Authorities in HCM City’s District 1 have imposed stiff fines on more people who do not wear face masks in public.On Friday afternoon, police of Pham Ngu Lao Ward in District 1 did public spot-checks. The police caught four people sitting at a street beer stall in front of Park 23/9 without wearing face masks.

The police reminded them to conform to the regulation for Covid-19 prevention.

Some minutes later, when the police came back to the beer stall, only one among the four was wearing the face mask; while three others still blatantly ignored the request. So, the police decided to fine them VND2 million (USD86.95) each.

On the same day, one female staff member of a parking lot and another from a hairdresser on Pham Ngu Lao Street were also fined.

According to Huynh Man, vice chairman of Pham Ngu Lao Ward, local authorities have fined nine people for failing to conform to the face mask covering violation over the past three days.

Under the government’s newly-issued Decree 117, from November 15, people who do not wear face masks in public places are subject to a fine of VND1-3 million.

VN, Norway agree to promote coordination within UNSC framework

Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and Norwegian Foreign Minister Ine Marie Eriksen Soreide on December 4 held phone talks to discuss measures to promote bilateral relations and coordination at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in 2021 when both sides are UNSC non-permanent members.

The two diplomats spoke highly of the recent developments in the Viet Nam-Norway relationship, agreeing to continue boosting bilateral cooperation, particularly in such advantageous sectors as aquaculture, clean energy, marine scientific research, marine environmental protection, hydrology, oil and gas. 

On multilateral cooperation, Deputy PM Minh shared Viet Nam’s experience as the non-permanent member of the UNSC, expressing his belief that Norway, with its position, resources and experience, will help push cooperation and raise the role and voice of non-permanent members on issues under the agenda of the UNSC.

Both sides shared their priorities at the UNSC in the time to come, including multilateralism, observation of the UN Charter and international law, security and climate change, women issues, peace and security and protection of civilians, especially children, in armed conflicts.

They pledged to continue maintaining and promoting consultation mechanisms to share information to seek for common voice and consensus in handling with issues in the UNSC agenda.

The Norwegian FM took the occasion to express symphathy to Viet Nam over the losses caused by the recent calamities in central region, asserting that Norway is willing to support international community’s efforts in assisting the Southeast Asian country./.

Students allowed to stay at home in lengthy chilly weather

Students will be allowed to stay at home if the duration of the cold snap is possibly lengthy, said the Steering Board for Natural Disaster Prevention yesterday said in its dispatch.

According to the dispatch, local administrations can permit students to stay at home to protect their health.

The National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting said that due to impact of cold snap in the Northern and the Central regions in the next time, frost and hoarfrost will blanket some mountainous districts. Temperatures will drop to 11-14 degrees Celsius while it is going down to below 5 degrees Celsius in the mountainous areas during the next week.

The Steering Board for Natural Disaster Prevention proposed its sub-divisions to regularly update weather forecasting to spread information in media so that locals can know the condition.

Alongside, relevant agencies must implement safety measures to protect elder people and children in these areas. People are advised to wear warm clothes and not to make fire burning in an enclosed room with poor ventilation which presents a very dangerous hazard.
Farmers should have solutions to protect their livestock and herds of cattle.

Local administrations should provide material and money to help farmers in protecting their cattle and trees.

The Ministry of Health was proposed to instruct people measures and provide medical checkups to locals.

Athletes nationwide gather to compete in classic and freestyle wrestling event

The 2020 national classic and freestyle wrestling tournament opened on December 4 in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue, drawing the participation of over 220 wrestlers from across the country.

The athletes competing in the event are representing 17 teams nationwide and are due to compete in various different weight classes as part of the men’s classic, the men’s freestyle, and the women’s freestyle event.

The tournament will feature the involvement of numerous strong teams from Hanoi, Hai Phong, Bac Ninh, and the Military. The aim of the competition is to promote wrestling to the wider public, whilst also searching for talented wrestlers who can feature in the national squad.

