Hanoi will expand COVID-19 testing for F2 cases and those in quarantined and high-risk areas to prevent the spread of the pandemic, said Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Chu Xuan Dung.

During a meeting of the municipal Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control on February 3, Dung suggested localities and units concerned continue tracing and testing not only F1 but also F2 and F3 cases.

Of them, F1 cases must be under concentrated quarantine, F2 at homes and F3 under medical supervision.

Buses were required to not carry more than half of their capacity and over 20 passengers. Localities must closely monitor the suspension of bars, karaoke parlors, game and Internet shops, seriously punish violators and raise public awareness of prevention and control effort.

According to the committee, Hanoi recorded two more COVID-19 cases in the community from February 1 to 2pm on February 3.

The outlying district of Me Linh is one of the high-risk areas with three infection cases in Tien Thang commune. Medical staff are working with communes and townships to trace F1, F2, F3 cases related to them./.

Secretariat’s Permanent member calls for better preparation for Lunar New Year

Permanent member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat on February 3 called on the entire political system and people to strengthen caring for policy beneficiaries amid organisation of celebrations for the 2021 Lunar New Year holiday from February 10 to 16, 2021.

The 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam was a very successful event. In order to prepare optimal conditions for the people to welcome the upcoming 2021 Lunar New Year holiday in a healthy, safe and economical manner, as well as create an exciting atmosphere from the first days of implementing the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress and the resolutions of Party Congresses at all levels, Permanent members of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat have asked Party Committees in provinces and cities across the country to soon disseminate, thoroughly grasp and organise the implementation of the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress, in the immediate future, and to focus in particular on performing the following tasks well:

1. Focus intently on COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control under the direction of the Permanent members of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat, the Prime Minister’s instructions and all related dispatches.

2. Continue to thoroughly grasp and strictly implement Directive No.48-CT/TW, dated December 9, 2020 of the Secretariat on the organisation of the 2021 Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday, as well as all dispatches and directions of the Prime Minister on ensuring political security, social order and safety during the Tet holiday; preparing optimal conditions for people to enjoy the Spring festival and celebrate Tet; taking good care of the people’s material and spiritual life during Tet, ensuring every family can enjoy the Spring festival; and in particular, taking care of policy beneficiaries, people with meritorious services to the revolution, people in difficult circumstances, ethnic minority people in remote and far-flung areas and regions hit by natural disasters or epidemics.

3. Localities should consider the necessity for fireworks displays, strictly comply with regulations on epidemic prevention and control and perhaps save resources to care for needy people and policy beneficiaries and the anti-epidemic work.

4. Public vehicles are prohibited to go to festivals during working hours (unless assigned by the competent authorities in some special circumstances).

694 samples taken at FPT University test negative for COVID-19

Thach That district’s People Committee announced on February 3 that all 694 samples taken from students and teachers of FPT University came back negative for the SARS-CoV-2-virus.

Mass testing was carried out after a 19-year-old student from the university tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) on January 31. This led to the immediate testing of all staff, teachers, and students, with individuals forced to self-isolate at home or their address of residence.

With regard to the latest developments concerning the COVID-19 epidemic, the authorities of Ha Long City have decided to lift social distancing regulations placed on three markets, including Cao Thang, Gieng Day, and Ha Khau.

In line with this, the move will come into effect from midnight on February 4 and February 5.

Local authorities have also requested that relevant agencies thoroughly spray disinfectant in all areas and remind local people to closely follow COVID-19 prevention measures.

Hanoi seeks passengers from flights COVID-19 patient was on 

The Hà Nội Department of Health is seeking 406 passengers from two flights on January 29 related to the city's 21st COVID-19 patient of the recent outbreak. 

The patient was on board flight VN7245 from Hà Nội to HCM City which took off at 6am and flight QH242 from HCM City to Hà Nội which landed at 9.45pm.

Passengers travelling on the two flights were urged to contact the nearest medical facility for assistance on COVID-19 disease prevention or call the pandemic prevention hotline numbers 0969802115 or 0949396115.

Patient 1,883, male, born in 1976, (the 21st case of Hà Nội) works at a notary office located at No 6 Duy Tân Street, Dịch Vọng Hâu Ward, Cầu Giấy District. He lives at 601N03 Lạc Trung, Vĩnh Tuy, Hai Bà Trưng District.

He was a close contact of patient 1,814 and currently has no disease symptoms.

He was tested on February 2 and had a positive result for the coronavirus.  

Party Central Committee’s Inspection Commission convenes 1st meeting

The 13th-tenure Party Central Committee’s Inspection Commission has convened its first meeting in Hanoi.

