The Prime Minister has decided to use over 8.8 billion VND from the national COVID-19 vaccine fund to support the first and second phase of clinical trials of COVIVAC vaccine, which has been developed by the Health Ministry’s Institute of Vaccines and Medical Biologicals (IVAC) since May 2020.

COVIVAC uses viral vector technology on primary chicken embryo cell culture - a technique IVAC used previously to successfully produce seasonal flu vaccines. It is preserved at temperatures from 2-8 degrees Celsius.

In the first phase, it was evaluated as safe, well-tolerant and immunogenic.

The second phase will be carried out in Vu Thu district, northern Thai Binh province, with 375 volunteers.

COVIVAC is the second “made-in-Vietnam” vaccine to be allowed for clinical trials by the Health Ministry, following Nanogen company’s NanoCovax./.

Vietnam to face Mongolia and Venezuela at Army Games’ Tank Biathlon

The tank team of the Vietnam People’s Army is set to compete against the tank crews of Mongolia, Venezuela, and Syria in the opening match of the Tank Biathlon event at the 2021 International Army Games.

Colonel Phan Hai Long, captain of the tank team of the Vietnam People’s Army, participates in a draw ahead of the Army Games 2021.
The schedule was announced following a draw held on August 16 in Russia, with a total of 19 teams set to participate in the Tank Biathlon event being divided into two groups.

Group 1 will see the participation of tank crews from 11 countries, including Mongolia, Venezuela, Syria, Vietnam, and the hosts Russia.

The Vietnamese team will take part in the qualifying round of the Tank Biathlon event at 8 p.m. on August 23 following the opening ceremony of the Army Games 2021.

The best eight teams will then progress through to the semi-final round.

The International Army Games were first held in 2015 and is an annual Russian military sports event organised by the Ministry of Defense of Russia (MoD).

The 2021 version of the occasion set to take place from August 22 to September 4, will feature the participation of more than 40 countries.

The latest event marks the fourth consecutive year that Vietnam has taken part in the competition.

Vermicelli, tofu, bread producers, slaughter houses in HCMC resume operation

Many business facilities of bread, tofu, vermicelli and slaughter-house yesterday began resuming their operation after the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee allowed the reoperation of those activities.
However, the facilities just opened in the morning in two to three hours as the consumption demand is not high at the current time due to the closure of the restaurants and retail stores of vermicelli and tofu.

On the same day, Vissan Joint Stock Company said that its slaughterhouse operation has been step-by-step resumed after temporary suspension in compliance with Covid-19 prevention and control regulations.
The company is going to officially resume its slaughterhouse activities from August 20 with the expected capacity of around 200 to 300 pigs in the first and second days and the capacity will be gradually increased in the next days.

According to Director of Xuan Thoi Thuong Slaughterhouse To Van Liem, the slaughterhouse just operates with one-third capacity compared with the previous time with 1,200 to 1,400 pigs a day.

To meet the demand of consuming pork for the city’s residents, the factory has plans of opening one more slaughterhouse chain within seven days to bring the total capacity to 2,000 pigs a day serving consumers.

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Agriculture and Rural Development informed that the city consumes around 4,500 pigs a day on average, of which around 3,000 pigs from slaughterhouses, a reduction of 50 percent compared to the pre-pandemic outbreak period. Currently, many slaughterhouses in Ho Chi Minh City have to temporarily close due tothe Covid-19 infectious cases.

Apart from promptly reopening the slaughterhouses, Ho Chi Minh City is collaborating with provinces of Dong Nai, Long An and Tay Ninh to provide pigs and pork to the city customers.

Hundreds of fishermen stuck on boats as quarantine centres overloaded

More than 300 fishermen have been stuck on 70 boats in the central province of Quang Ngai Province for some 10 days as local quarantine facilities are entirely full. 

The fishermen are staying at Sa Huynh Port. One of them, Nguyen Tinh, said he and six crew members had returned to the port 10 days ago. All of the crew members tested negative for Covid-19 but they were told to that they would be quarantined for 14 days for Covid-19 prevention following the government's regulations.

"We’re waiting anxiously because we’re not sure how long we’ll be waiting out here," he said. "All the quarantine centres at Pho Thanh Ward are currently overloaded."

The fishermen said they had stayed at their boats for nearly 14 days now and want to count this time as their quarantine time. However, Quang Ngai authorities refused the proposal.

Nguyen Van Luong, chairman of Pho Thanh Ward People's Committee said they suggested setting up another quarantine centre in other wards but the fishermen refused to go.

"Because of Covid-19, the fishermen have had many difficulties and they don't want to pay the quarantine fees. That's why many people proposed to count the time they stayed on the boat as their quarantine period. But we still have to follow the rules," Luong said.

Duc Pho Commune has the highest number of fishing boats in Quang Ngai. Over 600 boats are still working offshore.

New Assistants to Foreign Minister appointed

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced decisions on appointment of three new Assistants to the Foreign Minister.

The new appointees are Le Thi Thu Hang, Director-General of the ministry’s Department for Press and Information; Nguyen Minh Hang, Director-General of the Department for Economic Affairs; and Do Hung Viet, Director-General of Department for International Organizations. 

The ministry also announced decision to appoint Vu Ho, Director-General of ASEAN Department as deputy head of Viet Nam’s ASEAN SOM./.

HCM City customs find 30kg of synthetic drugs in parcels

A haul of approximately 30 kilograms of MDMA and 1.5 kg of Ketamine have been discovered in packages recently imported into Vietnam by postal services after being sent from France.

The drugs are hidden inside packaged candy and chocolate wrappers.
The Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department confirmed on August 16 that it had co-ordinated efforts with anti-smuggling officers to inspect a total of 10 suspicious parcels.

The drugs, which had been sent from France, were hidden inside packaged candy and chocolate wrappers.

The parcels were addressed to various fake recipients and addresses. If the drugs haul had gone undiscovered by police forces, then the people involved in the operation would have found ways to receive the package via delivery order tricks, customs officials said.

Three Coronavirus-hit provinces to get over 4,000 tons rice from national reserve

Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh has tasked the Ministry of Finance to distribute more than 4,117 tons of rice from the national reserve to support people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in three southern provinces.

Specifically, Binh Phuoc, Bac Lieu and Soc Trang, currently placed under social distancing to prevent spread of COVID-19, will receive 559.74 tons, 636.975 tons, and 2,931.085 tons, respectively.

As of 7:00 pm on August 15, the number of COVID-19 infection cases in Binh Phuoc, Bac Lieu and Soc Trang was 309, 130 and 552, according to the Ministry of Health.

