Lak, Nghe An, Thua Thien-Hue,  Ca Mau, Lam Dong and Ba Ria-Vung Tau have said “yes” to resuming domestic flights.

The People's Committee of Lam Dong said it basically agreed with the resumption of flights between the province and Hanoi, Hai Phong, Nghe An, Thanh Hoa, Thua Thien-Hue and Da Nang. However, the provincial authorities did not agree to reopen flights from/to HCM City and Can Tho city./.

Assessing children’s wellbeing and involvement to implement a child-centered approach

The “process-oriented child monitoring” (POM) approach has yielded benefits on preschool children’s holistic development thus particularly contributing to higher social emotional development outcomes of the children, according to research conducted by the Vietnam Institute of Educational Sciences. 

Jointly developed by VVOB – a Belgian non-governmental organisation and Early Childhood Education Department under the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) in 2020, the practical guide POM aimed to support preschool teachers perform the child-centered approach better by applying stronger and more effective observation skills.

The POM materials also targeted to guide teachers to go through three simple steps via reflection on two indicators of learning including well-being and involvement. 

The POM approach has been widely introduced through the “Mitigating Preschool Childrenʼs Barriers to Learning in Disadvantaged and Ethnically Diverse Districts (BaMi)” project to help provincial and district officers improve the knowledge, skills and practices of teachers in three provinces of Quảng Nam, Quảng Ngãi, and Kon Tum in the 2017-21 period. That has generated positive impacts on children’s holistic development.

Many teachers in the BaMi project said the POM guide helped reflect their teaching experiences in a structural way and easier for daily implementation.

Pơ Long Thuỳ Liên, a teacher at Măng Non Preschool in Đông Giang District of Quảng Nam Province, said: “The process-oriented child monitoring approach is really practical, it has systematically organised what I have been doing in a more logical order. I also notice that children in my class are now more involved in class activities”.

Đoàn Thị Nhàn, a preschool teacher in Quảng Nam's Hiệp Đức District, shared a story of a child in her class.

"An (the child) always avoided my attention and did not collaborate with me. He often looked away, or did not respond to anything when I tried to talk to him. When participating in activities, especially in learning, he often looked down, played with his clothes, and did not communicate with anyone."

Therefore, Nhàn said she rated him with low levels of involvement and well-being and knew that she would need to take some actions to help him.

After that first observation, Nhàn paid more attention to him, realising that he was a fan of the construction corner and puzzles. Then she worked out a way that An could choose the activity corner that he liked.

"By participating in those activities, An becomes more open to his classmates, and gradually he follows his classmate to join other activities as well. In many follow up observations, his well-being and involvement levels also increased,” she said. 

The POM guide book, which was written with input from Filip Lenaerts and Trần Thị Kim Lý from VVOB Vietnam is now available at vietnam.vvob.org.

According to the Vietnamese education policies, all preschool teachers are expected to deliver preschool education for 3 to 6-year-old children through a child-centered, play-based learning approach.

In particular, MOET has issued its Plan No 56/KH-BGDĐT stipulating five criteria for implementing the Child-Centered Approach in Vietnamese preschools, covering the educational environment, developing the education plan, operating education activities, implementing child assessment and collaborating of preschools with parents and community.

In reality, however, the concept of child-centered approach remains general and vague for many teachers, which leads to a variety of interpretations and translations of the child-centered approach in preschool teachers’ practice.

Art programme to highlight Vietnamese people’s will and solidarity

An art programme, entitled “Sao Doc Lap 2021” (Independence Star 2021), will be held at the Hanoi Opera House without audiences but broadcast live via the VTV2 channel of Vietnam Television on October 9, as part of the activities marking the 67th anniversary of the capital's Liberation Day (October 10).

The three-chapter programme will feature the spirit of solidarity, will of steel and high determination of the Party and people to overcome all difficulties to build and develop the country.

During the first part, audiences will see reportage and revolutionary songs recalling the combat for national independence by Vietnamese people.

The second chapter will help viewers understand more about the strong spirit of the Vietnamese people in the past and during the current fight against “the COVID-19 enemy”.

