Eight localities have vaccinated 100 percent of residents aged 18 and above against Coronavirus with two doses. These localities include Long An, Lam Dong, Khanh Hoa, Ca Mau, Da Nang, Vinh Long, Hau Giang  and Dien Bien. 

To date, around 128 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered nationwide with 73.3 million people receiving the first jabs and 54.4 million people taking the second shots.

As many as 90 percent of residents in the capital city of Ha Noi, Viet Nam’s epicenter Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai, Hai Phong, Quang Nin h, Yen Bai, Can Tho, Ba Ria-Vung Tau and Dak Nong have been fully vaccinated. 

A total number of 40 cities and provinces have recorded 100 percent coverage of first shot in adults. 

Pensions to increase by 7.4% from 2022

Pensions will be revised up 7.4% from January 1, 2022, according to the Government’s Decree 108 issued today, December 7, on pension, social insurance allowance and monthly subvention adjustments.

Those who have a monthly subvention, pension and social insurance allowance of less than VND2.3 million will receive an additional VND200,000 each per month, while those whose monthly allowances are between VND2.3 million and under VND2.5 million will get VND2.5 million each per month.

Beneficiary groups include former public officials, civil servants, laborers, military and police personnel and cipher workers; communal officials receiving pensions and monthly allowances in line with the Government’s decrees 92, 121 and 09; and persons receiving monthly allowances for their loss of working capacity and rubber workers getting monthly allowances.

VN calls for foreign investment in COVID-19 vaccine, drug production

Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long called on foreign companies specialising in pharmaceuticals, vaccine production, and medical equipment, to invest in Vietnam’s healthcare sector, with a specific focus on vaccine production and technology transfer during a reception for the ambassadors of Belgium, Russia, and the UK to Vietnam.

Minister Long noted that the Vietnamese Government is currently making every effort to accelerate the ongoing vaccination campaign so that all people over 18 years old will be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by December 2022. He also pledged that the Vietnamese side would create favourable conditions to boost co-operation with foreign countries in the healthcare sector.

Vietnam urges priority to saving lives in resolving global refugee challenge

Ambassador Pham Hai Anh, Chargé d’affaires of Vietnam in the UN, on December 7 said to prevent the wave of refugees, relevant governments hold the main responsibility for ensuring peace and security and resolving root causes of conflicts in a comprehensive and inclusive manner. Countries also need to meet people’s basic needs and create a peaceful environment for development.

He reiterated that Vietnam always attaches importance to regional and international cooperation in this issue and respects international law, including performing relevant obligations so as to deal with global challenges in an active and responsible manner. 

Italian cuisine week to open in Hanoi and HCM City

A range of Italian dishes and wine are set to be introduced to local residents of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City from December 9 to December 19 during the second edition of “A Taste of Italy Everyday” fair.

The event is scheduled to take place at AEON Mall Tan Phu in Ho Chi Minh City between December 9 and December 12. Hanoi will see the fair get underway at AEON Mall Long Bien from December 16 to December 19. Both fairs will open to the public from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and will be accompanied by both cooking classes and live music for guests to enjoy.

Most notably, the occasion will feature cooking videos by renowned Italian Chef Gianvito Matarrese, founder of EVO Restaurant in Alberobello and member of the “Associazione Italiana Ambasciatori del Gusto”.

Lao parliament delegation visit Vinh Phuc province

Chairman of the Lao National Assembly Xaysomphone Phomvihane and the Lao NA delegation on December 7 paid a working visit to Que Lam group, a leading organic fertilizer maker based in Binh Xuyen district, the northern province of Vinh Phuc.

The Lao NA leader said at a working session with the group's executives that the organic fertilizer production process of Que Lam group would be useful for Laos’ agriculture, and urged the group to explore cooperation with Laos in organic agriculture.

Earlier, the Lao delegation toured the Que Lam Biotech fertilizer plant and a model of biosafe organic pig farming run by Que Lam group.

Exhibition on ethnic, religious affairs opens in Bac Giang

A photo and document exhibition on ethnic and religious affairs was opened at the museum of northern Bac Giang province on December 7.

The event, organised by the Ministry of Information and Communications and the provincial People’s Committee, features more than 200 documentary photos, objects, videos, books, and newspapers about ethnic and religious affairs.

They give visitors an insight into the solidarity, creativity, integration, and sustainable development in ethnic minority communities; the religions and beliefs in Vietnam; the fight against the abuse of ethnic and religious issues; and the ethnic groups and religions in Bac Giang.

COVID-19: New cases on December 7 reach 13,840

Vietnam recorded 13,840 cases of COVID-19 in 59 localities during 24 hours from 4pm December 6 to 4pm December 7, including 5 imported cases, according to the Ministry of Health. Ho Chi Minh City continued to record the highest number of infections with 965, followed by Can Tho with 898 and Tay Ninh with 869.

The national caseload reached 1,337,523. According to the Ministry of Health’s report, 7,019 patients nationwide are in serious conditions, with 770 requiring invasive ventilation and 15 on life support (ECMO). On the day, the country saw 217 deaths from the disease. The death toll now hits 26,700.