Furthermore, the event also presents a chance for athletes to practice their skills and for teams to gain extra experience for future tournaments, including the 31st Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, which will be held in the country in November, 2021.  

Following the completion of the opening ceremony, participants donated a sum of VND50 million, equivalent to US$2,173, in an effort to assist victims of recent flooding that has severely impacted the central province of Thua Thien-Hue.

The national tournament is scheduled to run until December 10.

Hanoi welcomes over 715,000 visitors in November

Hanoi received more than 715,000 tourists in November, an increase of 29.1% against October, according to the municipal Department of Tourism.

Total tourism revenue was estimated to reach VND1.7 trillion, down 80.6% year-on-year but up 40.9% against October.

During the Jan-Nov period, the capital city welcomed nearly 8 million visitors and earned VND26.62 trillion from tourist activities.

Recently, Hanoi ranked 15th in the list of 25 most popular destinations of the 2020 Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards.

Over the past two months, the city’s hospitality sector has actively engaged in tourism programmes with localities nationwide to forge regional links and drive up visitor numbers and tourism revenue.

The city has taken a wide range of measures to stimulate tourism, actively participating in tourism promotion events including the Vietnam International Travel Mart and the Vietnam Cultural Heritage Day.

Assorted new tourist products have been developed to provide more interesting experience for visitors, including the Wild Sunflower Festival and Balloon Festival at Ba Vi National Park, and night tours at Hoa Lo Prison and Thang Long Imperial Citadel.

Programme launched to promote tourism potential of Yen Bai

A tourism programme was launched in Luc Yen District in the northern province of Yen Bai on December 4, gathering more than 100 local artisans, artists and ethnic people from across the district. 

Visitors to the opening ceremony were entertained with folk song and dances of ethnic groups in Luc Yen District, and admired a colourful firework display on the bank of Yen The Lake.

Various activities are being held within the framework of the tourism programme, including a rural market introducing typical products and delicious dishes of Luc Yen District, a chung (square glutinous rice cake) making contest, a bamboo basket weaving competition, street art performances, and exciting sporting events.

Visitors can also join tours to the Hac Y – Dai Kai national archaeological site, the Co Van – Muong Lai revolutionary base, and the Khai Trung Plain.

According the Chairman of Luc Yen District People’s Committee, Dinh Khac Yen, the local authorities have worked to establish Luc Yen as a friendly and attractive tourist destination for visitors, and strived to earn the title of new-style rural area for the district by 2025.

2,261 people relating to new Covid-19 cases in HCMC test negative

The HCMC Diseases Control Center announced this morning, December 5, that all the 2,261 people connected with the recent new Covid-19 cases in the city have tested negative for the virus.

As such, the city has gone three days without new locally transmitted Covid-19 cases. As many as 865 people who had close contact with the 1,342nd, 1,347th, 1,348th and 1,349th Covid-19 cases are being placed under quarantine.

Nguyen Tri Dung, director of the HCMC Diseases Control Center, said the health condition of the four patients is stable. After testing positive for Covid-19, the 1,342nd patient developed several symptoms such as fatigue, a sore throat and a stuffy nose. Meanwhile, the three other patients have not reported any Covid-19 symptoms.

Dung said that citizens should continue practicing Covid-19 infection prevention and control measures, including wearing face masks when they step out, using a hand sanitizer regularly, maintaining a safe physical distance in public places and avoiding large gatherings.

Visually impaired people to receive online business training

Attendees at the forum – PHOTO: COURTESY OF UNDP

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) together with the Vocational Training Center under the Hanoi Blind Association, with support from the Japanese Government, will provide a four-month online and digital business training and coaching program for 22 trainees with visual impairments in Vietnam.

This was announced at a forum on digital entrepreneurship opportunities for persons with disabilities co-existing with Covid-19 that took place on Tuesday at Green One UN House, where representatives of organizations for persons with disabilities, the private sector, investors and supporters of start-ups discussed how to promote digital employment and start-up opportunities for people with disabilities.