In addition, the reportage and performances during the last stage will highlight the solidarity and determination of people from all strata who have been making great efforts to overcome all challenges to win over both visible and invisible enemies, all under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

The programme will draw the participation of various famous artists such as Dang Duong, Phuong Thao, Pham Thu Ha, Trong Tan, Minh Quan, and Hoang Hong Ngoc.

The event will be co-organised by the Communist Magazine and Hanoi municipal Party and People’s Committees.

PC-Covid permission requests fully evaluated
 
The National Technology Center for Covid-19 Prevention and Control yesterday held a discussion regarding requests for access permission of the app ‘PC-Covid’, used for common actions in Covid-19 prevention measures.

Answering the concerns of users as to so many permission requests of the app ‘PC-Covid’, the National Technology Center for Covid-19 Prevention and Control cooperated with the Authority of Information Security (AIS) to invite related state units, namely the Department of Cyber Security and Hi-tech Crime Prevention (A05) under the Public Security Ministry, the Cyberspace Combat Force (Command 86) under the Defense Ministry, and the Vietnam Information Security Association (VNISA), to join in an independent evaluation session for the app.

Participating experts concluded that PC-Covid does not exploit users’ locations, SMS and Over-the-Top (OTT) information at all. It absolutely complies with all provisions in the current Vietnamese laws.

On the same day, the latest version of PC-Covid was released for both iOS and Android operation systems. This version has updated the feature to hide information on QR codes for a higher level of information security.

Until October 6, the app was downloaded 50.4 million times and regularly used by 25.4 million users.

Discussion on female filmmakers goes online on October 19

UNESCO in collaboration with the Embassy of Canada, Embassy of Switzerland in Vietnam, and the companionship of Hanoi Grapevine, O Kia Hanoi Cultural and Creative Space, will organize the online film event called IN HER VOICE using Zoom’s video platform on October 19.

The program aims to analyze and discuss the opportunities and challenges of female filmmakers in the film industry, share stories about the journeys to attend international film festivals, access to cinema support funds, and priority prizes for female filmmakers. It also includes an exchange among participants.

The event will see the participation of Vietnamese directors of Thanh Van, Nhue Giang, Nguyen Hoang Diep, Korean film expert of the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) Yoonhyung Jeon, Japanese Canadian filmmaker Anne Koizumi and Swiss screenwriter and film director Petra Volpe.

IN HER VOICE is part of the “E-MOTIONS project: Mobilizing film professionals for regional cooperation” which is being conducted by UNESCO and cooperative partners, with the support from the Trust Fund of Japan. The project aims to enhance the capacity and empowerment of filmmakers, as well as organize activities to connect domestic filmmakers with their peers in the region.

Nguyen Thanh Van is one of the veteran directors of contemporary Vietnamese cinema. His film, Doi Cat (Sandy lives), 1996 won major awards at many international film festivals such as the Amiens International Film Festival in France in 2000, the 45th Asia – Pacific Film Festival in 2000.

His wife, director Pham Nhue Giang received several local and international movie awards. Her film, Thung Lung Hoang Vang (The deserted valley) won the Silver Lotus prize at the 13th National Film Festival in 2002 and the Fipresci Award for Young Asian Directors at the 51st Melbourne International Film Festival in 2002. The movie Tam Hon Me (Mother’s soul) won the Best Actress award at the Dubai Film Festival in 2011 and the Best Film award at the Vietnam Film Festival in France in 2014.

Nguyen Hoang Diep is a director of the film Dap Canh Giua Khong Trung (Flapping in the middle of nowhere) that was world premiered at the Venice International Film Festival and won the Best Film award in theimportant category “Settimana internazionale della critica”.

In 2016, she has been honored as a Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters bythe French Ministry of Culture for her efforts and contributions to cultural development. Diep and her husband, architect Nghiem Quoc Cuong established O Kia Ha Noi cultural and creative space in Hanoi in 2017.

Korean film expert Yoonhyung Jeon is currently an Expert Facility Member for UNESCO 2005 Convention and a senior manager at Korean Film Council, the government institution to support film production, distribution, education and audience development. She is also a part-time lecturer at film studies department at Kyung Hee University since 2020. Currently she is working as an international expert for EU-funded UNESCO project on the governance of culture in developing countries for strengthening film industry in Uganda and Ethiopia.