PM orders free Covid vaccination to all people

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has reiterated an order giving free Covid-19 vaccines to all people and assigned the Ministry of Health to take responsibility for vaccine storage and vaccination process.

“It is definite that residents must be vaccinated against Covid-19 for free,” the prime minister told an online anti-virus conference between the Government with provincial and municipal governments on August 15.

The prime minister also ordered the competent ministries to impose harsh sanctions on those who collect vaccination fees.

Besides, PM Chinh encouraged localities and enterprises to find Covid-19 vaccine supply sources, while the Ministry of Health was tasked with evaluating the quality of the vaccines.

To reduce the Covid death rate, the prime minister ordered the ministry and provinces and cities to give the vaccination priority for people aged over 50, while setting up separate vaccination sites for the elderly.

In addition, the prime minister also told provinces and cities to handle the hesitation in receiving shots and the choosing of vaccines among residents due to the shortage of vaccines and the rapid spread of the virus.

Vietnam has taken delivery of some 19 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines. Some 14 million doses have been administered nationwide, with some 1.3 million people receiving both doses.

Nineteen provinces and cities in the southern region, which is being hit hard by the pandemic, have given 7.5 million doses to residents, with HCMC alone administering some 4.5 million doses.

HCMC adjusts Covid-19 treatment system to three levels

HCMC has adjusted its treatment system from five to three levels to mobilize resources for the treatment of critical patients, said Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Health Nguyen Huu Hung.

At a press briefing on the city’s fight against the pandemic on August 16, Hung said the three-level system was in line with the recommendations of the Ministry of Health. Accordingly, medical workers and equipment will be reasonably allocated for the levels, the local media reported.

Under the first level currently, 18,120 asymptomatic Covid-19 cases and those with mild symptoms will stay at home and nearly 23,900 patients will be quarantined at centralized quarantine facilities in Thu Duc City and districts. The city will provide healthcare services and food to those at home.

Meanwhile, hospitals under the second level will receive moderate and severe Covid-19 cases. Under this level, there are 74 hospitals with nearly 49,400 beds, including 24 field hospitals, 41 general hospitals of the city and nine centrally-run hospitals.

Under the third level, severe and critical cases will be treated. There are eight facilities at this level, including the HCMC Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Cho Ray, 115 People's Hospital and five recuperation centers.

HCMC has been practicing social distancing under the prime minister’s Directive 16 for 39 days and has recorded more than 149,200 Covid-19 cases. The city will strive to suppress the pandemic before September 15.

COVID-19: Vietnam logs 930 less domestic infections on August 16

The Ministry of Health confirmed 8,652 new cases of COVID-19, including eight imported ones, in the past 24 hours to 6pm on August 16.

The number of domestic cases stood at 8,644, a reduction of 930 infections compared to the previous day.

Ho Chi Minh City remained the country’s biggest pandemic hotspot with 3,341 cases, a decrease of 1,175 cases. Binh Duong and Long An followed closely by posting 2,522 and 599 infections, increasing by 164 and 85, respectively.

Of the daily caseload on August 16, 2,422 were found in the community.

Vietnam has so far recorded 283,696 COVID-19 cases, including 6,141 deaths.

Also on August 16, 4,473 patients were given the all-clear, bringing the number of total recoveries to 106,977.

Among those under treatment, 590 are being cared for in ICU, while 22 critical cases are being treated with ECMO.

Vietnam ready for Army Games 2021 in Algeria

The Vietnamese team has been ready for the upcoming Army Games 2021 in Algeria, said its head Lieut. Col Hoang Ngoc Sang while paying a courtesy call to Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Thanh Vinh on August 15 (local time).

Sang lauded the host country for its reception and support for the Vietnamese team.

He informed the ambassador that the service dog training contest in the competition will open on August 22 and wrap up on August 30. The Vietnamese team is determined to achieve the best results to foster defence ties between Vietnam and partners, he said.

Vinh briefed his guest on the situation in Algeria and traditional ties between Vietnam and the African country, saying that it has laid a solid foundation for bilateral links in various areas, including in national defence.

He also wished the Vietnamese team good health and success in the event.

The Army Games 2021 is scheduled for August 22 – September 4 with 34 contests and 260 teams from more than 45 countries. The contests will be held in Armenia, Algeria, Belarus, Vietnam, Iran, Kazakhstan, Qatar, China, Serbia, Uzbekistan, Mongolia and Russia.

Vietnam is due to host the Military Medical Relay Race and Sniper Frontier contests.

Hanoi students to begin academic year on September 1

The earliest date for students at all levels in Hanoi to start their 2021 – 2022 academic year is September 1, according to a decision freshly issued by the capital authorities.

The decision applies to educational facilities from kindergarten to high schools, as well as centres for continuing education.

Ceremonies to kick off the school year city-wide are scheduled for September 5, with the first and second semester planned to be completed before January 16 and May 25, respectively.

Holidays during the year will follow regulations set by the Labour Code and related annual guiding documents.

The city has asked the director of the municipal Department of Education and Training to seriously implement the timeline planned for the academic year and propose changes in such special cases as natural disasters and diseases.

As from April 29 to date, Hanoi logged 2,248 cases of COVID-19, including 1,221 ones found in the community./.

HCMC resumes several essential services

Although the HCMC government has decided to extend social distancing citywide for one month, it has also resumed several essential services from today, August 16.

Specifically, the city has allowed facilities that produce noodles, tofu and bread, air ticket agents and private clinics to resume operations.

Besides, companies providing certain services such as safeguard, repair and maintenance for offices and buildings and insurance are also allowed to reopen.

Moreover, deliverymen that transport essentials can travel between different districts.

Governmental offices and agencies can remain open but only a maximum of 25% of their workforce are allowed to work at the office, except for military and healthcare forces.

The city has continued to ask residents to avoid stepping out after 6 p.m., except for people coming to vaccination venues to get the Covid-19 vaccine, emergency cases, and frontline forces.

Besides, employees of supermarkets and convenience stores in the city are allowed to travel on the streets between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. to prepare and arrange cargo and disinfect their business space.

Other groups of people that are allowed to travel on the streets after 6 p.m. are flight crew and employees of the Vietnam Aviation Corporation in the south that serve flights transporting goods, medical equipment and vaccines; workers of facilities that produce necessities such as food and medical equipment; deliverymen that transport medical supplies for Covid-19 patients or Covid-19 treatment hospitals; workers of facilities that provide meals for the poor, quarantine centers, medical centers and hospitals; reporters and employees of media outlets; postmen and employees of petroleum stations at 12 gateways of the city.