Vietnam is currently home to more than 6.2 million people with disabilities, who have been among the hardest hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the UNDP’s Rapid Assessment on Socio-Economic Impacts of Covid-19, 30% of people with disabilities lost their jobs, while some 50% had their work hours reduced and nearly 60% had to settle for pay cuts during the pandemic.

This year’s International Day for Persons with Disabilities, which was commemorated on December 3, focused on “Building back better: toward a disability-inclusive, accessible and sustainable post Covid-19 world”. It was based on the “leaving no one behind” principle of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, especially in vulnerable situations.

Addressing the event, the UNDP resident representative in Vietnam Caitlin Wiesen highlighted three approaches to accelerating the progress of the disability-inclusive implementation of the 2030 Agenda. These comprised taking a multi-stakeholder approach, recognizing persons with disabilities as experts on their needs and leading agents of change and putting in place adequate adjustments to enable persons with disabilities to take advantage of home-based or online employment.

“The UNDP is committed to working with the Government, development partners and civil society organizations to deepen our support to persons with disabilities in Vietnam and tackle the multi-dimensional challenges they face, including overcoming the growing digital divide in the context of Covid-19,” said Wiesen.

“As we work to build forward better, it is clear that we must put persons with disabilities—their inclusion, representation, rights, and protection—at the center of these efforts with the Sustainable Development Goals as our compass,” she added.

To contribute to a disability-inclusive recovery from Covid-19 and implement the recommendations of the Rapid Assessment, the UNDP with the support of the Government of Japan is providing training on digital skills for people with different types of disabilities to adapt to the new digitalization age after Covid-19.

Besides the four-month online and digital business training and coaching program for 22 people with visual impairments, the UNDP, the Will to Live Center and the Embassy of Japan in Vietnam earlier jointly launched a digital employment training program for 39 persons with disabilities on November 5, through which trainees will develop digital skills to be able to take up digital employment opportunities.

In addition, a model accessible district hospital is being built with rehabilitation services for people with disabilities, thus responding to their healthcare needs even during disasters.

Japanese firms provide aid for over 1,060 pandemic-hit Vietnamese students

Japanese enterprises have donated more than JPY50 million (US$481,100) for a program to finance part of tuition fees for Vietnamese students facing difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan, which has selected more than 1,060 beneficiaries. 

The information was unveiled at an event held in Tokyo on December 4 to review the programme, which was coordinated by the Vietnamese Embassy, MUFG Bank and its partners, the Association of Vietnamese Intellectuals in Japan (AVIJ), and the Vietnamese Youths and Students' Association (VYSA) in Japan. It ran from September to mid-November this year.

Speaking at the event, AVIJ President Le Duc Anh said the organsing board of the programme selected over 1,060 eligible students from more than 3,400 submissions. Each received 50,000 JPY in aid, he added.

Anh said the fund is a source of encouragement for Vietnamese students to continue purchasing their dreams in Japan.

Tooru Mera, a representative from the MUFG, hoped the aid will help alleviate difficulties facing the students so that they can obtain good academic achievements and make contributions to the Vietnam – Japan friendship in the future.  

Lam Thanh Phuong, an envoy at the Vietnamese Embassy, said the pandemic has caused several obstacles for Vietnamese in Japan, including students, who sent lots of requests for help to the embassy. Amid the context, the embassy has worked to raise funds for the community, helping them gain financial assistance, food, and accommodations, she added.

Phuong noted the programme for Vietnamese students is the largest of its kind to date.

According to statistics from the Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO), as of May last year, there were 73,389 Vietnamese students in Japan, accounting for 23.5 percent the nation’s total number of foreign students.

Quang Nam tightens control over people returning from HCMC

The People’s Committee of the South Central Coastal province of Quang Nam asked relevant departments and units to monitor and implement quarantine measures tp people who have returned from HCMC since November 27. 