She has worked with major film festivals, including the Busan International Film Festival, independent filmmakers, producers, curators, distributors, and government institutions in South Korea and abroad.

Japanese Canadian filmmaker Anne Koizumi has produced over 30 short animated films and uses her experience as a filmmaker and animator to mentor the participants through the process of creating their own animations.

In May 2008 she was awarded the Alberta Media Arts Alliance film commission for her screenplay adaptation of Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s short story The Yellow Wallpaper, which is currently in production.

The latest feature “The Divine Order” by Swiss screenwriter and film director Petra Volpe was selected as the Swiss entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 90th Academy Awards. The film had its international premiere at the Tribeca Film festival 2017 and won three awards: The Nora Ephron Prize, Prize for best actress in an International Film and the Audience Award. “The Divine Order” was a box office hit in Switzerland and was nominated for seven Swiss Film Awards and won three. Furthermore, she wrote and directed several award-winning television movies. Volpe also wrote the screenplay for “Heidi” in 2015 the internationally most successful Swiss film of all time.

Around 69 percent of residents in HCMC fully vaccinated against Covid-19

Until the end of October 6, approximately 11,965,360 shots had been administered, some 4,951,439 people have got the second dose of Covid-19 vaccines accounting for 68.7 percent, said the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control (HCDC) today.

Up to now, 97.3 percent of people over 18 years old have been getting the first dose of Covid-19 vaccines while about 72.29 percent of people aged over 65 years have received two vaccine jabs and 69.72 percent of people from 50 to 65 years old are fully vaccinated.

Around 2,924,658 city dwellers have received the Vero Cell vaccine so far. Some 23,089 Covid-19 infected people are being quarantined at home while 11,587 others are staying in concentrated isolation facilities.

According to HCDC, clinical data has shown the currently approved vaccines in Vietnam have 80 percent to 90 percent efficacy. However, since vaccines are not 100 percent effective at preventing infection, some people who are fully vaccinated will still get Covid-19; therefore, people should follow the prevention regulations to protect themselves and other people around.

HCDC said that due to Covid-19 impacts, there has been a substantial decline in the number of children receiving life-saving vaccines. Children missing out on basic childhood vaccines through routine health services will lead to the risk of children suffering from dangerous diseases; therefore, vaccination should be accelerated in the upcoming time to prevent children from suffering these dangerous illnesses in October.

Local administrations should increase information about the pandemic and the importance of routine vaccines encouraging parents to bring their children to medical facilities for vaccination.
The Ministry of Health yesterday requested people’s committees in Ho Chi Minh City, the southern provinces of Binh Duong, Dong Nai and Long An to closely coordinate with its counterparts in other provinces and cities upon vaccination place.

On the same day, Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Robyn Modie handed over additional 300,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine and medical supplies, including medical masks and personal protective suits to Vietnam for the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.

Covid-19 pandemic disrupts expanded immunization program

The Covid-19 pandemic is overstretching health systems because health workers are working round-the-clock to respond to the outbreak. Essential health services and vaccination services including expanded immunization program are disrupted in Vietnam.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, HCMC has seen a substantial decline in the number of children receiving life-saving vaccines. Children missing out on basic childhood vaccines through routine health services will lead to the risk of children suffering from dangerous diseases that have been vaccinated, such as measles, mumps, polio, rubella, and hepatitis B; therefore, vaccination should be accelerated in the upcoming time to prevent children from suffering these dangerous above-mentioned illnesses.

The Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control (HCDC) has just sent a document to public and non-public hospitals; Thu Duc City Medical Center and districts on vaccination of expanded immunization program in the city after the Covid-19 epidemic has been put under control.
According to the HCDC, due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the expanded vaccination program in Ho Chi Minh City was interrupted, causing the vaccination rate to be lower than the target. Low vaccination rates will lead to the risk of dangerous vaccine-preventable diseases in children.

In order to ensure the vaccination coverage rate with the availability of these vaccines, the HCDC suggested that medical facilities need to increase the expanded vaccination activities in the new normal state in the first week of October 2021.