The prioritized groups also include vehicles transporting workers of manufacturers of necessities, frontline forces and medical supplies and taxis and automobiles in charge of transporting patients.

PM decides to provide financial support for COVIVAC vaccine trials

The Prime Minister has decided to use over 8.8 billion VND from the national COVID-19 vaccine fund to support the first and second phase of clinical trials of COVIVAC vaccine, which has been developed by the Health Ministry’s Institute of Vaccines and Medical Biologicals (IVAC) since May 2020.

COVIVAC uses viral vector technology on primary chicken embryo cell culture - a technique IVAC used previously to successfully produce seasonal flu vaccines. It is preserved at temperatures from 2-8 degrees Celsius. 

In the first phase, it was evaluated as safe, well-tolerant and immunogenic.

The second phase will be carried out in Vu Thu district, northern Thai Binh province, with 375 volunteers.

COVIVAC is the second “made-in-Vietnam” vaccine to be allowed for clinical trials by the Health Ministry, following Nanogen company’s NanoCovax.

Over 200,000 Vero Cell doses administered in HCM City

More than 200,000 doses of China-produced Vero Cell COVID-19 vaccine have been given to local people throughout Ho Chi Minh City since August 13, with all of them being in a stable health condition following their injection.

Nearly 93,000 people were vaccinated on August 15, of whom 90% received the Vero Cell shot, said Duong Anh Duc, vice chairman of the HCM City municipal administration.

He went on to say that the southern city will continue to administer the vaccine to local people over the course of the coming days.

According to Duc, HCM City has received two batches of the Vero Cell vaccine. The first one million doses are being administered, while another one million doses are being examined for local use by the Ministry of Health.

Developed by China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm), Vero Cell was first approved for emergency use by the WHO in May, and given conditional approval for use in Vietnam on June 4.

In an official press release issued by Sinopharm in Vietnam in late May, the Chinese company stated that the efficacy of Vero Cell stood at an estimated 79.34%.

In total, 3,589,489 people in HCM City were inoculated from July 22 to August 15.

At present, the southern metropolis has received 4.4 million doses of vaccines from the Ministry of Health, including 3.6 million Astra Zeneca doses, 19,000 Vero Cell doses, approximately 55,000 Pfizer doses, and 571,000 Moderna doses.

All vaccines allotted by the Ministry of Health will have been used up as of August 12. The city will continue to administer the one million doses of Sinopharm's Vero Cell vaccine.

HCM City aims to vaccinate seven million people aged 18 and above by the end of August.

HCMC expects around one million traffic users each day
 
The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Public Security reported yesterday that every day in the city, approximately one million people on 120,000 vehicles of all kinds travel around the city. Because of the new official dispatch, from August 15, more business groups are allowed to operate, leading to an expected increase in the this quantity.

Accordingly, from August 15, businesses of these kinds are approved to resume work: food processing sites; notary organizations; companies to offer services of building security, building infrastructure maintenance and repair, office machine maintenance and repair;  insurance companies to perform work on assessing cases, making claims, and settling insurance benefits for clients; airplane ticket offices; and private clinics.

During social distancing, People allowed to ship essential commodities include more than 50,000 tech-based shippers of registered companies delivering goods between districts, Thu Duc City and observing Covid-19 prevention and control measures tightly.

This leads to a predicted rise of traffic users on streets from 6am to 6pm each day.

Therefore, the HCMC Public Security Department is going to increase officers at checkpoints to examine necessary documents. There will also be more patrol teams to randomly check individuals on streets and impose strict punishments to those travelling without proper reasons in accordance with the direction of HCMC People’s Committee.

Results of second phase of high school graduation exams announced on August 16

The results of the second phase of the national high school graduation exams 2021 will be announced from 1:00 pm on August 16, instead of August 24.

The Ministry of Education and Training has just sent a document to 13 Departments of Education and Training of provinces: Hai Phong, Hung Yen, Bac Giang, Cao Bang, Phu Yen, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Dak Lak, Lam Dong, Tien Giang, Dong Nai, Vinh Long, and An Giang, on adjusting the work schedule for the second phase of the national high school graduation exams 2021.

Accordingly, some important milestones have been adjusted.

Specifically, the announcement of the results of the second phase of the national high school graduation exams 2021 will take place from 1:00 pm on August 16, instead of August 24.

The Departments of Education and Training in provinces and cities will complete the preliminary graduation recognition before August 18, instead of August 26.

The time to issue the provisional graduation certificate, return the transcripts and other certificates (originals) to candidates will be no later than August 23, instead of August 30.

The time to print and send the Certificate of exam results to candidates will be no later than August 23, instead of August 30.

Time to receive the application for re-examination and make a list of re-examinations will be from August 16 to the end of August 23, instead of from August 24 to the end of August 31.

Reviews (if any) are to be completed by August 29 at the latest.

HCMC could face disruption in Covid-19 vaccination drive

HCMC’s sixth Covid-19 vaccination drive, aimed at administering the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine to around 70% of people aged over 18 by the end of this month, could be disrupted due to the short supply of the vaccine, according to a local official.

Duong Anh Duc, vice chairman of the municipal government, said that the city has been speeding up the vaccination, with the participation of 87 hospitals and 1,200 vaccination teams citywide. Besides this, the city has administered the vaccine to expats in the city, enabling everyone living in the city to access the vaccine, reported Tien Phong newspaper.

As of August 13, the city had inoculated over 4.3 million people, including 100,000 being fully vaccinated. The on-going vaccination drive is focused on vaccinating people aged over 65 and those having underlying medical conditions, with some 456,000 of the total 650,000 people being vaccinated, Duc added.

Data from the HCMC Department of Health showed that the city had even administered up to 318,000 doses per day.

With such a vaccination speed, it could hit its target of giving the vaccine to all city dwellers. However, most of the vaccine doses allocated to the city by the Health Ministry have been used and it remains unknown when the next allocations will be made.

Nguyen Hoai Nam, deputy director of the city’s Health Department, said that the city had over 120,000 doses left on August 12. Therefore, localities in the city are slowing down their vaccination speed to cope with the situation. Once the vaccine supply becomes sufficient, the city will ramp up the vaccination drive again, Nam added.

The southern city has seized opportunities to access vaccine supplies from countries and territories that have a good cooperation with Vietnam, and two countries have pledged to present some 750,000 vaccine doses to HCMC. The entire city is making efforts to diversify vaccine supplies to inoculate residents as the pandemic is taking a heavy toll with more than 149,000 domestic infections reported as of yesterday, August 15.