According to the decision, arrivals must carry out 14 day isolation period and test for SARS-CoV-2 if they came to the places that COVID-19 patients visited in HCMC, including Citigym in Phu Nhuan District on November 18; Karaoke bar ICOOL’s Room 201 in District 10 on November 23; Highlands Coffee shop in Van Hanh Mall in District 10 from 8-9 p.m. on November 22; Phuong restaurant in District 11 from 8-10 p.m. on November 25; KEY English centers in District 10 and Tan Binh District from November 21-27; SAS English Center from 6-7.30 p.m. ; Cho Ray Hospital’s Visa Medical Department on November 23; Highlands Coffee shops in Viettel Building in District 10, an apartment on the opposite side of Thong Nhat Stadium in District 11 on November 25.

There were also Minh Chau pharmacy on Minh Phung Street in District 6; Isushi restaurant on Cao Thang Street in District 3 on November 27; Cho Ray Hospital’s MRI room on November 27, VIVA coffee shop on Ly Thuong Kiet Street in District 11 on November 30; Cu Hanh Tay restaurant on Le Van Sy Street in Phu Nhuan District on November 21; HCMC University of Technology (HUTECH) in Binh Thanh District on November 22; Bun Dau Met restaurant on Le Hong Phong Street in District 10 on November 27.

After the quarantine period, people will continue staying home for 14 days and must comply with strict safety guidelines, including the Health Ministry’s 5K message, Khau trang (facemask) - Khu khuan (disinfection) - Khoang cach (distance) - Khong tu tap (no gathering) – Khai bao y te (health declaration).

People who did not visit above places must also strictly implement the Health Ministry’s 5K message after returning to Quang Nam.

HCMC authorities ask to increase prevention of fall and winter diseases

The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee has asked state agencies and organizations to increase prevention of fall and winter illnesses. 

Under the written document of the People’s Committee, the municipal Department of Health must work with the city Steering Board for Disease Prevention, the HCMC Center for Disease Control and the International Health Quarantine Center of HCMC to monitor diseases in the community, the border gates to early discover infectious diseases and especially Covid-19, MERS-CoV, influenza A(H7N9), A(H5N1), and A(H5N6).

Additionally, these above-mentioned bodies must focus implementing measures against rabies , respiratory diseases such as diphtheria, measles, and rubella as well as hand-foot-and mouth and dengue fever.

Health centers and local administration must disinfect residential areas to kill mosquito larva. Moreover, the health centers in districts must carry out supplementary immunization activities to achieve the vaccination rate of 95 percent.

Medical facilities must eliminate hospital-acquired infections and strictly follow the Ministry of Health’s guideline in separation of patients to prevent transmission.

Vietnam sees rise in obesity, overweight

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam at the conference (Photo: SGGP)

Vietnam has seen very unprecedentedly high increases in overweight and obesity in big cities which greatly contribute to escalating rates of chronic conditions such as cardiovascular diseases and metabolism. 

It was reported at a meeting about the importance of the National Nutrition Strategies for the 2021-2030 period between Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam and the Ministry of Health and representatives from international organizations yesterday.

Implementation of the national strategy on nutrition has had fruitful achievement with the rate of stunted children in Vietnam decreasing from 29.3 percent in 2010 to under 20 percent 2020.
Vietnamese people nowaday have an average height of 1.68 meter exceeding the set goal of 1.67 meter in the strategy for developing the height of Vietnamese young people for the 2011-2020 period.

Deputy PM Dam ordered the Ministry of Health to quickly implement the Vietnam Health Program to improve the well-being, stature, lifespan and life quality of Vietnamese people. The program targets to provide proper diet, physical exercise increase to make Vietnamese people healthier.

Moreover, the program must change each person and the community’s awareness and behaviors to prevent diseases for individual and communal health. Under the program, every Vietnamese people can regularly undergo medical checkup in grass-root clinics to reduce disease burden as well as minimize deaths and improve people’s living condition.