Politburo member and Chairman of the 13th-tenure Party Central Committee’s Inspection Commission Tran Cam Tu chaired the meeting, during which the commission’s vice chairpersons were elected.

The commission assigned tasks to its members and started the building of the working regulations of the commission in the 13th tenure.

It also prepared a proposal on amendments and supplements to the Party Central Committee’s Regulation 30-QD/TW issued on July 26, 2016 on the implementation of the Party Statute’s chapters VII and VIII on the Party’s inspection, supervision and discipline affairs to submit to the Politburo and the Party Central Committee for consideration and decision.

The submission also deployed a number of key tasks in the coming time./.

Coach Park Hang-seo back to Vietnam

Chief coach of the Vietnam national football team Park Hang-seo returned to Vietnam on February 3 and will now undergo a 21-day quarantine period in line with regulations on COVID-19 prevention and control.

Korean coach Park Hang-seo has returned to Vietnam after a New Year break in his home country
Following the successful completion of the quarantine period, he is scheduled to focus on planning for the national team’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers and games at the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Cup.

Providing that there are domestic matches taking place, he will attend games involving national team players as he prepares the squad for clashes against strong rivals, including the UAE, Thailand, and Malaysia. The national squad are due to meet in late March for their match against Malaysia.

The Korean coach departed Vietnam for his homeland in order to enjoy the Lunar New Year. He was also presented with a commemorative insignia during a special ceremony held in the Republic of Korea (RoK) on February 1, the first time a insignia has been released to honour a Korean football expert.

Following its debut in the RoK, the commemorative item will go on sale in Vietnam, with all of the proceeds being used to support a Vietnamese youth football project, in line with Hang-seo’s request.

Country’s largest coconut producing province fights new pest

The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Bến Tre has tightened measures to control the coconut black-headed caterpillar, a pest that has been damaging the coconut crop since appearing for the first time last July.

Bến Tre, the country’s largest coconut producer, has seen around 65ha of coconut groves affected by the leaf-eating pest in Mỏ Cày Bắc, Bình Đại, Châu Thành, Mỏ Cày Nam, and Chợ Lách districts and Bến Tre City, with their yields reduced by 80-100 per cent.

The pest lives in coconut trees in all forms, from larva to moth, causing considerable damage to the trees. The worm eats the leaves and even the surface of immature coconuts, causing leaf scorch and immature nuts to fall off.

The province’s Plant Protection and Cultivation Sub-department has instructed farmers to use chemical and biological measures to control the pest.

In August the province used drones to spray pesticides including bio-pesticides on more than 30ha of affected coconut groves in Bình Đại District’s Phú Long Commune.

Speaking at a recent meeting, Nguyễn Văn Dũng, deputy head of the sub-department, said there are difficulties in the process of controlling the pest such as farmers not strictly following temporary prevention measures.

They used highly toxic pesticides instead, causing an adverse impact on the health of people and the environment, he said.

To control the pest, farmers should cut off pest-affected leaves and destroy them by burning or burying in water to prevent its spreading, he said.

If coconut trees are too old or are severely affected by the pest, farmers should cut them down and destroy them, he said.

In groves that have creatures like the parasitoid Asecodes hispinarum and the Asian weaver ant that predate on the coconut black-headed caterpillar, farmers should use less toxic pesticides to protect the former, he said.   

Huỳnh Quang Đức, deputy director of the province Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said coconut farmers should prioritise biological measures to reduce the adverse impacts on predatory species, people’s health and the environment.

The department is working with the HCM City Agriculture and Forestry University to study the damage caused by the coconut black – headed caterpillar and biological measures against it.

The caterpillar also damages coconut crops in other countries like Sri Lanka, India and Thailand, according to the sub-department.

Bến Tre has more than 72,000ha under coconut, or 42.5 per cent of the country’s total.

More than $217 million compensated to locals in Long Thành airport project site

The southern province of Đồng Nai has paid more than VNĐ5 trillion (US$217.12 million) as ground clearance compensation and resettlement support to 2,200 households affected by the construction of Long Thành International Airport project.

The ground clearance for the project has been conducted quickly thanks to the high consensus of locals, said Lê Văn Tiệp, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Long Thành District.

Đồng Nai plans to basically complete the compensation and support for affected people and hand over land to the investor, the Airports Corporation of Viet Nam (ACV), in March 2021.

The project site has more than 4,300 households who have been arranged to resettle in Long An-Bình Sơn area. So far, more than 200 households have received resettlement land to build houses.

The construction of Long Thành International Airport started on January 5 and its first phase scheduled to finish in 2025. About 5,000 hectares of land have been reclaimed, including more than 3,000 hectares belonging to more than 5,000 households. 