Local administration should increase information about the pandemic and the importance of routine vaccines encouraging parents to bring their children to medical facilities for vaccination. Information about the expanded vaccination schedule at the health stations including names of vaccines available in healthcare establishments, ages will be publicized in all medical facilities via loudspeaker, Zalo, messages.

In addition, for people’s safety following the regulations of Covid-19 prevention, parents will be instructed to book their child's vaccination appointment according to the prescribed time frame to prevent mass gathering.

Book review, film making contests launched to Vietnamese book and movie lovers

The Korean Cultural Center in Vietnam has launched a book review contest of the novel titled My Brilliant Life by Kim Ae-Ran, a rising young star of the Korean literary scene from now until October 31.

A submission includes 7-12 pages and must be typed using Times New Roman with normal style and font size 14 and single line spacing.

Participants can send their essay and registered form to the website https://vietnam.korean-culture.org/vi or the email address vykhao1408@gmail.com.

Each participant can have only one submission that have not been published or described in any printed publication in this or any foreign country before.

The winner will receive a trip to South Korea or the latest Galaxy folding mobile phone, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3.

The Korean young author's work has begun to be more widely translated and her novel, The Youngest Parents with the Oldest Child, was brought to the screen as My Brilliant Life by acclaimed film director E J-yong.

Kim Ae-ran is often regarded as one of the most prominent literary voices of a new generation of millennial Koreans, articulating through her writing the challenges they face in a rapidly-changing society.

In related news, the annual short filmmaking contest called The Original Project (TOP) for students of highs schools and universities in Hanoi has been kicked off.

The 7th competition themed the origin of life opens for individuals or groups from now until October 17. A submission is a short film or music video that has a running time of 40 minutes or less.

The contest’s organizer will award titles of Best short film, Best favorite film, Best Script and Best Artist.

First cinemas reopen after months of lockdown closure

Large movie theater chains in Vietnam, CGV and Lotte announced that they are set to reopen after lockdown under safety guidance for Covid-19.

Lotte plans to open the first three cinemas in the Northern provinces’ cities, including Tuyen Quang, Bac Ninh and Viet Tri, starting from October. The movie theaters will be open Monday through Thursday 5pm to 9pm and Friday – Sunday 1 pm to 9 pm.

CGV has also reopened its cinemas in northern localities, including CGV Vincom Thai Nguyen, CGV Vincom Ha Long, CGV Vincom Cam Pha, CGV Vincom Yen Bai at the end of September. The operating hours are Monday- Friday 2 pm to 10 pm and Saturday-Sunday 10 am-11 pm.

The cinema chains encourage moviegoers to purchase tickets online, before they arrive and comply with the health ministry’s 5K message while 100 percent of their employees have been fully vaccinated.

Bird nest, dried seahorses hidden in containers of blood clams

On the afternoon of October 6, the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department said that its inspectors and their peers in the Customs Division at Saigon Port yesterday detected hundreds of boxes of birdnest, dried seahorses hidden in a container of blood clams of Vietseatrust Food Import-Export Trading Company in Thu Duc City.

According to the company’s customs declaration, the containers contain more than 21 tons of frozen whole blood cockles imported from Indonesia, worth about VND2 billion. The shipment arrived at Cat Lai port at the end of September 2021.

Because customs officials doubted the consignment, they stopped customs clearance and opened containers to check on October 6.

When opening the containers, officials detected in addition to imported blood cockles in accordance with the customs declaration, hundreds of cartons without customs declaration, including shredded bird's nest, dried seahorse, dried sea dragonfish, fangs and horns hidden inside the container.

The Ho Chi Minh City-based Vietnam Customs will further investigate the case.

Warnings over rising crime rates as Covid-19 restrictions end

The lifting of Covid-19 restrictions under the HCMC People’s Committee’s Directive 18 on continued prevention and control measures against Covid-19 and gradual economic recovery starting on October 1 is expected to lead to an increase in crime, police departments of Thu Duc City and districts across the city have warned.

In the first days of lockdown relaxation, some individuals have called themselves police to require residents display essential papers and the screenshot of “Covid Green Card” with a personal QR code on mobile phone and then snatched the phone from their hands.

The public security departments warned people to only present the necessary documents to police officers in military uniform in public areas, protect their property and keep expensive items.