Localities asked to ensure support for residents amid COVID-19

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam on August 16 signed the Prime Minister’s Dispatch No.1081/CD-TTG on COVID-19 prevention and control.

Under the dispatch, the PM asked the People’s Committees of centrally-run cities and provinces under social distancing order in accordance with Directive No.16/CT-TTg to actively decide whether to continue with distancing measures in line with the directive based on local realities.

Localities were required to ensure food, housing and medical support for residents so that they could rest assured to stay in place and follow prevention and control measures.

Cities and provinces under social distancing must reach consensus with localities concerned to receive and welcome those wishing to return to their native homes, with priority given to pregnant women and those with small children, as well as assist firms in safe production.

The same day, Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai has signed Decision No.1409/QD-TTg directing the Finance Ministry to allocate over 4,100 tonnes of rice from the national reserve to the southern provinces of Binh Phuoc, Bac Lieu and Soc Trang in support of residents hit by COVID-19 pandemic.

Specifically, Binh Phuoc will receive more than 559 tonnes, Bac Lieu over 636 tonnes and Soc Trang over 2,921 tonnes.

Authorities of Binh Phuoc, Bac Lieu and Soc Trang must be responsible for accuracy of data provided by them and support for the right persons in line with regulations.

Work on expanded Dien Bien airport to start in December: ACV

Construction of the expanded Dien Bien airport project is scheduled to begin in December 2021 and finish at the beginning of the fourth quarter of 2023, according to the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV).

The construction process will last in 30 months, four months fewer than the initial plan.

The project to expand the Dien Bien Airport in the northwestern province of Dien Bien was approved on March 27 with the aim of increasing its capacity to 500,000 passengers per year.

The ACV is the investor of the project which is estimated to cost VND1,547 billion (US$67 billion).
The airport will be upgraded to receive large aircraft such as Airbus A320s and A321s and those with equivalent sizes.

The Dien Bien Airport, 500 kilometers to the west of Hanoi, is the largest and the only commercial airport in the northwestern region of Vietnam.  

It was originally a military airport built in 1954. It began commercial operations in 1994. It has one 1,830-meter runway that can handle short-haul ATR72 and smaller aircraft. Its current capacity is 300,000 passengers per year.

1,000-bed field hospital put into operation in HCMC

The outlying district of Binh Chanh in HCMC today, August 16, put a field hospital with 1,000 beds into operation to treat Covid-19 patients.

The field hospital, located at the district’s Sports and Culture Center in Tan Tuc Town, is the first one of its kind that Binh Chanh District has established for Covid-19 treatment, the local media reported.

The hospital, which has 20 intensive care beds and 300 medical workers, is treating 84 Covid-19 patients.

The establishment of the field hospital is expected to help improving the city’s capacity of Covid-19 treatment and easing pressure on higher-level hospitals due to the complicated development of the pandemic, HCMC Vice Chairman Duong Anh Duc said at the opening of the hospital.

Duc also said that the hospital should screen and transfer critically-ill patients to higher-level hospitals for treatment in a timely manner to reduce the Covid-19 death rate.

Binh Chanh District has 10 quarantine centers with 3,450 beds to admit and care for positive Covid-19 cases. As many as 3,770 patients have been discharged from the quarantine facilities.

Since April 27, Binh Chanh District has reported 9,860 Covid-19 infections, said Dao Gia Vuong, chairman of the district.

Vietnam to affirm support for cooperation in COVID-19 fight at 42nd AIPA General Assembly: top legislator

Vietnam will show its viewpoint on promoting COVID-19 prevention and control cooperation, particularly concerning vaccines, among member parliaments of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) and ASEAN nations at the upcoming 42nd General Assembly of the AIPA (AIPA- 42), said National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue.

Hue made the statement while chairing a meeting on August 16 concerning the preparation for Vietnam’s attendance at the General Assembly.

The top legislator will lead a high-level NA delegation to attend the virtual AIPA- 42 on August 23 – 25 at the invitation of Speaker of the Legislative Council of Brunei Abdul Rahman Taib. This is the first official multilateral diplomatic activity of Chairman Hue and the NA delegation in the 15th tenure of the NA.

Hearing reports on the ASEAN situation since the beginning of 2021 as well as Vietnam’s contributions to AIPA and preparation for the upcoming attendance, Hue stressed a request for the improvement of the NA’s activities for external relations.

Parliamentary diplomacy has to make contribution to promoting the position, image and prestige of Vietnam in the region and in the world, he affirmed.

He ordered speeding up related preparation activities, ensuring pandemic safety, and implementing communications work on the AIPA- 42.

Head of the NA Committee for External Relations Vu Hai Ha said the NA delegation will attend the General Assembly with the spirit of making active and practical contributions and ensuring Vietnam’s benefit and principle stance.

Health Minister inspects intensive care units in HCM City

A working delegation led by Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long inspected the reception and treatment of COVID-19 patients in intensive care units (ICUs) established by the Health Ministry in Ho Chi Minh City on August 16.

Visiting Vietnam-Germany Friendship Hospital’s ICU based at the COVID-19 treatment hospital No.13 and Bach Mai Hospital’s unit at the COVID-19 treatment hospital No.16, Long asked them to actively treat patients in serious and critical conditions.

The same day, the minister also inspected the construction of an ICU run by Hue Central Hospital at the COVID-19 treatment hospital No.14.

He also requested immediately deploying equipment and human resources to the unit.

HCM City is now the largest coronavirus hotspot in the country with nearly 150,000 infections as of August 15.

Bac Ninh detects new Covid cluster after 21 days

Bac Ninh Province has reported 12 new domestic Covid-19 infections linked to employees at a Viettel Post store in Luong Tai District, ending its 21-day streak without community transmission.

The new coronavirus cluster has seen several direct and indirect contacts, said the provincial anti-virus steering committee.

As many as 386 people have been found to come into close contact with confirmed cases, while over 1,200 others came into indirect contact with the cases, the local media reported.

To prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the province has ordered all delivery people in the district be tested, including employees at the Viettel Post Bac Ninh, and all residents in the areas where the Covid cases live.

Besides, the province has locked down Luong Tai District with 107,215 people until further notice.

Bac Ninh had earlier been one of the country’s largest coronavirus hotbeds, reporting over 1,740 Covid-19 cases in the ongoing fourth wave of the pandemic, which began in late April.

After over two months of fighting the pandemic, on June 30, the province was assessed as having brought the disease under control by the national steering committee for Covid-19 infection prevention and control.

