A batch of 592,100 AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines secured via commercial contract by Vietnam Vaccine JSC (VNVC) arrived at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City on August 6.

Vaccines are transported to Vietnam Vaccine Joint Stock Company - run cold storage facilities before delivered to localities. (Photo: VNVC)
This marks the seventh shipment from a deal for 30 million doses that the Ministry of Health ordered from AstraZeneca through the private company VNVC.

At present, a total of 4,387,100 million doses of the contracted amount have arrived in the nation.

So far, Vietnam has received 18.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, including 11.5 million AstraZeneca doses, over five million Moderna doses, 1.5 million Sinopharm doses, more than 400,000 Pfizer doses, and 12,000 Sputnik V doses.

By 06.00am on August 6, approximately eight million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered, with over 820,000 people receiving two jabs.

 Covid-19 curve in HCM City flattening

The latest Covid-19 outbreak in Ho Chi Minh City has started to ease with falling numbers of infections.

According to the Ministry of Health, on August 4, Vietnam reported 7,623 new cases of which 3,300 cases were in HCM City. The number of new cases in HCM City has dropped compared to the daily 4,000-4,500 infections a few days ago. It was only half of the infection rate during the peak in late July.

During a press meeting on July 30, the vice chairman of HCM City People's Committee Duong Anh Duc said the most important thing is to strictly follow preventive regulations.

"We can see that the curve is flattening as predicted. With co-operation from both state agencies and the public, we can control the outbreak soon," Duc said. "One of the key policies is to protect the Covid-19 free areas and quarantine small clusters."

HCM City authorities are speeding up the vaccination programme. Duc has asked Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam on August 4 to allocate more vaccines to HCM City. The city aims to vaccinate all seven million adults. As of now, two million people have been vaccinated. The city wants to receive 5.5 million doses of vaccine in August to achieve the goal and needs an average of 210,000 doses of vaccines daily.

The fifth vaccination wave concluded on August 3 with over 930,000 doses administered in 10 days. The city has opened vaccination spots at hospitals, medical stations and mobile vaccination teams.

Khanh Hoa imposes social distancing amid rising Covid-19 cases

Social distancing measures have been imposed for the whole southern central province of Khanh Hoa as the province is witnessing more Covid-19 patients.

Under the decision issued by Nguyen Tan Tuan, chairman of the provincial people’s committee, the social distancing measures will last for 14 days, starting from Thursday midnight.  

Earlier, the province applied social distancing regulations in some Covid-19-ravaged areas. However, the pandemic has been spreading in the province.

On Thursday alone, Khanh Hoa recorded 51 new Covid-19 cases, raising the province’s total Covid-19 patient number to 3,000 so far.

According to Government Directive 16, people must stay at home and only go out in case of necessity such as buying food and medicine, and in other emergencies. Stores providing essential services and goods are still allowed to open.

Any gathering of more than two people in public places and outside offices, schools and hospitals are prohibited.

State agencies permit their staff to work online at home and hold online meetings.

Over 4,000 new Covid-19 infections announced in Friday morning report

An additional 4,009 Covid-19 infections were confirmed in the past 12 hours in Vietnam, raising the total number of patients in the country to 189,066, the Ministry of Health reported at 6am on Friday morning.

According to the ministry's report, all of the newly-confirmed patients are locally-transmitted cases most of whom were detected in quarantine sites or areas under lockdown in some localities including 2,563 in Ho Chi Minh City, 322 in Binh Duong, 286 in Long An, 253 in Tien Giang, 207 in Dong Nai, 77 in Danang, 63 in Vinh Long, 53 in Dong Thap, 47 in An Giang, 34 in Tra Vinh, 27 in Phu Yen, 19 in Binh Dinh, 17 in Kien Giang, 14 in Gia Lai, five in Ha Tinh, four in Dak Nong, four in Thanh Hoa, four in Lam Dong, two each in Bac Lieu, Lao Cai, Quang Tri, Lang Son, and one each in Hai Duong, and Hanoi. Among these new infections, 823 cases were found in the communities.