Lao PM sends congratulations to PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc

Thongloun Sisoulith, General Secretary of the 11th-tenure Central Committee of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) and Prime Minister of Laos, on February 3 sent a message of congratulations to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on his re-election as Politburo member of the 13th-tenure Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

Earlier, the Lao leader had also sent a thank-you message to PM Phuc for the latter’s congratulations on the success of the LPRP’s 11th National Congress and his election as General Secretary of the 11th-tenure Central Committee of the LPRP./.

Green Tet trade fair

Most of us are aware of the damage caused by single-use plastic bags and boxes, but changing shopping habits is not easy. Let’s go to a market where there are no signs at all of plastic bags. Every single item for sale here is environmentally-friendly and reusable.

 The Green Tet trade fair has become an anticipated annual event in recent times. The organisers hope it will help expose customers to green business models while encouraging them to become used to shopping without plastic bags.

Going green has become more common these days. There are more green goods to choose from and less use of plastic products, which help create a green community. This is the message of the Green Tet trade fair./.

Activists in US pin hopes on Vietnam’s development after 13th National Party Congress

The 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) marked a turning point helping Vietnam enter a new period of socialism.

The view was shared by US activist Merle Ratner and Professor Ngo Thanh Nhan, coordinators of an organisation mobilising aid and responsibility for Vietnamese Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin victims in the US, during an interview with the Vietnam News Agency (VNA)'s reporters in New York on February 3.

Ratner said over the past five years, Vietnam has made breakthroughs in development with many economic achievements and basically overcome the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vietnam now stands ready to enter a period of sustainable development, as well as the next phase of socialism, she added.
The 13th National Party Congress pointed out limitations and shortcomings, while setting out orientations to address those issues, which demonstrates democracy of socialism, the activist stressed.

Sharing Ratner’s view, Nhan said amid global uncertainties triggered by COVID-19, the congress took place at a right time to consolidate the Party and the Government in order to better care for people and facilitate the development of young generations.

Rater extended her congratulations to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on his re-election as the Party chief, and expressed her hope that elected leaders will make efforts to contain the pandemic, maintain economic growth, and bring first benefits to labourers and civilians.

She also expressed her hope that Vietnam would have a new health care system soon to benefit all people, improve its social welfare towards the poor, and continue with the fight against corruption as set at the congress.

Both Ratner and Nhan believed that Vietnam will continue to effectively combat the epidemic thanks to the Party’s leadership in combination with people’s solidarity, and recover the national economy sustainably./.

Hanoi, HCM City hold art shows to mark Party’s founding anniversary

Art performance shows were held in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City on February 3 night to celebrate the 91st founding anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (February 3, 1930 - 2021).

At the Vietnam-Soviet Union Cultural Friendship Palace in Hanoi, a grand show with visual and sound effects reenacted Vietnam’s revolutionary struggles and historic victories.

The live-broadcast event was participated by many popular artists, singers, dancers, and local students.

Meanwhile, the other art programme at the Saigon Opera House consisted of 16 impressive performance items, gathering a large number of renowned artists and musicians.

Strict COVID-19 prevention and control measures were implemented during both events./.

Poor students and workers receive free tickets to travel home for Tet  

The HCM City Communist Youth Union and its partners have launched a programme to offer free bus and flight tickets for poor students in HCM City to travel home for the Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday, from January 31 to February 10.

The programme, called Mang Tết Về Nhà (Coming Home for Tết), is funded by the union, employers and organisations. 

More than 3,000 return tickets, including 1,152 flight tickets, have been provided to outstanding students from colleges and universities around the city. Many of these students are from central provinces that were seriously affected by flooding and storms last year. 

Several thousand gifts and 4,000 bánh chưng (square glutinous rice cake), a Vietnamese cake cooked with glutinous rice, mung bean and pork used during Tết, have also been offered.  

Trần Thị Kim Oanh and Lý Thành Tâm from Hà Tĩnh Province, who study at HCM City National University in Thủ Đức District, were happy to receive bus tickets and New Year’s greetings from the programme’s organisers. They both began their trip home yesterday.  

“I did not return home for Tết last year, so I’m very happy to participate in the programme Mang Tết Về Nhà this year,” said Oanh, a fourth-year student in trade & marketing.

“Today, my peers and I go back to our hometown to celebrate Tết with our family and nothing is happier. I hope there will be more and more bus trips like this every year for poor students and workers to return home.” 

Oanh and other students have been asked to wear face masks, wash hands with sanitiser and keep a safe distance during their trips. 