HCM City receives 100,000 COVID-19 aid packages

As many as 100,000 aid packages worth 30 billion VND (1.3 million USD) was delivered to Ho Chi Minh City on December 7 in support of locals affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The packages were donated by the Viettel Military Industry and Telecoms Group (Viettel) and the Military Commercial Joint Stock Bank (MB bank).

President requests more efforts to address non-traditional security challenges

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, who is also Chairman of the National Defence and Security Council, stressed the need for a close combination between defence-security and diplomacy, promoting defence and security diplomacy, and safeguarding the Fatherland early and from afar at the first session of the council in the 2021-2026 tenure on December 7.

Regarding the task of participating in UN peacekeeping operations, the State leader asked the army to study and expand the number of participants and target areas, and the public security force to promote training to send officers and soldiers to UN peacekeeping missions.

He also urged the continued implementation of cybersecurity and cyber warfare measures and the strict settlement of wrong and distorted information against the Party and State.

Int'l workshop promotes agenda on women, peace and security

An international workshop on the role of national action plans in promoting the women, peace and security (WPS) agenda was jointly held in Hanoi on December 7 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the United Nations (UN) Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women).

The workshop offered a venue for sharing lessons and experience of experts from UN Women and UN agencies, and representatives of countries that have implemented national action plans on women, peace, and security, thus providing an overview and proposing initiatives for agencies and stakeholders in Vietnam about the possibility of developing its own national action plan.

Vietnam commits to improving children’s nutritional status

Vietnam will work to improve nutritional status of under five-year old children who are stunned, especially those in ethnic minority-inhabited and mountainous areas, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son said at the Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit held virtually in Japan on December 7-8.

At the same time, the country will control overweight and obesity among children with ages ranging up to 18 years. To fulfill these targets, Vietnam has devised action programmes in combination with commitments to policies and budget, he said.

Vietnam highlights importance of education protection in conflicts

Ambassador Pham Hai Anh, Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of Vietnam to the UN, stressed the importance of the protection of education in conflicts while attending the UN Security Council’s arria-formula meeting on this issue on December 6.

For international cooperation, the Vietnamese diplomat called on the international community to provide necessary financial resources for children in conflicts to promote their development. He showed support for the UN's coordinating role, as well as the contributions of regional organisations to poverty reduction, promotion of universal education and sustainable development at national, regional and international levels.

He also reaffirmed that Vietnam always prioritises and puts the children-related issue in national development programmes and is committed to working with all partners to ensure the best rights and interests of children.

VN wins medals at Int’l Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics

All five Vietnamese students won medals at the 14th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA), according to the Hanoi Department of Education and Training.

The Vietnamese team comprised five 12th graders from Hanoi-Amsterdam High School for the Gifted.

Nguyen Khanh Tam and Tran Dinh Dung pocketed gold medals. Meanwhile Nguyen Manh Duc won a silver medal, and Le Duc An and Dinh Tran Hai Chien were bronze medallists.

The 14th IOAA was held online from November 14 – November 21, attracting students from over 50 countries and territories around the world.

90,000 people granted access to reproductive healthcare services

Over 90,000 people have been granted access to reproductive healthcare services thanks to a four-year project realised by the EU and ActionAid in Vietnam. 

Funded by the EU and ActionAid, the project “Civil Society-led Promotion of Reproductive Healthcare Services” aims to promote actions led by Vietnam's civil society organisations, and improve access to quality and gender-responsive health care services for marginalised groups in ethnic and rural areas.

The project revealed that the rate of unwanted pregnancy and abortion in Vietnam has been at the top in the region and the world in recent years, ranking third globally after China and Russia. Meanwhile, reproductive and sexual health care services have not yet met the needs of the most vulnerable groups in the country. 

Hereditary angioedema treatment programme launched in VN

A programme establishing diagnostic methods, strengthening treatment and developing guidelines for hereditary angioedema (HAE) has been launched in Vietnam.

The programme is funded by the ‘Project for Global Extension of Medical Technologies, Systems and Services in 2021’, conducted by the National Centre for Global Health and Medicine under Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, with Takeda as the training provider.

HAE is a rare genetic disorder that results in recurrent attacks of oedema – swelling – in various parts of the body, including the abdomen, face, feet, genitals, hands and throat. In Vietnam, there are about 50 HAE patients at Bach Mai General Hospital – the only specialist treatment centre for the disease in the country. Experts estimate that Vietnam has around 2,000 HAE sufferers, but only around 2.5 per cent have been diagnosed and put into treatment.

Vietnamese national to be extradited over lorry deaths

A Vietnamese man wanted by the Belgian authorities for his role in a people smuggling plot that led to the deaths of 39 people in a lorry in Essex has had his extradition ordered.

Alex Tran was detained by National Crime Agency officers at a supermarket gas station in the northeast of the UK on 17 June this year. The operation to arrest him was supported by the North East Regional Special Operations Unit (NERSOU).

Belgian prosecutors allege that Tran was a member of a people smuggling network moving migrants through Belgium and France and into the UK in the back of lorries. A Belgian investigating magistrate issued an arrest warrant in December 2020. He is suspected of running safe houses in Brussels where the migrants stayed before embarking on their fatal journey.