Ho Chi Minh City continued to report the highest number of new infections in the country. On Thursday, the city also recorded 3,886 new patients, the majority of which are individuals who came into contact with confirmed Covid-19 patients or who were detected in either isolation and locked down areas. Social distancing rules are being further tightened in the city to contain the virus spread.

As of Friday morning, 185,162 locally-transmitted cases have been reported since the new outbreak occurred in the country on April 27, including 112,479 in the virus hotspot of Ho Chi Minh City. The outbreak has so far spread to 62 cities and provinces nationwide.

With these new infection cases, the number of Covid-19 patients in Vietnam has increased to 189,066 including 186,732 locally-transmitted cases.

On August 5, a total of 3,708 more patients were released from hospital following their full recovery, raising the number of recoveries in the country to 58,040.

Also on Thursday evening, a further 393 deaths related to Covid-19 were announced, bringing the total number of fatalities in Vietnam to 2,720.

The country has conducted over 8.06 million Covid-19 vaccine shots, with 820,023 people having received two doses.

Party leader requests better results in corruption fight 

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Nguyen Phu Trong on August 5 chaired the 20th meeting of the Central Steering Committee for Corruption Prevention and Control.

The meeting, the first since the CPV convened its 13th National Congress earlier this year, aimed at reviewing the fight against corruption in the first half of 2021, defining key tasks for the second half and making decisions on several important issues.

During the January-June period, Party Committees and Inspection Commissions at all levels imposed disciplinary measures against over 70 Party organisations and more than 8,000 Party members. The Party Central Committee’s Inspection Commission proposed the imposition of disciplinary measures against one Party organisation and seven officials managed by the Party Central Committee, and many officials and leaders of state-owned enterprises who committed violations.

The inspection and audit sectors discovered economic violations with a total sum of over 54.47 trillion VND (2.37 billion USD) and 1,760 hectares of land, while proposing financial settlements totalling 23.5 trillion VND, and suggesting the withdrawal of over 7 trillion VND and 644 hectares of land.

Attention was paid to investigation, prosecution and trial of economic corruption cases involving many high-ranking officials.

Relevant agencies seized, distrained assets, blocked accounts, and prevented asset transactions in economic corruption cases with a total amount of 14.41 trillion VND. Civil judgment enforcement agencies also recovered nearly 2 trillion VND.

Regarding the key tasks for the last six months of 2021, the steering committee requested Party Committees, Party organisations and authorised agencies to focus on COVID-19 prevention and control, protection of public health, and fulfilment of the tasks set in the 2021 Work Programme.

It will speed up the progress of verification, investigation, prosecution and judgment of cases under its supervision; and strives to finish the investigation of two cases, issue indictments to prosecute six cases, conduct first-instance trials of nine cases and appeal trials of seven cases, and finish verification and settlement of five cases as planned by the end of 2021.

Party General Secretary Trong, who is also head of the steering committee, requested it to direct relevant agencies to make greater efforts, bring into full play the strength of the entire people and the entire political system.

The steering committee should do better, achieve higher quality, and pay more attention to self-inspection and self-settlement, he said./. 

PM demands better enforcement of COVID-19 response measures

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh signed on Thursday an official telegram demanding better enforcement of COVID-19 prevention and control measures amid complex evolution of the pandemic.

Accordingly, localities which are now undergoing social distancing order in accordance with the Prime Minister’s Directive No. 16 are requested to ensure stricter implementation of the order, promptly test residents in lockdown and high-risk areas and people with high risks of transmission of the virus.

Local authorities have to take people infected with COVID-19 to treatment facilities or help them to treat Coronavirus depending on their health conditions and the real conditions of each localities.

The Government chief ordered subordinate levels to minimize deaths by ensuring sufficient oxygen supply, ventilators, emergency beds and other necessities at the earliest.