Best children author marks 25th anniversary of his book series

Children’s best-selling author Nguyen Nhat Anh and painter Do Hoang Tuong will have an exchange with readers at the head office of Kim Dong Publishing House in Hanoi on December 5 on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the launching his best-known series, Kinh Van Hoa (Kaleidoscope). 

The Kinh Van Hoa book series which contains 54 volumes was written from 1995 to 2009 and adapted into 3 movies. It tells stories about 3 teenagers, their friendship and school life. The book series which received many praises has been reprinted 7 times in different editions.

In September, Nguyen Nhat Anh was honored with the Cricket Knight prize for his work “Lam ban voi bau troi” (Make friends with Sky) at the first De Men (Cricket) Arts Awards for Children 2020. He also won the Vietnamese Writers’ Association Award in 2009 and the ASEAN Literature Award in 2010.

He is a favorite author of children, teenagers and adults. His well-known novels recently published include Toi la Beto (I am Beto); Cho Toi Xin Mot Ve Di Tuoi Tho (Give me a ticket to childhood); Dao Mong Mo (Dream Island); and Toi Thay Hoa Vang Tren Co Xanh (I see yellow flowers on green grass) and more. Anh was granted the Southeast Asian Writer Award 2017 for the book Cho Toi Xin Mot Ve Di Tuoi Tho (Give me a ticket to childhood).

Hanoi – a spotlight in administrative reform

The satisfaction of enterprises and citizens is the gauge of Hanoi’s governance.

Five years since the start of Program No.08 of Hanoi Party Committee on administrative reform in the period 2016-20, Hanoi has achieved significant results with 25.4% of administrative procedures being trimmed off, exceeding 0.4% of the target, contributing a big part in the capital city’s socio-economic development.

“Out of 15 criteria set in Program No.08, Hanoi has exceeded two targets, including the rate of online public services and the simplification of administrative procedures,” said Director of Hanoi’s Department of Internal Affairs Vu Thu Hai.

For three consecutive years, Hanoi stayed in the second place nationwide in the 2019 Public Administration Reform (PAR) index with a combined score of 84.64%, slightly up from 83.98% in 2018, while the Hanoi’s Satisfaction Index of Public Administration Services (SIPAS) continued to record a good result in 2019 with score of over 80%.

In 2019, seven out of eight sub-components of the PAR Index recorded higher average scores compared to last year, except for the “Evaluating of impacts of administrative reform to citizens, organizations and socio-economic development indicators at localities”.

“Hanoi gives strong priority to further improving the city’s scores in both PAR and SIPAS indexes, effectively making the satisfaction of enterprises and citizens as the gauge of the city’s governance,” she noted.

As of present, over 1,600 online public services in Hanoi, or over 80% of the total, are available, while the number of documents processed through the online public services portal reached over 2.2 million. To date, Hanoi has integrated 223 public online services to the national services portal.

Sharing Mrs. Hai’s view, Deputy Head of Gia Lam district’s Department of Internal Affairs Luu Thi Ngoc Yen said by providing online public services, the city strives to create favorable and healthy business environment.

“From a total of 316 administrative procedures in Gia Lam district, 35 have been simplified with shorter processing time,” Mrs. Yen added.

Chairwoman of Bach Khoa ward People’s Committee Hoang Thi Tuyet Lan said following the Program No.08, the rate administrative requests processed on time or ahead of schedule in the locality has always been maintained at 100%.

There has been a monitoring system in place to check the working progress of local authorities in complying with instructions of the central government, Prime Minister, and city’s leaders. 

At the same time, Hanoi continues to tighten disciplines of public servants, strictly punishing violations when working with the citizens and enterprises.

Among measures to boost the administrative reform, Hanoi is encouraging its citizens to use public online services, a key step to build e-citizens and a smart city in the future, while evaluating the satisfaction of citizens and enterprises towards the quality of public services at the city’s 22 departments and 30 districts.

Bac Ninh cultural space in the heart of Hanoi

The capital’s people and visitors to Hanoi experienced many activities of Bac Ninh province, including Quan ho folk songs, a world intangible cultural heritage.