Under the programme, the first two flights and 15 buses transported 500 students, starting last Sunday. 

Labour unions at industrial parks and export processing zones in the city have also presented nearly 7,000 airline tickets and train tickets to migrant workers this Tết. More than 13,000 gifts worth VNĐ500,000 each have also been provided to poor labourers.  

Nguyễn Hồ Hải, Deputy Secretary of the city’s Party Committee, has sent New Year’s greetings to workers and their families and wished them a happy Tết.

Hải said that he hoped the workers would return to the city after Tết and continue to work and contribute to the city’s development. 

Vietnam attends Chiefs of Air Staff Conclave

Maj. Gen. Pham Truong Son, Deputy Commander of the Air Defence - Air Force Service of Vietnam, is attending the teleconferenced Chiefs of Air Staff Conclave that opened on February 3, the Quan doi Nhan dan (People’s Army) newspaper reported.

The three-day event, held by the Indian Air Force, saw the participation of Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force Marshal Bhadauria, and representatives of many countries in the region.

It features three sessions on disruptive technologies and innovations, air power in the Indo-Pacific region, and air power and airspace strategies.

Addressing the conclave, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the air force plays a highly important role at present, especially when many countries are facing threats from unmanned aerial vehicles, noting that the event provides an occasion for countries to update their knowledge about aerospace technology and exchange experience in enhancing and developing the strength of their air forces.

He recommended countries’ air forces proactively promote cooperation and experience sharing so as to effectively adapt to external factors, thereby boosting the strength of each air force and jointly guaranteeing an environment of peace, stability, and development.

Singh affirmed that India is a trustworthy partner, and it wishes to build up cooperative relations for common development with countries in the Indo-Pacific region, especially in terms of security, defence, and sharing information about COVID-19 prevention and control, according to the Quan doi Nhan dan.

Italy holds training course on citizen protection for local, ASEAN officials

An online training course on citizen protection services for high-level Italian and ASEAN officials opened on February 3, aiming to foster the ASEAN – Italy development partnership.

Co-organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Civil Protection Department of Italy, the course gathered nearly 20 experts from the bloc and Italy, including two Vietnamese.

On behalf of ASEAN ambassadors in Italy, Indonesian Ambassador and Chairwoman of the ASEAN Committee in Rome Andayani Esti lauded the meaning of the course, particularly when both sides are being impacted negatively by the climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Italy Nguyen Thi Bich Hue took the occasion to share Vietnam’s priorities and experience in disaster management and COVID-19 prevention and control.

She expressed her belief that Italy, as the current President of the G20, will step up collaboration with ASEAN in a bid to realise the G20’s people-targeted goals in its 2021 agenda.

In September last year, the 53rd ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting officially granted Italy the status of Development Partner of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)./.

Vietnamese ambassador meets leader of Communist Party of Argentina

Newly-appointed Vietnamese Ambassador to Argentina Duong Quoc Thanh received General Secretary of the Communist Party of Argentina (PCA) Victor Gorodeki Kot at the embassy’s headquarters in Buenos Aires on February 3.

The two sides informed each other about their countries’ situation, especially the COVID-19 pandemic’s impacts on socio-economic development in Vietnam, Argentina, and the world as a whole.

They also discussed some cooperation issues to enhance relations between the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and the PCA so as to help strengthen the comprehensive partnership between the two nations.

The PCA leader highlighted the two parties’ faithful and sustainable relations throughout history, expressing his admiration for the Vietnamese people’s will and steadfastness in the struggle for national independence and reunification in the past, as well as the enormous achievements in “Doi moi” (Renewal) and development efforts nowadays, especially the impressive outcomes of the COVID-19 combat, which have contributed to Vietnam’s growing stature in the international arena.

Congratulating the CPV on its successful 13th National Congress, he affirmed that the PCA always keeps a close watch on the situation in Vietnam and stands side by side with the CPV in the national development process.

Gorodeki Kot expressed his wish that under the CPV’s leadership, the Vietnamese people will gain even greater successes in the time to come, recommending the two countries increase sharing experience in national development and the COVID-19 fight.

He said he hopes that as the Vietnamese Ambassador to Argentina, Thanh will exert efforts to help further intensify the traditional cooperation between the two parties and people of the two countries.

Briefing his guest of the 13th National Party Congress’s outcomes, Thanh underlined the CPV’s consistent goal of socialist-oriented national development and enhancing its relations with progressive parties around the world, including the PCA.

He also shared some of Vietnam’s experiences in COVID-19 prevention and control.