Intensive care centre for COVID-19 treatment operational in Can Tho

The National Intensive Care Centre for COVID-19 Treatment based at Can Tho Central General Hospital has been officially put into operation, said Deputy Director of the hospital Pham Thanh Phong on August 16.

It is one of the 12 centres of its kind established by the Health Ministry across the country. With 200 beds and modern equipment, the centre is isolated from other treatment areas and tasked with treating critically ill COVID-19 patients in Can Tho and those sent from hospitals at lower levels in the Mekong Delta.

The hospital deployed 30 doctors and 50 nurses to serve the centre. The same day, the centre received eight patients from the Can Tho Central General Hospital and two others from other hospitals.

As of August 15, as many as 1,829 COVID-19 patients were under treatment in the city, including 106 in serious conditions. The Mekong Delta provinces of An Giang, Dong Thap, Vinh Long, Hau Giang, Bac Lieu and Ca Mau continued to post a high number of infections.

Also on August 16, the People’s Committee of Binh Duong province and Becamex IDC put into operation the second stage of Thoi Hoa field hospital with 3,400 beds, and announced the expansion of the largest COVID-19 treatment area with 12,000 beds.

Front asked to promote role in reinforcing national great unity bloc

 

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong attended an online national conference to launch the action plans of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and member organisations to implement the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress, which opened on August 16.

The conference aims to disseminate and ensure the unity and synchronicity in the implementation of the action plans of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and member organisation to successfully realise the 13th National Party Congress's Resolution.

Addressing the event, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong said the Front and its members should better perform their key role in building the national great unity bloc.

He said it is necessary to strengthen education of the youth on revolutionary ideology, ethics and cultured lifestyle.

He also underlined the need to pay greater attention to the unique characteristics of each ethnic minority group-inhabited area, while continuing to encourage and gather religious organisations, dignitaries and followers, supporting Vietnamese community abroad, improving the efficiency of citizen protection work, and maintaining national cultural identity.

The leader asked the front and members organisations as well as people from all walks of life to unite and engage in COVID-19 prevention and control.

He expressed hope that the front and its members will effectively implement their action plans to realise the resolution of the 13th National Party Congress, thus fostering the close bonds between the people and the Party and the administration.

HCM City to offer 1 million meals to COVID-19 hit residents

A signing ceremony was held in Ho Chi Minh City on August 18 to provide 1 million meals worth 25 billion VND (1.08 million USD) for the poor and those hit by COVID-19 pandemic in the southern metropolis in August and September.

The activity is under a programme benefiting poor and disadvantaged families in over 4,000 quarantine facilities, unemployed workers, and frontline medical staff.

The programme will also partner with other charity organisations to carry out practical activities during the period.

Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Ho Chi Minh City To Thi Bich Chau, who is also Director of the municipal centre for reception and support of necessities for the disadvantaged, thanked mass organisations for their assistance during the current difficult period.

She said the centre will hand over the gifts to the right persons for the right purpose.

The centre was established a day earlier to promptly offer necessities to local residents and frontline forces.

HCM City is now the largest coronavirus hotspot in the country with nearly 150,000 infections as of August 15./.

Vietnamese team ready for Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games

Vietnam’s 15-member delegation to the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games (Tokyo Paralympics) have been ready for the event, which will take place from August 24 to September 5.

Vietnamese athletes will compete in three sports - weightlifting, swimming and athletics.

Chau Hoang Tuyet Loan and Le Van Cong will show their strength in weightlifting; Vo Thanh Tung, Trinh Thi Bich Nhu, Do Thanh Hai will compete in swimming; and Cao Ngoc Hung and Nguyen Thi Hai will demonstrate their skills in athletics.

According to the Vietnam Sports Administration under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the team will leave Hanoi on August 20 morning and arrive in Narita airport in Tokyo later the same day, and then move to the athlete village.

Five years ago, Vietnamese athletes with disabilities made their mark at the Rio 2016 Paralympics when they won one gold, one silver and two bronze medals.

The opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games will take place August 24 night. Vietnamese swimmers will compete on August 25, while weightlifters will have first game on August 26 and track and field athletes on August 27.

VFF should promote key role in reinforcing national great unity bloc: Party leader

The Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) and its member organisations should better perform their key role in building the national great unity bloc, sticking to the goal of national independence and socialism, and resolutely safeguarding national independence and sovereignty, thus maintaining socio-political stability for national construction, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has stated.

The Party leader was addressing the VFF national conference on August 16 to launch the action plans of the front and member organisation to implement the 13th National Party Congress’ Resolution.

He asked the VFF and its member organisations to strengthen communications and education work, while protecting the ideological foundation of the Party through preventing and defeating “peaceful evolution” plots by hostile forces, and fighting wrongful, reactionary and politically opportunist arguments and ideas.

The Party chief said that the front and its member organisations should pay more attention to developing the worker class in both number and quality, while promoting the role of farmers and building the contingent of intellectuals and boosting the growth of entrepreneurs.

Meanwhile, it is necessary to strengthen education of the youth on revolutionary ideology, ethics and cultured lifestyle, enhance the quality of female human resources, promote the socio-political supportive spirit of war veterans and retired police officers, and optimise the experience of senior citizens, he stressed.

He also underlined the need to pay greater attention to the unique characteristics of each ethnic minority group-inhabited area, while continuing to encourage and gather religious organisations, dignitaries and followers, supporting Vietnamese community abroad, improving the efficiency of citizen protection work, and maintaining national cultural identity.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong asked the VFF and member organisations as well as people from all walks of life to unite and engage in COVID-19 prevention and control.

The Party leader expressed hope that the VFF and member organisations will effectively implement their action plans to realise the 13th National Party Congress, thus fostering the close bonds between the people and the Party and the administration.

Nghe An court imprisons man for subversive activities

The People’s Court of the central province of Nghe An on August 16 sentenced Tran Huu Duc, a resident in Xuan Lam commune of Nam Dan district, to three years in prison on the charge of “engaging in activities to overthrow the people's administration” in accordance with Clause 3 of Article 109, and Clause 1 of Article 51 of the Penal Code 2015.

On January 13, 2021, the Investigation Police Agency under the Public Security Department of Nghe An received citizens' denunciations on Duc’s collecting and providing other persons' personal information to a reactionary organisation called "Chinh phu quoc gia Viet Nam lam thoi" (Provisional National Government of Vietnam).