A display of “Bac Ninh space in the heart of Hanoi in 2020” lured a large number of visitors to the pedestrian space of Hoan Kiem lake and its vicinity of Hanoi on December 4, held by the Department of Planning and Investment of Bac Ninh province.

The program includes a series of activities including: Bac Ninh handicraft demonstration such as Phu Lang pottery, Dong Ho folk paintings, Xuan Lai bamboo and rattan utensils, Phu The wood carving, Dong Ky carpentry and bronze casting of Dai Bai village. 

Hanoians have the opportunity to enjoy the unique culinary specialties of Bac Ninh province include local rustic dishes, such as Cho village's rice cake, Bui Xa spring rolls, Dinh To soy sauce, banh Phu The (husband and wife cake), Diem village’s cuddled sticky rice cake.  

In addition, a number of activities to promote the value of popular heritage associated with tourist activities through the form of folk singing performances of Quan ho clubs, costume show, betel in the form of phoenix wings have also been held within the framework of the program.

Hanoi to block spam text messages, emails and calls

Hanoi will map outprotocols on dealing with phone numbers spreading spam text messages and calls and phone numbers displayed onillegal billboard ads and classified ads in the city.

The Hanoi Department of Information and Communications has just issued a plan to implement Decree 91/2020 of the Vietnamese government on stopping spam messages, emails and calls, Kinh te & Do thi Newspaper reported.

To achieve the goal, Hanoi will focus on implementing five contents and solutions in the near future, including giving technical guidance to subscribers to avoid spam messages, emails and calls.

Besides, Hanoi will map out regulations dealing with phone numbers spreading spam text messages and calls and phone numbers displayed onillegal billboard ads and classified ads in the city.

The Hanoi Department of Information and Communications will handle reports on spam messages, emails and calls, then inspect and sanction the offenses in accordance with regulations.

The progress of the plan implementation will be made public together with increasing dissemination on the Decree 91 and cases sanctioned.

The identifier "SoTTTTHaNoi" will be registered to send SMS to the violators, summoning them to the Information and Communications Department.

The Post and Telematics Division under the Hanoi Department of Information and Communications is assigned to assume the prime responsibility for monitoring, urging and guiding relevant units, businesses and individuals in implementing the plan.

Sketching contest of Temple of Literature attracts Hanoi students

The contest is aimed at encouraging the city’s students to delve into the history the Temple of Literature, a cultural heritage of the capital city.

Students from art and architecture universities in Hanoi will have the opportunity to show their talents through the pencil sketching contest about the Temple of Literature’s scenery and artifacts.

Hanoi is currently one of 246 cities in the world participating in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. The contest with the theme “Sketching the Temple of Literature” is one of the many activities to realize Hanoi’s commitments when joining the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, contributing to conservation and promotion of the relics’ values, and encourage the city’s students to understand more about the temple and other cultural heritages of the capital city. 

The contest is held by the Center for Scientific and Culture Activities of Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam and the National University of Civil Engineering. It aims at turning the temple into a creative space with many meaningful, attractive and friendly cultural activities, said Mr. Le Xuan Kieu, Director of the relics’ Center for Scientific and Cultural Activities. 

The participants of the contest are students from the National University of Civil Engineering, Hanoi Architectural University, Vietnam University of Fine Arts and Hanoi Open University. They will make pencil drawings of the temple's architecture, its artifacts and scenery. 

Outstanding works will be displayed and honored at the Temple of Literature in mid-January 2021. The winner will be awarded a cash prize of VND10 million (US$432). There will be two second-place, three third-place and five consolation prizes.

Hanoi strives to realize socio-economic targets in 2020: Mayor

Hanoi has achieved significant results as the city continues to pursue the dual target of both containing the pandemic and boosting economic recovery, the Hanoi’s mayor has said.

For the final month of the year, Hanoi continues to push for the realization of socio-economic targets in 2020, according to Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Chu Ngoc Anh.