Despite difficulties and challenges, relations between the two parties and Vietnamese and Argentine people have still been sustained and developing via the maintenance of meetings within the framework of regional forums, along with the exchange of information and congratulatory messages on the parties’ anniversaries, Thanh affirmed.

The diplomat also reiterated Vietnam’s consistent viewpoint of unceasingly reinforcing the friendship, solidarity, and cooperation between the two parties and the Vietnamese and Argentine people on the basis of mutual trust and support and strengths of each party.

He voiced his belief that with the over-100-year tradition of unyielding struggle, the PCA will definitely continue weathering all difficulties and challenges to help with Argentina’s development./.

Vietnam hands over Chairmanship of ASEAN Committee in Caracas to Indonesia

The Vietnamese Embassy in Venezuela on February 3 held a ceremony to hand over the Chairmanship of the ASEAN Committee in Caracas (ACC) to Indonesian Ambassador Imam Edy Mulyono.

The event also saw the presence of Chargé d'Affaires ad interim of Malaysia Mohd Raizul Zulkiffli.

Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Ambassador Le Viet Duyen reviewed outstanding activities of ASEAN and ACC over the last year and briefed about the success of the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV).

The embassies of Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia, the only three embassies of ASEAN member states in Venezuela, have shown solidarity, shared information and enthusiastically engaged in joint activities in Caracas, Duyen said.

In the face of the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic in Latin America, the ACC, under Vietnam’s chairmanship, organised a number of meaningful events, strengthened ASEAN unity, and heightened ASEAN position in Venezuela in 2020, he noted, citing the hosting of ASEAN Family Day, donation of facemasks to the Foreign Ministry of Venezuela to aid local COVID-19 response, floral tribute paying to Simón Bolivar, a leader in Latin America’s independence movement, at the National Pantheon of Venezuela - a final resting place of national heroes, and the joining of the 3rd ASEAN Day hosted by Venezuela as examples.

Indonesian Ambassador Mulyono, for his part, expressed his honour to take over the ACC Chairmanship. He vowed to bolster solidarity among the ASEAN embassies in Caracas and tighten relations between ASEAN and Venezuela through more activities in his term.

On this occasion, the ACC discussed and adopted its agenda for 2021 focusing on promoting ASEAN cultures in the time of COVID-19. A series of events are scheduled, including cultural, cuisine and sports exchanges, ASEAN Family Day, a book fair and a ASEAN film week./.

Lao, Cambodian parties congratulate Communist Party of Vietnam on 91st anniversary

The Central Committees of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) and the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) have extended congratulations to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) on the CPV’s 91st founding anniversary (February 3, 1930 - 2021).

In its message, the LPRP Central Committee wrote that the establishment of the CPV, founded and trained by President Ho Chi Minh, was a historic turning point of the Vietnamese revolution.

Since its inception, the CPV has set out sound guidelines and policies matching each revolutionary period and led the Vietnamese people to glorious victories in the struggle for national independence and reunification, as well as great achievements in national construction and defence, especially the successes secured during the 35 years of “Doi moi” (Renewal) initiated and led by the CPV, it said.

“The LPRP wishes to extend warm congratulations on the huge and comprehensive achievements and successes that the CPV has gained over the last 91 years, especially the highly successful 13th National Party Congress. We firmly believe that under the leadership of the CPV, headed by General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong, the Vietnamese people will continue obtaining even greater achievements and successfully implement the 13th National Party Congress’s resolution.”

The LPRP Central Committee also expressed its pride that the Laos - Vietnam special solidarity, nurtured by great and beloved Presidents Ho Chi Minh, Kaysone Phomvihane, and Souphanouvong and tested by the “fire of revolution”, has become a valuable common asset, the rule of existence and development of both nations, and one of the decisive factors in the success of each country’s revolution, which has continued to be intensified both extensively and intensively in all areas.

The Lao Party, State, and people will do their utmost to protect, maintain, and nurture the Laos - Vietnam relations for the sake of the two nations' people, as well as for peace, friendship, and cooperation in the region and the world, the message read.

It added that the Party, State, and people of Laos also acknowledge their Vietnamese counterparts’ consistent precious, great, effective, and timely support and assistance for their country’s revolution throughout history.

For its part, the CPP Central Committee congratulated and highly valued the enormous accomplishments that the Vietnamese Party, State, and people have gained in the recent past.

It also voiced its delight at the unceasing development of the traditional friendship, solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties, States, and people of Cambodia and Vietnam.

The CPP affirmed the resolve to keep developing the relations between the two countries in accordance with the motto “good neighbourliness, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation, and long-term sustainability”, expressing its belief that under the CPV’s sound and clear-sighted leadership, the Vietnamese people will reap new and greater achievements and successfully carry out the 13th National Party Congress’s Resolution.