Viet Nam reports 3,301 new COVID-19 cases and 3,708 recoveries
Vaccination process must be accelerated. Based on the guidelines provided by the Ministry of Health, Chairpersons of provincial and municipal People’s Committees shall decide on priority groups for vaccination in accordance with the real conditions and COVID-19 prevention and control requirements in their localities.

PM Pham called for enhanced participation of the whole political system, especially grassroots political units, support and cooperation of people, and mobilization of resources for COVID-19 prevention and control.

Localities placed under social distancing shall have to especially pay attention to ensuring smooth circulation and supply of goods and other necessities to residents and meet people’s demand for health care at anywhere and any time.

Pham also requested localities to timely and fully implement policies adopted by the Government to support businesses and citizens affected by the pandemic. The Ministry of Health was assigned to coordinate with relevant ministries and agencies to expeditiously mull over and put forward policies and mechanisms on tax reduction and exemption and other support measures for the pandemic-hit businesses and citizens.

Earlier the same day, PM Pham clarified responsibilities of Deputy Prime Ministers, Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies and Government-attached bodies, and Chairpersons of provincial and municipal People's Committees for COVID-19 fight./.

Disciplinary measures proposed against two former HCMC vice chairmen

The Party Central Committee's (PCC) Inspection Commission has proposed the PCC’s Secretariat discipline former HCMC Vice Chairmen Nguyen Thanh Tai and Tran Vinh Tuyen.

At its fifth meeting from August 2 to 4, the Inspection Commission reviewed proposals on disciplinary measures against Party organizations and members involved in four cases in HCMC, the local media reported.

Accordingly, the Party unit of the municipal Party Committee’s office in the 2015-2020 tenure, the Party committee of the Tan Thuan Industrial Promotion Co., Ltd (IPC) in the 2015-2020 tenure, the Party committees of the South Saigon Development Corporation (SADECO) and Tan Thuan Construction and Investment JSC in the 2015-2017 and 2017-2020 terms flouted working regulations and showed a lack of responsibility, slack leadership and poor supervision, leading to some Party organizations and members violating the Party's rules and the State law on land and asset management and anti-corruption.

Nguyen Thanh Tai, while serving as vice chairman of the HCMC government, illegally approved the transfer of a project investment right without allowing enterprises to bid for tenders, and signed documents approving the values of land lots and assets on the land lots as well as land rentals and the handing over of the lots.

Meanwhile, Tran Vinh Tuyen was found to have signed a decision approving the transfer of a residential project in Phuoc Long B Ward of Thu Duc City to a private firm, causing losses of VND672 billion.

The Inspection Commission also proposed disciplining Tran Trong Tuan, former director of the municipal Department of Construction, as he signed a document proposing Tuyen approve the project transfer.

Nguyen Hoai Nam, former secretary of the District 2 Party Committee and former deputy director of the municipal Department of Natural Resources and Environment; Le Tan Hung, former general director of Saigon Agriculture Incorporated (Sagri); and Te Tri Dung, former IPC general director and SADECO chairman, were expelled from the Party.

Nam was responsible for directly signing a document suggesting Tai sign decisions on illegal land transfers and leasing.

Meanwhile, Hung, was responsible for Sagri’s violations. He also directed the completion of procedures, signed a document proposing the municipal government allow the transfer of projects illegally and signed contracts to embezzle VND13.3 billion.

In addition, Dung would bear the most responsibility for the violations of IPC and SADECO and SADECO’s illegal issuance of shares. He also used SADECO’s money to travel abroad, approved many illegal expenditures and embezzled more than VND1.7 billion.

These individuals’ violations have caused serious consequences, causing huge losses and wastefulness of the State capital and assets, sparking public concern and damaging the prestige of the Party and the HCMC authorities.

The Inspection Commission asked the HCMC Party Committee’s Standing Board to inspect and promptly discipline Party organizations and members involved in these cases.