“In the past 11 months, the city achieved major results and remained steadfast in efforts to pursue the dual target of both containing the pandemic and boosting economic recovery,” stated Mr. Anh at a meeting on December 4.

Director of the municipal Planning and Investment Department Nguyen Manh Quyen said total budget revenue of the city in the January – November period stood at VND233.51 trillion (US$10.06 billion), equivalent to 83.8% of the estimate and down 1.1% year-on-year.

While the Covid-19 pandemic still exerts negative impacts on the economy, Hanoi’s exports in November rose by 8.3% month-on-month and 21.8% year-on-year to US$1.46 billion, in which the domestic-invested sector contributed US$875 million and US$590 million from the foreign peers.

Overall, the city recorded exports of US$14.6 billion in the first 11 months, up 1.2% year-on-year and imports of US$25.9 billion, down 9.5%.

As the city is pushing for economic recovery, the industrial production index expanded by 2.3% month-on-month and 6.3% year-on-year.

Domestic consumption is also a positive factor supporting economic growth, as revenue from retail sales and services of the 11-month period increased by 2.7% year-on-year to VND530.1 trillion (US$22.83 billion).

As the Covid-19 pandemic remains complicated globally and the emergence of local infections in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi is expected to push forward with anti-Covid-19 measures, including strict quarantine and tracing of suspected cases of infections, and boost production in the final month.

With public investment seen as a key solution to aid economic recovery, Hanoi aims to disburse 100% of the target amount this year, and set up six task forces specialized in this regard under the instruction of Secretary of Hanoi Party Committee Vuong Dinh Hue.

The Hanoi mayor requested the Department of Planning and Investment to continue speeding up public investment, as the disbursement progress so far having reached 89% of the target at VND40.4 trillion (US$1.74 billion).

The Department of Industry and Trade is tasked with supervising the market to stabilize goods prices and preventtrade frauds and fake products circulating in the market.

This year, Hanoi’s gross regional domestic product (GRDP) growth is estimated to reach 3.94% this year, which is lower than the year’s target of 7.5% but would be 1.5 times higher than the national average (2.5–3%).

UN Women helps ethnic minority women struck by COVID-19 in Lao Cai

Six hundred poor ethnic minority households in four COVID-19 hit communes in Bat Xat district, Lao Cai province, have received nearly VND1.4 billion (or US$61,000) in cash from UN Women, a United Nations entity for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment.

UN Women, in coordination with Lao Cai province Women's Union, implemented this cash delivery activity for ethnic minority women affected by COVID-19 in Lao Cai. 

The total funding of nearly VND1.4 billion came from UN COVID-19 Response and Recovery Multi-Partner Trust (UN COVID-19 MPTF).

600 households will receive the cash support with an estimated amount of VND2.3 million per each household. The cash grant will help people buy food, necessities and invest in their livelihoods during the on-going pandemic.

This initiative will complement existing government assistance and address gaps in support for the most vulnerable and workers in the informal sector affected by COVID-19, said Elisa Fernandez Saenz, Representative of UN Women Viet Nam.

Ethnic minority women in poor households in Lao Cai will be supported to continue their livelihood activities, job losses will be minimized; thereby reducing negative effects on families and women, she added.

Lao Cai Province is a region disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, especially vulnerable ones who are women working in informal sectors and ethnic minorities. Consisting of 14.7% of Viet Nam’s population, ethnic minority people account for 95% of the country’s extreme poor and 55.3% of the poor.

UN Women is part of the UN “Delivering as One” initiative in Viet Nam and it leads UN’s advocacy to further promote gender equality by enhancing women’s economic empowerment, ending violence against women and girls and improving women’s access to justice, and making gender equality a key part of the national legal framework, policies and plans.

Hanoi Party chief requests definite solution for garbage issues

Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Vuong Dinh Hue inspects the Soc Son Waste Treatment Complex. Photo: Thanh Hai/Kinhtedothi.vn

The Hanoi Party chief has asked authorities to thoroughly solve the issues related to the Soc Son Waste Treatment Complex once and for all.