It also wished the CPV more successes in national industrialisation and modernisation, and hoped for the continued enhancement of traditional friendship, solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties, States, and people of Cambodia and Vietnam.

On this occasion, Sounthon Xayachak, Secretary of the LPRP Central Committee and Chairwoman of the LPRP Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations extended congratulations to Hoang Binh Quan, Chairman of the CPV Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations./.

Overseas Vietnamese make active contributions to homeland: official

Vietnamese people living abroad have made significant contribution to the country’s socio-economic development, said Deputy Foreign Minister Dang Minh Khoi at a gathering in Ho Chi Minh City on February 3.

At the meeting held on the occasion of the upcoming Lunar New Year, Khoi, also Chairman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, presented outstanding overseas Vietnamese in the city with gifts from Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

He noted amid the COVID-19 pandemic, overseas Vietnamese have adhered to prevention and control measures and actively taken part in the charity work.

They worked to overcome difficulties last year to stablise their production and business in the city and generate jobs for locals, Khoi said, requesting municipal relevant departments and sectors to create favourable policies for them.

He took the occasion to brief overseas Vietnamese on the outcomes of the recent 13th National Party Congress, during which Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong was re-elected to the 13th Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV).

The official stated the congress has set out the Party’s future activities to focus on ensuring people’s rights and happiness.

Vietnamese people, no matter where they are, are always a part of the nation, Khoi affirmed.

He underscored that sci-tech development is the only path for the nation to realise its 2030 targets and overseas Vietnamese is an important bridge in helping Vietnam boost its transformation and growth.

Dinh Vinh Cuong, a Vietnamese expatriate in Japan, praised the organisation of the congress, adding that key documents were approved to further develop the nation.

According to him, overseas Vietnamese paid particular attention to such contents of the event as the enhancement of the anti-corruption fight and the implementation of open policies that will attract more expatriates to make further contributions to the homeland./.

TV music show with 70 artists celebrates Lunar New Year

A special TV music show featuring 70 singers, rappers, dancers, musicians and theatre artists will air on HCM City Television (HTV) to celebrate Tet (Lunar New Year), which begins on February 12.

The show, called Gala Nhac Viet - Nam Moi Binh An (Vietnamese Music Gala – Happy Lunar New Year), features songs, dances and theatrical performances in praise of country, soldiers, love and Spring.

Pop stars Cam Ly and Dam Vinh Hung will sing folk songs featuring traditional culture and lifestyles, while young idols Bui Anh Tuan, Han Sara, Hien Ho and Erik together will perform romantic melodies, and dance and electronic music.

Famous songs about Tet, such as Cau Chuc Tan Xuan (Wishes for the New Year), Tet Tuyet Voi (Wonderful Tet) and Bai Ca Mua Xuan (Spring Song), will be included. The songs are about love, youth and friendship.

Rappers Wowy and Yuno Bigboi will perform top hits that helped shoot them to fame at Rap Viet, the first TV competition seeking talented rappers in Viet Nam aired last year. Rap Viet was adapted from The Rapper of Thailand, a show widely known in Asia.

“We worked to provide audiences with a show with high quality in both music and visual content. I hope my music in Gala Nhac Viet- Nam Moi Binh An sends best wishes to Vietnamese at home and abroad during Tet,” said rapper Wowy of HCM City, who spent hours working in HTV’s studio to prepare for his performance.

Wowy, whose real name is Nguyen Ngoc Minh Huy, began his career in 2006. He is considered a rap pioneer in the south and has been particularly successful in combining rap with Vietnamese social and cultural issues.

His hits include Hai The Gioi (Two Worlds), Khu Tao Song (Where I Live), Buddha and Lao Dai (The Senior).

Featured performances will include contemporary dances staged by artists from the HCM City College of Dance and HCM City Youth Cultural House. The dancers will perform in ao dai (Vietnamese dress) designed by leading Vietnamese fashion houses.

The show will air at 9am on the HTV9 channel on the first day of the Lunar New Year, February 12./.

Southeast Asian nations record more new COVID-19 infection cases, deaths

Thailand on February 3 reported 795 new COVID-19 cases - 783 local infections and 12 imported - raising the total to 21,249.

Taweesilp Visanuyothin, spokesman for the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration, said that of the 783 local infections, 759 new cases were found in communities of Samut Sakhon province, and 24 others were confirmed at hospitals.