On Thursday 2 December, Westminster Magistrates Court in London approved his extradition. He was remanded in custody, and has seven days to appeal. 

Two former VN Expressway directors sentenced 

The People’s Court of Hanoi entenced Nguyen Manh Hung and Le Quang Hao, two former deputy general directors of VN Expressway Corporation, to 7 and 6 years in prison respectively for “violating regulations on construction investment, causing serious consequences", on Monday afternoon.

The violations were found in the Da Nang-Quang Ngai Expressway project. The first phase of the project was into operation in September 2018, and the road showed signs of damage worth over VNĐ811 billion (US$35 million).

The court also sentenced Hoang Viet Hung, former director of the project management board, to 8 years and 6 months in prison for the same crimes. A further 32 defendants related to the case were given sentences ranging from 22 months on probation, to 5 years and 6 months in prison on the same charges.

First oxygen ATM for Covid-19 treatment launched in Hue City

An oxygen ATM project, the first of its kind, has been launched in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue’s Hue City to support Covid-19 patients who are being treated at home.

The initiative was jointly carried out by the Thua Thien-Hue Young Entrepreneurs Association, the city’s Communist Youth Union and the Vietnam Youth Federation.   

The oxygen ATM project provides 200 oxygen tanks and five medical oxygen generators for Hue. It is aimed to help ease the burden for local hospitals and mitigate the death rate caused by the pandemic.

Can Tho to spend VND1.2 trillion upgrading five congested intersections

The government of Can Tho City has proposed using nearly VND1.2 trillion from its budget to upgrade five oft-congested intersections in this Mekong Delta city.

The intersections are Mau Than-Ba Thang Hai-Tran Hung Dao, Mau Than-Nguyen Van Cu-Vo Van Kiet, Nguyen Van Linh-Nguyen Van Cu, Nguyen Van Linh-Ba Thang Hai and Nguyen Van Linh-Ba Muoi Thang Tu.

This infrastructure project will be executed from 2021 to 2025. In the first phase, the city will expand these intersections. In the future, the city will consider building overpasses or tunnels in the areas if traffic increases.

Fire at textile store kills four in Kien Giang province

A fire destroyed a textile store and killed four people of a family in the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang last night, the local media reported.

The fire broke out at the textile store, located at the corner of a local market in Ba Hon Quarter, Kien Luong Town, Kien Luong District, at around 11 p.m. on December 6.

Due to textiles and other flammable materials inside, the fire quickly engulfed the store and spread to four nearby houses. Firetrucks, firefighters and police officers were immediately sent to the site to put off the fire and rescue the victims. The fire was extinguished at around 2 a.m..

However, four people living inside the textile store, comprising the store’s owner Nguyen Ngoc Yen, 32, her husband Nguyen Duy Tan, 36, and their two children, aged eight and two, were all found dead.

HCMC moots covering tuition fees of 1.3 million students

The HCMC government has written to the People’s Council of HCMC proposing using around VND533 billion from its budget as financial aid for more than 1.3 million students to help them pay the tuition fees for the second semester of the 2021-2022 school year.

Students of public and private high schools, kindergartens and continuing education institutions will be entitled to the financial support. But students at foreign-invested schools will not benefit from the aid package, the local media reported.

Under the proposal, the support policy will be valid from January 2022 to May 31, 2022.

Of the total funding for the aid policy, VND358 billion will support the tuition fees of students of public high schools, kindergartens and continuing education institutions, while students of non-public high schools and kindergartens will receive a total of VND175 billion.

Military medical forces support Tra Vinh, Can Tho in Covid-19 fight

The Mekong Delta localities of Tra Vinh and Can Tho yesterday received officials, doctors from Military Hospital 105 and 354 who will support local frontline workers and perform the task of the Covid-19 fight.

According to the People’s Committee of Tra Vinh Province, the Military Medical Academy and Military Hospital 105 under the Ministry of National Defense mobilized 39 officials, soldiers and doctors to strengthen supports for the Covdi-19 pandemic control and prevention in the locality.

On the same day, Can Tho City welcomed 39 military medical workers who have experience in the Covid-19 fight and patient treatment. Among them, 24 military officials from the Military Hospital 354 who are responsible for supporting frontline forces at the Can Tho City General Hospital.

Three Vietnamese directors honored at 32nd Singapore Int’l Film Festival

The movie, “The Men Who Wait” by director Truong Minh Quy was awarded the Best Southeast Asian Short Film. Huynh Cong Nho’s Grandma’s Broken Leg received the Youth Jury Prize in the category of the Southeast Asian Short Film. The film, “Daughter of the Mountain God” of director Pham Hoang Minh Thy got the Fellowship Prize in the category of Southeast Asian Film Lab.

The 32nd Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) took place from 25 November 25 to December 5.
This year, a total of 13 awards were presented across six categories. Founded in 1987, the annual festival is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia. 

VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES DECEMBER 7

PMs of Vietnam-Netherlands hold phone talks