The Hanoi’s government is responsible for addressing legitimate petitions of the people living near Soc Son Waste Treatment Complex to handle the city’s garbage issues, Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Vuong Dinh Hue has said.

Hue was speaking at a working visit to the inspection site in the city's outskirt district of Soc Son on December 3.

The residents living near the Soc Son Waste Treatment Complex, the largest of its kind in Hanoi, have been suffering contamination from the landfill for years. The resettlement plan has been delayed as there is not yet compensation.

Hue said that the city has compensation plan for local residents but they did not agree because it is unsatisfactory.

The Hanoi Party chief has asked authorities to thoroughly solve the issues related to the Soc Son Waste Treatment Complex soon.

Regarding the safe water supply for affected people, Mr. Hue stated that the Hanoi People's Committee must immediately consider solutions to upgrade the capacity of three existing water purifiers in Soc Son district, or build a new one to supply clean water for the locals.

"The authorities need to urgently raise the treatment capacity of the landfill, and speed up the progress of the Soc Son waste to power plant project to put it into operation in early 2021," Mr. Hue stressed.

He has assigned Soc Son district's authorities to provide free health insurance for 7,000 households affected by contamination (in a radius of 1,000 meters), as requested by the locals.

This aims to soon complete site clearance and handle the remaining issues so that the construction of the waste-to-energy plant project, the largest one in Vietnam, in the district will soon come into operation.

The plant was designed to have a processing capacity of 4,000 tons of waste per day.

The Soc Son Waste Treatment Complex, covering over 157 ha, was built in 1999 in Nam Son, Bac Son and Hong Ky communes. The complex handles around 5,000 of the 6,500 tons the city generates each day. The other 1,500 tons are treated at the Xuan Son landfill in Son Tay Town and other small waste treatment facilities.

Hanoi boosts Covid-19 prevention and control

Hanoi's authorities will strictly sanction people defying Covid-19 prevention and control protocol.

Hanoi’s authorities have requested people to comply with the Covid-19 prevention and control protocol and strengthen hygiene measures, Kinh te & Do thi Newspaper cited Chairman of the municipal People's Committee Chu Ngoc Anh’s express note on December 3.

As per the document, the Hanoi mayor once again stressed on precautionary measures, including quick testing, contact tracing, masking up in public places, and washing hands.

In addition, regulations for receiving visitors from abroad, including quarantine, must be strictly applied.

Vietnamese returnees, depending on their categories, will be quarantined in concentrated centers or in other types of facilities.

Meanwhile, the city’s government asked relevant agencies to conduct necessary procedures for incoming foreign diplomats, experts, investors, high-skilled workers, foreign students and their relatives in the city. 

The city mayor said the city will keep people vigilant on the pandemic that remains unpredictable as Vietnam and Hanoi in particular are at high risk of imported transmission.

He said the city’s Department of Health needs to keep close watch on the pandemic evolution by imposing five step regulation including preventing, detecting, quarantining, zoning, and stamping out.

"The health sector will ensure enough resources for dealing with any outbreak," Anh said in the document.

He said the city will keep disseminating the "5K" message, that means Khau trang (face mask) - Khu khuan (disinfection) - Khoang cach (distancing) - Khong tu tap (no gatherings) - Khai bao y te (health declaration).

On November 30, a newly confirmed case, tagged Covid-19 patient 1347 in Ho Chi Minh City, ended a streak of 88 days of zero locally-transmitted infections, according to the Ministry of Health.

Vietnam has recorded 1,358 Covid-19 cases so far, including 119 active infections, and 35 deaths.

Hanoi has gone more than 100 days without detecting any new cases of Covid-19 in the community. However, according to experts, the risk of a resurgence of the Covid-19 pandemic is latent, so staying vigilant is a must, as cold and dry winter conditions favor the transmission of the virus.

Source: VNA/VNN/VNS/SGGP/VOV/NDO/Dtinews/SGT/VIR