Major General Le Hong Nam, director of the municipal Department of Public Security said that the department has asked the local units to tighten measures against crimes and criminals that may increase, and strengthen patrol, inspection and control duties.

In the first nine months, HCMC recorded 2,891 criminal cases. The municipal police cracked down on more than 2,000 cases and arrested 2,081 people.

Looking at a future of development

Viet Nam looks forward to enhancing international cooperation in science, technology, innovation and digital transformation.

Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son attended virtually the 15th session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) quadrennial ministerial conference on October 6.

At the Conference, minister Bui emphasized three reasons why UNCTAD has made a very important point this year: i) digitalization and innovation have brought about profound transformation on how the world interacts and cooperates; ii) the inequality among and across nations is deepened not just in sharing the benefits from globalization but also in the resilience and capacities to recover from crisis; and iii) global challenges, notably climate change and the Covid-19 pandemic unveil an unprecedented global health, economic and social crisis that hurts all countries.

The Vietnamese minister highly appreciated the theme of UNCTAD 15: “From Inequality and Vulnerability to Prosperity for All”, commenting that the theme reiterated UNCTAD’s commitment to ensure trade and development work for all and in pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals.

As the world is looking at a future of development, where green trade and digital trade should be incorporated within trade policy-making; where global efforts should be accelerated towards a model that is more resilient to shocks, sustainable and ultimately more inclusive, Bui shared his thoughts in to contribute to formulate global policy responses and to set UNCTAD’s priorities for the next four years.

The thoughts mentioned that multilateralism and international coordination should be further strengthened to contain Covid-19 worldwide, advance full global recovery, enhance adaptability to the new normal and lay a development foundation resistant to future global shocks. It is also mentioned that the future of development should not only be economically resilient, but also environmentally sound and socially inclusive and that UNCTAD needs to accelerate global cooperation in leveraging the potentials of innovation and digitalization to foster new impetus for a sustainable development and innovation-driven growth.

Bui closed his statement by affirming that i) Viet Nam’s most important and urgent task is containing the pandemic and accelerating socio-economic recovery as its vision is placing people’s well-being at the heart of the country’s policy making process; and ii) Viet Nam looks forward to enhancing international cooperation in science, technology, innovation and digital transformation in order to attain our socio-economic development goals as well as to join the global community in nurturing peace, stability, development and prosperity for all.

Virtually held between Barbados and Geneva from 3 to 7 October 2021, with pre-conference events running online throughout the year, starting from April 2021, the 15th session of UNCTAD quadrennial ministerial conference comes at a time when there is a need to reignite a spirit of optimism and collaboration globally, not only to solve the twin challenges of inequality and vulnerability but to ensure trade thrives and is a driver of development.

The Conference, which is under the theme of “From Inequality and Vulnerability to Prosperity for All”, aims to make an urgent call for action to avoid global failure. As COVID-19 pandemic has shown more than ever a clear gap between the rich world and developing nations, the conference has also been considered as an important opportunity to change course and move from rhetoric to action.

UNCTAD is a permanent intergovernmental body established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1964. Its headquarters are located in Geneva, Switzerland, and it has offices in New York and Addis Ababa.

UNCTAD is part of the UN Secretariat, reporting to the UN General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council but has its own membership, leadership, and budget. UNCTAD is also part of the United Nations Development Group./.

Gov’t provides rice relief to Coronavirus-hit residents in Quang Tri province

The Government has decided to provide 741.285 tons of rice relief to the central province of Quang Tri to support people affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Quang Tri provincial People’s Committee is responsible for allocating the rice relief to right beneficiaries.

Earlier, the Government had decided to provide 135,000 tons of rice relief to Coronavirus-hit people in 29 cities and provinces./.

Vietnam Airlines brings home volunteer students, medical workers

A Vietnam Airlines flight has brought 130 students of Hanoi Medical University and hundreds of medical workers, who finished their tasks of helping Ho Chi Minh City and southern localities, fight COVID-19, back to Hanoi.

Earlier, these students had suspended their study to go to the southern region in response to the Health Ministry’s appeal. They helped local forces to take samples for COVID-19 testing and care for patients.