On July 28, the Supreme People’s Procuracy indicted Tuyen, Tuan, Hung and 14 other defendants, who were former executives of the government, departments and agencies in HCMC, for allegedly violating regulations on the management and use of State assets, causing losses and wastefulness, and embezzlement.

In September last year, the HCMC People’s Court handed down a jail term of eight years to Tai as he was involved in the transfer of a 5,000-square-meter land lot at 8-12 Le Duan in District 1, causing losses of VND252 billion.

Ministry asks for acceleration of quick COVID-19 testing for drivers

The Ministry of Transport has directed its Department of Health to speed up rapid testing for drivers in localities across the country using 100,000 COVID-19 quick test kits allocated by the Government, according to Deputy Minister of Transport Le Dinh Tho.

The Department of Health of the ministry will support localities in the work, he said, noting that this is hoped to directly support transport enterprises.

According to Tho, the quick testing is effectively implement in southern localities, especially in Ho Chi Minh City and those imposing social distancing measures under the Prime Minister's Directive 16.

Statistics show that over 2,700 COVID-19 quick test kits were used for drivers nationwide after more than a week of implementation.

So far, as many as 24,000 COVID-19 quick test kits have been handed over to localities, including 3,000 of those delivered to HCM City – the current biggest COVID-19 hotspot.

As of August 4, a total of 1,700 quick test kits were used for drivers in HCM City, with four people tested positive for coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.

Deputy Minister Tho said to contain the spread of the pandemic, the ministry has directed its units and the Departments of Transport of localities to request vehicle owners and drivers to strictly and fully comply with regulations on COVID-19 prevention and control under the guidance of the Ministry of Health./.

Food processing workers should be given priority for Covid-19 vaccination: Ministry

A working team of the Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development has proposed the prime minister ask local authorities to prioritize vaccinating all workers of food processing plants to maintain production and exports.

As for the fisheries sector, the working team in a report sent to the prime minister said that the latest resurgence of the coronavirus has taken a heavy toll on fisheries companies, especially those in the south.

Fisheries production and exports since the second half of July fell sharply, by 20% compared to the first half of this year. The capacity of fisheries processing plants in the south is also forecast to decline by 60-70%, the team said.

After visiting some fisheries processing facilities, the team noticed that these businesses have made huge efforts to maintain their operations and well adopted the stay-at-work mode. However, many fisheries processing plants that failed to meet anti-virus requirements due to relatively high costs had to halt their operations.

Meanwhile, most of the workers of these businesses have yet to be vaccinated against Covid-19. Once an employee is infected with Covid-19, the plant has to shut down and can encounter huge financial losses.

The team also predicted that the supply of agricultural products and food for export in the second half of the year will drop sharply. The export of vegetables in the second half may fall 30% due to the lack of agricultural materials.

In addition, many agricultural products could face difficult consumption and falling prices such as dragon fruits, bananas, pineapples, lemons, tra fish and shrimp, prompting a certain number of farmers, cooperatives and enterprises to hesitate to reinvest in further production.

To promote the growth of the cultivation, husbandry, fisheries sectors and avoid the disruption of the value chain, it is essential to roll out a program to comprehensively support the sectors in terms of plant seeds, livestock and aquatic breeds.

Accordingly, the team proposed the Government leader direct 19 provinces and cities in the south to administer the Covid-19 vaccine to all workers of food processing plants, slaughterhouses that are implementing the stay-at-work mode and manufacturing businesses in connection with factories. They are the labor force that directly ensures the supply of food and foodstuff in the long run, the team added.

The Government was also asked to offer electricity price support to food producing and processing businesses, so that they can ramp up the purchase of agro products and keep products in cold storage.

The team also requested the Government to launch a national program to purchase and stock up on rice to stimulate rice production and encourage local farmers to continue rice production, aimed at ensuring national food security and stable rice export.