Of the 21,249 total COVID-19 cases, 14,001 (65.8 percent) had recovered, including 784 discharged over the past 24 hours, and 7,169 were receiving treatment - 2,085 at established hospitals and 5,084 at field hospitals. The death toll remained at 79.

Meanwhile, the Department of Health (DOH) of the Philippines reported on the same day that 1,266 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed, bringing the Southeast Asian country's total tally to 530,118.

The death toll rose to 10,942 after 68 more patients died from the coronavirus epidemic, the DOH said. It added that 130 more patients recovered, raising the total number of recoveries to 487,721.

Carlito Galvez, the National Task Force against COVID-19 chief implementer, told a virtual press conference that the Philippine government plans to administer the first batch of 117,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines from the World Health Organisation-led COVAX facility to around 56,000 healthcare workers in four government COVID-19 hospitals in Metro Manila.

Galvez said the vaccine to be delivered this month will also be administered to health workers in a public hospital in Davao City in the southern Philippines and another hospital in Cebu City in the central Philippines.

He said the 117,000 doses could only inoculate 58,500 nurses, doctors, and medical workers.

The Philippine government aims to inoculate up to 70 million Filipinos this year, starting with healthcare workers, the elderly, and the poor communities.

The pandemic is also worsening in Malaysia and Indonesia.

On February 3, Malaysia recorded an additional 4,284 COVID-19 cases and 18 deaths, raising the total numbers of infections and deaths to 226,912 and 809, respectively.

Indonesia reported 11,984 new infection cases and 189 deaths, bringing the total figures to 1,111,671 and 30,770. The pandemic has spread to all 34 provinces and cities of the country./.

Lao officials congratulate Vietnam on success of 13th National Party Congress

A number of top Lao officials visited the Embassy of Vietnam in Vientiane on February 3 to congratulate the country on the 91st anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and the success of the 13th National Party Congress, which concluded two days ago.

On behalf of the Party, State, and people of Laos, Thongsalith Mangnomek, Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) Central Committee and Head of the LPRP Central Committee's Office; Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Thongsavane Phomvihane; and Somdy Bounkhoun, deputy head of the LPRP Central Committee's Commission for External Affairs, congratulated the country on its landmark achievements over the last 91 years, especially the 35 years of “Doi Moi” (Renewal) under the CPV’s leadership.

Against a backdrop of regional and global uncertainties, the Party, State, and people of Laos will make all possible efforts to maintain and further strengthen the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive partnership between the two countries.

Congratulating Vietnam on the success of the 13th National Party Congress, the Lao officials expressed their confidence that the new CPV Central Committee will guide the country through the COVID-19 crisis, post more significant achievements, and fulfil the goals set by the congress.

Thanking the Lao officials, Vietnamese Chargé d'affaires Trinh Thi Tam said all victories gained by the Party, State, and people of Vietnam have been due in no small part to support from Laos.

She pledged that the embassy will do its best to foster ties between the two countries’ ministries and agencies and nurture Vietnam-Laos relations./.

Tra Vinh to expand aquaculture area by 2,500 hectares to 2030

The Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh is taking various steps to develop climate change-resilient aquaculture, setting its sights on expanding the local aquaculture area by 2,500 ha to reach 40,000 ha by 2030.

The province also aims to generate around 420 million VND (18,230 USD) in average earnings per ha over the next decade.

It plans to develop aquaculture in a way that is suitable for local conditions, adaptive to the impact of climate change, and relevant to both domestic and foreign demand.

Farming of prawns, especially giant tiger prawns and King prawns, and tra fish will become key sub-sectors that are sustainable, environmentally-friendly, and export-oriented.

Tra Vinh will also expand the farming of brackish and freshwater species, such as giant river prawns, sea crab, clams, snakehead murrel, and blood cockles, while increasing the area of caged aquaculture.

The province has been inviting investors in fisheries processing, producing high-quality prawn and tra fish products, and developing storage, preservation, and preliminary processing facilities as well as support services.

It has also been encouraging farmers to switch from low-yield rice farming to aquaculture and integrated rice and fish farming.

As sea levels rise, drought and saltwater intrusion resulting from climate change become more frequent in the region, it is no longer profitable to grow rice, Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Van Dong said, adding that agricultural authorities have developed farming models adaptive to different areas./.

Cuban, regional media highlight success of 13th National Party Congress

The press of Cuban and the region have recently spotlighted the success of the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam as well as the Cuban leaders’ congratulations Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on his re-election.

Granma newspaper run by the Communist Party of Cuba as well as many publications of the country posted the full text of the congratulatory message to the Vietnamese Party leader twitted by Politburo member and President of Cuba Miguel Díaz-Canel.