Vietnam Airlines brings home volunteer students, medical workers hinh anh 2
A Vietnam Airlines flight brings students and medical workers back to Hanoi. (Photo: VNA)
At present, hundreds of students and doctors of the Hanoi Medical University are still staying in HCM City and Binh Duong to continue pandemic prevention and control efforts.

As the national flag carrier, Vietnam Airlines plays an important role in transporting health workers and medical equipment and supplies between provinces and cities. Since the pandemic broke out, the airline has transported over 12,000 medical workers and hundreds of tonnes of medical equipment and vaccines./.

ASEAN – major hub for India's global economic engagement: Minister

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is one of the major hubs for India's global economic engagement, Indian Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar said on October 7.

Speaking at the Indo-ASEAN Business Summit, Jaishankar noted that India's ties with ASEAN are rooted in history, geography and culture.

What has energised them in recent years is a growing awareness of the potential they hold for mutual interests and development, he stated.

“From the prolonged crisis of the last two years, four areas have come into sharp focus for international business cooperation: resilient and reliable supply chains, health security, digital for development, and green and sustainable recovery,” he said.

The minister said India's economic resurgence is driven by reformations in several sectors including manufacturing, labour, agriculture, education, skills, and of course, improving the ease of doing business.

Ties between India and ASEAN have intensified during the past few years with attention to ramping up cooperation in the areas of trade and investment as well as security and defence, he added./.

Vietnam has 4,806 new COVID-19 cases to report on October 8

Vietnam recorded 4,806 new cases of COVID-19, along with a further 114 related deaths, on October 8, according to the Ministry of Health.

Among these new cases, 11 were imported and 4,795 were local transmissions. Of these, 2,451 were detected in the community.

HCM City recorded the highest number of infections with 2,215, an increase of 485 cases compared to the previous day. It was followed by neighbouring Binh Duong province with 828 and Dong Nai province with 612.

The other cases were detected in An Giang (182), Tay Ninh (92), Kien Giang (89), Tien Giang (74), Long An (66), Binh Thuan (58), Khanh Hoa (55), Dong Thap (51). The capital city of Hanoi reported five infections.

The 114 related deaths were in HCM City (78), Bình Duong (17), An Giang (7), Dong Nai (3), Long An (3), Dong Thap (1), Ninh Thuan (1), Kien Giang (1), Bac Lieu (1), Tay Ninh (1), and Can Tho (1). This brings the country’s death toll to 20,337, or 2.4 percent of all cases.

The national tally now stands at 831,643, including 827,033 cases recorded in the fourth wave of infection that has swept the country since late April.

According to the Ministry of Health’s report, 5,361 patients nationwide are in serious conditions, with 741 requiring invasive ventilation and 22 on life support (ECMO).

A further 994 patients were given the all-clear on the day, taking the total number of recoveries to 759,482.

Ten provinces and cities have not detected any new infections in the last 14 days. They are Bac Kan, Tuyen Quang, Lai Chau, Hoa Binh, Ha Giang, Thai Nguyen, Dien Bien, Hai Phong, Thai Binh and Lao Cai.

Almost 1.5 million vaccine doses were administered in Vietnam on October 8. The country has injected 50.6 million doses of vaccine to date, with more than 13.6 million people now fully inoculated./.

Health Ministry, Facebook launch campaign on COVID-19 inoculation drive

The Ministry of Health and multinational technology company Facebook will launch a communication campaign to enhance public support and engagement in the country’s COVID-19 inoculation drive.

A ceremony to kick-start the campaign will be livestreamed at 8pm on October 8.

The campaign is to run until the year’s end in an attempt to raise public awareness of vaccination against COVID-19.

Livestreams will be held monthly on Facebook to update information and connect people with medical workers regarding vaccine rollout.

Twelve video clips will be created based on the topic, along with a music video of the campaign. 

Rafael Frankel, Director of Public Policy for APAC Emerging Countries at Facebook, said that Facebook is delighted at joining hands with Vietnam in the campaign, part of the technology company’s efforts to keep people across the world safe and updated with information about COVID-19.

The campaign is hoped to help Vietnam soon repel the pandemic and seize opportunities for sustainable development, he added./.

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