Ho Chi Minh City supports frontline forces, people affected by COVID-19

The People’s Committee and Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Committee of Ho Chi Minh City have carried out practical activities to provide timely support for needy people affected by COVID-19 as well as frontline forces in the fight against the pandemic.

The city's VFF Committee on August 4 announced the presentation of more than 250,000 gift packages, each worth 500,000 VND including necessities such as rice, cooking oil, fish sauce, to needy families in need, households in difficult circumstances. The funding for the implementation of the programme comes from the city's allocations to localities and other sources such as donations of businesses, organisations and individuals.

The VFF committees of Thu Duc city and districts are asked to review and make a list of poor families and households in difficult circumstances in need of urgent support so as to send the lists to the city VFF Committee before August 6.

Earlier, the city's VFF committee delivered 5,400 gift packages to households via the VFF chapters in Thu Duc city and districts in the city.

Besides, the municipal People's Committee has directed the urgent implementation of a support policy for frontline forces in the COVID-19 fight.

Accordingly, for frontline medical workers, those perform direct work will receive 10 million VND per person while those who perform indirect work will receive 4.5 million VND per person.

Each person in the community COVID-19 prevention and control team is provided with 2 million VND. Volunteers mobilised by the municipal Department of Health including medical staff, lecturers, private healthcare workers, retired medical staff, religious volunteers, and volunteer drivers will get 3 million VND per person, while each medical student will receive 1.5 million VND.

Each medical worker and lecturer sent by the Ministry of Health and provinces to HCM City will be assisted 3 million VND, and students will get 1.5 million VND./. 

Over 11,000 students to take 2nd round of national high school graduation exam

More than 11,000 students have registered for the second round of the national high school graduation examination, which is scheduled for August 6-7, said Deputy Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Huu Do.

Of these, over 3,100 students are from Bac Giang, one of the localities hardest hit by the COVID-19 recently, and the rest from 38 provinces and cities, including Cao Bang, Hung Yen, Hai Phong, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, An Giang, Tien Giang, Vinh Long, Lam Dong, Dak Lak and Dong Nai.

The second phase is intended for students who had their tests in the first unfinished due to the COVID-19 pandemic outbreaks.

According to Do, the Ministry of Education and Training has asked for careful preparations and plans for the holding of safe exams amid the pandemic and the most favourable conditions for candidates.

Exam questions and durations will be similar to those in the first phase to ensure objectivity and fairness for contestants.

The exam councils are requested to review their list of students attending the second phase to avoid any mistakes that cause disadvantages for them. Candidates with difficult circumstances or having problems in traveling and accommodations should receive timely support so that they can take the exam, he said.

The deputy minister also directed the localities to screen students and taking measures suitable to the reality of each locality to ensure the health of both exam supervisors and candidates.

The exam is considered the most important exam for a student after 12 years of study as it not only awards a high-school graduation certificate but also decides on admission to universities and colleges./.

Zalo’s new tool helps COVID-19 affected people

Social network Zalo on August 3 launched tool Zalo Connect which aims to support its users that are facing difficulties amid complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Accordingly, Zalo users in Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai, Binh Duong, and Long An can easily seek emergency support from the community for foods, medicines, and other essential goods, or quickly connect with doctors and medical experts for remote medical advice.

Through the application, individuals and charitable organisations will quickly detect and support those facing difficulties surrounding their residential areas, but still strictly follow COVID-19 prevention and social distancing regulations.

Users should activate the feature to allow strangers to communicate on Zalo to ensure that the relief force can connect with them quickly.

Zalo Connect was completed in five days with the coordination of the national technology centre for COVID-19 prevention and control.

Users in the four above-mentioned localities can easily access this feature right at the top of Zalo's browser and select "I need help" or "I want to help", depending on their need.

Zalo is expected to have more tools that allow donors to update the list of those who have received support, thus properly distributing donations from the community./.