Meanwhile, Prensa Latina (PL) News Agency quoted Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s speech at the closing ceremony of the congress as saying that the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam was a success, helping broaden the country’s road to socialism.

The PL run the message of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega congratulating Nguyen Phu Trong on being re-elected as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam as well as the success of the congress.

At the same time, the website of Telesur television network headquartered in Caracas, Venezuela ran a story on the closing of the 13th National Party Congress, lauding Vietnam’s success over 35 years of “Doi Moi” (Renewal) and the country’s path to socialism as well as the strong solidarity among the Party, military and people of Vietnam.

Earlier, throughout the congress, the press of Cuba and the region regularly ran articles on activities of the congress, including the opening ceremony, the election of Party leaders and the closing of the event./.

Kon Tum needs drastic measures to reduce third child birthrate

More than 15 per cent of total families in Kon Tum have reported giving birth to more than three children, making the province lead the Central Highland in third child birthrate, the provincial Health Department has announced.

Although the figure is lower than last year, the province has failed to meet the goal of reducing the third child birthrate to 15 per cent, it said.

Tu Mơ Rông is among the districts with high birthrates in the province. Figures from the district’s Sub-department of Population and Family Planning showed nearly 15 per cent of total families had more than three children last year. Notably, the percentage was 29.5 per cent in Đăk Hà Commune.

According to Y Khương, head of Ngọc Leang Village in Đăk Hà Commune, more than 110 Xơ Đăng ethnic minority households are in the village, and 108 of them have more than three children. Some even have more than 10 children.

Nearly half of these households live in poverty.

At the age of 22, Y Thum is the mother of three children in Ngọc Leang Village.

Thum said her family lived in a worn-out house built with wood and corrugated iron panels and there was nothing valuable in the house.

She has to stay at home to take care of the children, so they live on her husband's small salary.

In Đăk Rơ Wa Commune in Kon Tum Province, the situation is no better. As many as 115 out of 170 households have more than three children. These include five households, all Bahnar ethnic minorities, that have more than ten children.

Y Khai Hoang is a 33-year-old mother of 11 children. After getting married in 2004, she gave birth to her children between 2004 and 2018.

The family of 13 lives in a small house in Kon Jơ Rin Village. They have no farmland and have to work odd jobs for money.

“My first two children are studying in high school, the next two are in secondary school, the next four are primary students and the two youngest are in kindergarten,” she said.

“I don’t have to pay school fees, but the money for study tools is quite costly so I have no money left to repair the house. It’s getting seriously downgraded.”

When asked how she hoped to get out of the situation, Hoang just shook her head.

The high fertility rate has not only brought poverty but also little chance of education for children and health risks for mothers.

Hồ Thị Thuỳ Vân, principal of Đăk Hà Primary School, said about 100 out of 622 students in the school were from families with more than three children. These students were sometimes absent from class as they had to help their parents with farm work.

Dr Đỗ Ngọc Hoà, deputy director of Kon Tum Province’s Health Department, said getting pregnant again less than 12 months after giving birth was associated with health risks for both women and infants.

This was worse in rural areas where most lived in poverty and had little chance of accessing health care services, she added.

Ineffective policies

The provincial Department of Health said it had implemented many programmes on family planning since 2011, but the results had remained modest.

Yang, a population health officer in Đăk Rơ Wa Commune, said five officers were mobilised to hold training courses on reproductive healthcare for local residents in five villages.

Last year, more than 1,800 residents joined the courses and 854 families received guidelines on reproductive healthcare knowledge. However, the third child birthrate remained 35 per cent last year.

“They joined the courses but didn’t follow the guidelines. Some still take contraception but use it incorrectly with the wrong dose and time. By the end of last year, only half of the couples applied modern contraceptive methods in the commune,” she said.  

In Tu Mơ Rông District, the health division has held 43 talk shows with reputable people in the community on reproductive healthcare, distributed 3,300 leaflets and guideline brochures and offered direct consultancy to 220 families. But the district has the highest fertility rate in the province.

Nguyễn Duy Tân, health officer at Tu Mơ Rông District’s Health Centre, said low awareness of local residents, language barriers and low payment for health workers were among the main reasons for the failure to make a difference.

Currently, each health worker receives VNĐ149,000 (US$5.9) per person every three months instead of VNĐ750,000 ($30) as previously for disseminating reproductive healthcare knowledge.

Village leaders are now in charge of population and family planning, but most are not trained to do the job, leading to ineffective programmes and policies.

Dr Hoà, deputy director of the health department, said it was necessary to improve the consultancy capacity of health workers and create dissemination methods for ethnic minorities suitable for their customs and lifestyles.

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