The police arrested Duc on January 21, 2021 and conducted a search of his private house, during which they found a list of citizens in Nam Dan district whose personal information was provided to Ho Thi Xuan Huong, a resident in Kon Lor 2 village, Dak Ro Wa commune, Kon Tum city of Kon Tum district via Facebook to serve a referendum to elect Dao Minh Quan as the president of the so-called "De tam Viet Nam cong hoa" (Third Republic of Vietnam).

Investigation showed that between June 2020 and January 2021, through Facebook, Duc contacted Huong and Ngo Cong Tru from Phu Yen province, both of whom are members of the US-based Provisional National Government of Vietnam that is led by Dao Minh Quan."

Following Huong and Tru’s instruction, Duc gathered information of 36 citizens in Nam Dan district and sent to Huong to register for the referendum.

Duc then wrote a letter volunteering to join the Provisional National Government of Vietnam with an aim to overthrow the leadership role of the Communist Party of Vietnam and destroy the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

In addition, Duc also posted, shared and sent through Facebook many videos and articles with contents distorting and opposing the Party and State of Vietnam.

Hanoi Red Cross Society supports pandemic-hit people

The Red Cross Society of Hanoi has rolled out a programme to present 10,000 aid packages containing food and foodstuff worth 200,000 VND (8.8 USD) each to pandemic-hit people across the capital city.

The activity was in response to a campaign initiated by the Vietnam Red Cross Society, aiming to ease difficulties facing the disadvantaged in the city and help them overcome the adverse impacts of COVID-19, said Chairman of the Hanoi Red Cross Society Dao Ngoc Trieu.

With the target of “Leaving no one behind during the pandemic”, the programme prioritises people with disabilities, the elderly, people with severe diseases, disadvantaged families, laid-off workers, and those who are staying in locked-down areas.

Since Hanoi has been placed under social distancing measures, the Red Cross Society at all levels have launched programmes to promptly support medical and frontline workers, as well as the poor and pandemic-hit people.

More than 3.5 billion VND were raised from August 5 to 13 to provide relief aid for the targeted people.

The ongoing COVID-19 social distancing measures in the capital city will last until 6am on August 23.

Accordingly, non-essential businesses continue to remain closed, people are not allowed to go outside except for essential purposes like buying food or medical emergencies. Public transport also remains halted./.

HCM City opens social welfare centres for COVID-19 hit people

Ho Chi Minh City, the hardest hit locality by COVID-19, has debuted social welfare centres in District 5, 7 and 12 in an effort to provide essential items to needy people during the ongoing social distancing period.

Lottery sellers are among those in need of support during the COVID-19 fight in HCM City.
The establishment of the centres is one of the southern metropolis’s urgent measures aimed at supporting needy people and containing the SARS-CoV-2 virus by September 15, according to Mayor Nguyen Thanh Phong.

At present, the city has prepared one million “social welfare packs” including essential food and face masks for underprivileged people, to help them stabilise their lives and contribute to stamping out the pandemic.

Migrant workers, students, and disadvantaged people are among those who benefit from the city’s relief package during the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.

HCM City has decided to extend its ongoing social distancing order for another month till September 15, in an effort to halt the spread of the virus. It is currently speeding up the vaccination drive, aiming to inoculate seven million people aged 18 or above by September 15.

As of 6 a.m. on August 16, HCM City has recorded 151,904 COVID-19 infections, mostly locally acquired.

Vietnam intensifies handling of fake news

 

Authorities have been working together to deal with fake news, which has grown in concern during the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. Fake news is proliferating due to the gullibility and irresponsibility of social media users around the country.

A story about a doctor who decided to remove the breathing tube from his mother to use it for a pregnant woman grabbed headlines on social media recently.

It also went viral due to the irresponsibility of internet users, including reporters and journalists, who play a leading role in the fight against fake news.

Following such incidents, the Vietnam Anti-Fake News Centre at the Ministry of Information and Communications meted out fines of 5 million VND (218 USD) each to the two Facebook accounts that posted the news.

It recommended that netizens, and especially reporters, not share non-verified information on social networks.

The centre received more than 1,100 reports on fraudulent and fake news on cross-border social networks such as Facebook, YouTube and TikTok in the first half of the year.

After confirmation, it announced 38 cases of fake news, most of which were related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and issued fines totalling 177 million VND (7,720 USD).

Journalists who join social networks should be aware of their responsibility to provide official news in a timely manner. The centre’s move will play an important role in preventing the spread of fake news among the community.

Detecting, handling and minimising the spread of fake news at the local level were cemented in documents issued by the Ministry of Information and Communications in July. Along with strong sanctions and the application of IT in detecting fake news, it is necessary to improve skills and address the “herd mentality” in the community.

This is the most effective “vaccine” against fake news and its “variants” developed by hostile forces./.

Intensive care unit for COVID patients opens in Mekong Delta

An intensive care unit (ICU) in the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta city of Cần Thơ began admitting severe COVID-19 cases on Monday amid a spike in new infections in the region.

The 200 ICU beds at Cần Thơ Central General Hospital, part of 12 ICUs set up by the Ministry of Health nationwide in response to the pandemic, offer treatment for severe COVID-19 cases in the Delta.

According to Deputy director of Cần Thơ Central General Hospital Nguyễn Minh Nghiêm, the ICU has modern medical devices such as medical oxygen systems and ventilators and employs specialists trained in intensive care.

It is expected to help reduce the rate of severely ill COVID-19 patients.

One of the buildings at Cần Thơ Central General Hospital, which has a total of 1,000 beds and 1,400 doctors, is being used to treat COVID-19 patients. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been successfully used by hospital doctors to treat two critically ill COVID-19 patients.

As of Sunday (August 15), more than 2,600 Covid-19 cases were reported in Cần Thơ City.

On Sunday, the country recorded 9,574 local infections, with 4,516 cases in HCM City, followed by Bình Dương (2,358), Đồng Nai (546), Long An (514), Đồng Tháp (271), Tiền Giang (209), and Cần Thơ (170). 

As of Sunday (August 15), a total of 271,037 cases have been recorded in the country since April 27, including 99,730 patients recovered from the disease. 

Online contest launched to help people learn about Vietnam Youth Federation

An online contest, aiming to propagate widely among members and young people about the traditions of the Vietnamese youth and the Vietnam Youth Federation, will be launched on August 19 via the "Vietnamese Youth" app.

As part of the activities to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the Vietnam Youth Federation’s traditional day (October 15, 1959 – October 15, 2021), the online contest aims to help Vietnam Youth Federation’s members and young people in general be proud of the glorious history and revolutionary traditions of the Vietnamese youth and the Vietnam Youth Federation.

From now until September 15, Vietnamese youth and the Vietnam Youth Federation’s members at home and abroad can participate in the contest.

Each contestant has a maximum of five attempts per week. In each test, candidates answer 20 multiple-choice questions and choose one correct answer out of four, with a maximum total time of 10 minutes. For each correct answer, the candidate gets 10 points.

After four weeks of competition, four contestants with the best results and time each week will receive a prize worth VND2 million from the organising board. The candidate with the highest total score over four weeks, and the shortest time to complete the test nationwide will receive a special prize worth VND5 million.

After the preliminary round, the organising board will select the 15 candidates with the highest scores in the shortest time to participate in the National Final Round, scheduled to be held on October 9, 2021 in Hanoi. 15 contestants will be divided into five teams by lottery. Depending on the development of the COVID-19 epidemic, the exam format may change in accordance with the situation.

One first prize worth VND10 million, one second prize worth VND 8 million, one third prize worth VND5 million, two consolation prizes worth VND3 million each, along with the Certificate of Merit from the Vietnam Youth Federation Central Committee and the photo book "When I was young", will be awarded to the best contestants in the final round.

In addition, the organising board will present a collective prize worth VND5 million to the Vietnam Youth Federation in the province or city level with the highest number of contestants.

Three Coronavirus-hit provinces to get over 4,000 tons rice from national reserve

Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh has tasked the Ministry of Finance to distribute more than 4,117 tons of rice from the national reserve to support people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in three southern provinces.

Specifically, Binh Phuoc, Bac Lieu and Soc Trang, currently placed under social distancing to prevent spread of COVID-19, will receive 559.74 tons, 636.975 tons, and 2,931.085 tons, respectively.

As of 7:00 pm on August 15, the number of COVID-19 infection cases in Binh Phuoc, Bac Lieu and Soc Trang was 309, 130 and 552, according to the Ministry of Health.

More than 13 million people receive financial support to ease COVID-19 difficulties

More than 13 million pandemic-hit people nationwide have received financial support worth nearly VND6 trillion (US$263.9 million) in total from the Government’s Resolution 68 on a VND26 trillion relief package for COVID-19 affected employees and employers.

This was reported by Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affair (MoLISA) Dao Ngoc Dung during a videoconference held by the Government's Standing Board on August 15 to review a month of COVID-19 prevention and control work in localities implementing social distancing in accordance with the Prime Minister’s Directive 16.

The MoLISA Minister hailed that localities nationwide have been actively working to implement the Resolution in a timely manner.

Relevant agencies have created the best possible conditions and simplified procedures for people, particularly informal workers, to get the aid, he added.

He lauded that many practical and effective initiatives have been launched in localities to help needy people amidst COVID-19, including the “rice ATM” machines, “Zero-VND” minimarkets, and the “social welfare pack” programme.

In addition, the entire society and benefactors have enthusiastically joined hands to support people facing difficulties due to the pandemic.

He asked localities to take more proactive moves to implement aid packages so that the aid can reach the pandemic-hit people as soon as possible, while priority should be focused on employees who lost their jobs or stopped working due to COVID-19 as well as national contributors, policy beneficiaries, poor household, and disadvantaged children.

On July 1, the Government issued Resolution 68/NQ-CP on several policies supporting employees and employers hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. The resolution on 12 policies to support pandemic-hit employees and employers was issued in the context of the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic having spread on a large scale, affecting many industries and fields.

Domestic COVID-19 vaccine developer gets financial support

The Government has decided to provide more than VND 8.8 billion (US$385,000) from the national COVID-19 vaccine fund to aid first and second phase of clinical trials of vaccine Covivac developed by the Nha Trang-based Institute of Vaccines and Medical Biologicals (IVAC).

Covivac, one of four indigenous vaccines, got approval from the Ministry of Health to start second phase of human trials in the northern province of Thai Binh with the participation of 375 volunteers.

IVAC Director Duong Huu Thai was quoted as saying that the volunteers will be divided into two age groups, one aged above 18 and the other aged over 60.

The volunteers will receive shots of varying doses: 3mcg and 6 mcg. 

Covivac underwent pre-clinical trials in India, the U.S., and Viet Nam, the IVAC Director said, adding that the results from those trials showed that the vaccine has satisfied all conditions for testing on humans.

In the first stage of human trials, 120 volunteers aged between 18 and 59 participated in the trials of Covivac. They were divided into five groups - 20 who receive the placebo, and 100 who are injected with the vaccine at three different levels of 1, 3 and 10 micrograms.

An interim report which was sent to the National Council of Ethics in Biomedical Research assessed that the vaccine is safe, well tolerated, and immunogenic across all age groups.

Chairman: City authorities put people's health above all else

He made the statement at a yesterday virtual meeting on urgent measures against the coronavirus pandemic in the southern city as per the Prime Minister’s resolution 86 issued on August 6, 2021.

He said that that the implementation of the requirements for disease control before September 15 as set forth by the Government's Resolution 86 is extremely burdensome and challenging; however, this is also the desire of all city dwellers.

Following the guidance of the Politburo, the call of the Party General Secretary, the direction of the President, the Prime Minister, Ho Chi Minh City will give maximum priority to epidemic prevention and control while putting people's health and life above all else. First of all, city authorities decided to extend the social distance for another month to focus on controlling the sources of infection, bringing the number of infections to the lowest rate, said Chairman Phong.

The head of the city government also expressed that, although people will face many disturbances and difficulties during continued social distancing, city administrators hoped people to join hands with the government in the battle against the epidemic.

Ho Chi Minh City is determined to win the epidemic. The solutions have been adjusted and perfected by leading experts in the health sector, and by steering committees at all levels. The implementation of all solutions must be carried out synchronously and transparently, ensuring the most effective. To achieve that goal, Ho Chi Minh City issued plan No. 2715/KH-UBND on August 15 on urgent measures to prevent and control the epidemic at the meeting.

In order to successfully implement this plan as soon as possible, the Chairman directed many key contents and requested localities and related units to implement more seriously and drastically. In particular, districts and Thu Duc city must strictly keep people at home; especially in the blocked areas. Healthcare workers in these districts must carry out randomized testing to protect the green zones with no community transmission; change yellow areas to green areas, orange areas to yellow areas, and narrow red areas.

Mr. Thanh Phong also emphasized that, at present, city government has been focusing on timely emergency care and reducing deaths. All Covid-19 cases must be admitted into hospitals and under treatment. To do this, the locality must pay special attention to infected patients and their families.

Rapid Response Team must keep close eyes on each household with regular monitoring between the Rapid Response Team and the health status of people with Covid-19. Localities must ensure the "golden time" in emergency and all calls from patients are received for a timely response.

The health sector must take heed of monitoring and treat at home for low-risk infections. This is the first time that Ho Chi Minh City has implemented this home-caring model, so everything is very new and unprecedented. Therefore, localities must pay close attention to the implementation in accordance with regulations including cross-contaminate between family members of infected patients.

The Department of Health urgently coordinated with the Treatment Advisory Group and the Facility Coordination Center to review the treatment facilities in the area, ensuring no overloading, adequate medicine, equipment and manpower.

In addition, it is necessary to quickly convert public hospitals into Covid-19 treatment facilities. Last but not least, more private hospitals are encouraged to participate in treatment according to the model of split hospitals or switch all to treatment. For any private clinics refusing to admit Covid-19 patients, health inspectors will propose the Ministry of Health revoke the license.

According to Chairman Nguyen Thanh Phong, vaccines are still the key factor in controlling the epidemic. Ensuring vaccination coverage is a decisive strategic decision in disease prevention from passive to active. Ho Chi Minh City took the initiative to buy vaccines early and the Government approved them, but now it is still very difficult to supply.

Districts and Thu Duc City must strengthen communication making people understand that the best vaccine is the one that is given at the earliest; people should not wait for a vaccine of their choice while there is a shortage of vaccines and the disease is still spreading rapidly, causing many deaths.

Chairman Phong shared that because of the Delta mutation, the fourth outbreak (from April 27 to now) has a very fast spreading speed, spreading to many localities in the southern regions continuing to evolve unpredictably.

Worse, the epidemic has penetrated deeply into the community in many areas of Ho Chi Minh City and some southern provinces with a very high number of cases, causing great damage to life and health, seriously affecting people's lives and socio-economic development.

At present, the situation of the Covid-19 epidemic in the city is still very complicated. From April 27 to now, 142,618 residents have been infected by Covid-19 with 32,149 patients under treatment including 1,851 of them on ventilators because of their serious condition.

The People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City has issued Document No. 2718 on continuing to apply social distancing measures throughout Ho Chi Minh City to drastically control epidemic prevention and control according to the government’s Resolution 86 on urgent measures to prevent and control the Covid-19 epidemic; Plan No. 2715/KH-UBND of the Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control with determination to thoroughly strengthen the control of the Covid-19 epidemic.

Specifically, from August 15 to 22, Ho Chi Minh City is determined to reduce the death rate of patients due to Covid-19; no case of severe Covid-19 without receiving treatment; determine to change the red zones and orange zones into green zones and gradually expand green zones.

From August 23 to 31, Ho Chi Minh City moved to expand the green zones to control the epidemic in specific areas such as districts 5, 7, 11, Phu Nhuan and outlying districts Cu Chi and Can Gio, Nha Be.

From September 1 to September 15, Ho Chi Minh City will continue to maintain and control cases in the community provided that the number of hospitalizations per day for treatment does not exceed the number of hospital discharges per day, the number of hospitalizations does not exceed 2,000 people per day.

Simultaneously, Ho Chi Minh City aims to strive by September 15 to ensure that more than 70 percent of the population (over 18 years old) receive the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine and 15 percent of the population receive the second dose.

Furthermore, the remaining 15 percent of workers in industrial parks-export processing zones, high-tech zones receive the first Covid-19 jabs.

Regarding social security, Ho Chi Minh City has implemented a center to receive and support essential goods to serve residents in Districts 5, 7, and 12. Ho Chi Minh City has also prepared 1 million safety bags to support people in need; at the same time, establish relief centers and groups in order to promptly assist workers, students, freelancers in small alleys.

At the conference, leaders of districts and Thu Duc city affirmed their determination to control the epidemic by August 30, and speed up the vaccination schedule to reach 50-100 percent of the local population.

Chairwoman of the People's Committee of Cu Chi District Pham Thi Thanh Hien said while implementing Resolution 86; Plan No. 2715 of the Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control and Document No. 2718 on continuing to apply social distancing measures throughout Ho Chi Minh City to drastically control the Covid-19 epidemic, Cu Chi has adopted seven solutions to maintain the green zones and gradually remove red zones.

According to her, the district is focusing on separating all cases of infected patients still in the community; continue to provide the best care for mild cases of Covid-19 patients in concentrated isolation areas of the district. At the same time, the field hospital for Covid-19 treatment will be put into operation with 500 beds.

Recently, District 4 has seen more Covid-19 cases and many blocked residential quarters. Therefore, the district has consolidated and established quick response teams according to the guidance of Ho Chi Minh City and the district is also supported by Ho Chi Minh City with ambulances at 13/13 wards on duty 24/7 to provide emergency assistance and transport serious cases.

In Can Gio district, there are currently 7 blockade zones where epidemic prevention and control are implemented seriously. Therefore, the leader of this district affirmed that it would definitely keep the green zones, and by August 20 green areas will be seen districtwide and 75 percent of residents will receive the 2nd dose of Covid-19 vaccine.

In the inner city, Phu Nhuan district has been focusing on the care and treatment of F0 cases at home in order to reduce the load on upper-level hospitals.

Phu Nhuan District in coordination with the Ho Chi Minh City Young Physicians Association provide healthcare serviced at homes. The district also focuses on taking care of the health and spiritual well-being of the medical staff in concentrated isolation areas and the district's Covid-19 treatment center at Phu Nhuan High School.
In addition, the district continues to add 50 more beds at the Covid-19 treatment center to ensure that more mild cases of F0 can be treated in the area.

"Phu Nhuan district strives to control the epidemic by August 30," said Chairman of the People's Committee of Phu Nhuan district Nguyen Dong Tung.

Further social distancing imposed on Vinh City following Covid-19 outbreak

The central province of Nghe An has applied social distancing regulations in line with the government’s Directive 16 for Vinh City for a second time.

The move was made following a Covid-19 outbreak related to a local wholesale market.   

Social distancing started from midnight Monday midnight until further notice. The city first applied social distancing from June 19 to July 3.

Since August 14, Nghe An Province has recorded 11 Covid-19 cases linked to Vinh wholesale market in Vinh City. Among the patients, six live in Vinh City, while the others are from Nghi Loc and Hung Nguyen districts and Hoang Mai Town.

By August 16, local authorities had identified around 4,017 people related to the market. Of the figure, 283 have been sent to quarantined sites and 3,700 others have had to quarantine themselves at home.

The city has set up 13 Covid-19 check-points at gateway roads.

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