HCM City to give extra financial aid to pandemic-hit residents

Ho Chi Minh City will give extra financial aid to poor people who are being severely affected by extended social distancing order imposed to stamp out the COVID-19 pandemic, Vo Van Hoan, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee, said at a conference on August 5.

The conference was held by the city’s Fatherland Front Committee to discuss the second social security package designated to help local residents hardest hit by the pandemic.

The new package targets poor workers and those who did not benefit from the first package, Hoan said, adding that each person will receive 1.5 million VND (65.26 USD) in cash and the package must be fully delivered to needy people before August 10.

This time, the eligibles will include people with labour contracts suspended because of COVID-19, part-time workers, directors, actors, painters and others working in the entertainment industry, he noted.

The second package is expected to benefit around 250,000 people. The first package, which was worth 426 billion VND and fully disbursed, has provided aid to freelancers, people living in locked down areas, frontline workers and families of COVID-19 patients.

HCM City also plans to establish a centre for receiving donations of necessities to affected people./.

300 workers sent to Binh Duong to support Covid-19 vaccination

Around 300 medical workers from 60 vaccination teams have been sent to the southern province of Binh Duong to help the province’s Covid-19 inoculation campaign.

The staff, who are from Vietnam Vaccine Joint Stock Company (VNVC), have supported HCM City’s Covid-19 vaccination campaign. They are from HCM City and some other localities. 

Binh Duong now stands second among localities hardest hit by Covid-19 in Vietnam with more than 21,000 Covid-19 cases, including 136 deaths. The province has planned to provide Covid-19 vaccination for roughly 300,000 workers and people between August 5-8.

The VNVC teams will participate in vaccinating 50,000 people, including workers at industrial parks.

The VNVC teams will receive vaccines from Binh Duong Centre for Disease Control for the preservation at its cold stores located in the province. The vaccines are brought to vaccination spots every day.

Bui Kim Khanh, Director of VNVC, said that VNVC has 60 centres nationwide, including 25 in the southern region. It is a favourable condition to mobilise its resources to assist Binh Duong. This will be the second biggest Covid-19 vaccination campaign it has participated in after HCM City.

Over 200 coaches to provide ambulance services for Covid-19 patients

Up to 226 coaches in HCM City have been turned into ambulances to transport Covid-19 patients.

HCM City has continued facing rising number of Covid-19 patients with many of them put under home quarantine. In necessary cases, they can contact local health facility hotlines for help.   

Under the instruction of municipal authorities, the HCM City Department of Health and the 115 Medical Emergency Centre have to mobilise all ambulances from public medical facilities for carrying patients with worsening condition to hospitals.

The 115 Medical Emergency Centre is responsible for the ambulance distribution and reporting the situation to the committee.

Amid the sharp rise in Covid-19 patients in the city, a transportation firm in the city has used 226 coaches of 16 seats each as ambulances for carrying Covid-19 cases.

The vehicles are installed with necessary medical equipment for emergencies, including oxygen tanks and pulse oximeters. Shields are also used to separate their driver and passengers to help reduce the risks of Covid-19 infection.

To date, 160 vehicles have been handed over to localities, while the remainder is expected to be put into use in two days to come.

At the end of July, around 300 cars of a taxi company in the city were also licensed as prioritised vehicles for patient transportation.

Viet Duc Hospital sends 300 health workers to Ho Chi Minh City

More than 300 medical staff and eight tonnes of equipment of Viet Duc Hospital in Hanoi are expected to arrive in Ho Chi Minh City on August 5 to help in the treatment of severe COVID-19 patients.

They will work at an ICU centre at Field Hospital No. 13, which is being installed under the direction of Associate Professor Dong Van He - Deputy Director of Viet Duc Hospital.

He said they are highly skilled ICU, anaesthetic and surgery doctors and nurses, capable of setting up and operating ventilators in order to provide patients with the best care.

Many have decided to have their hair cut short to make it more convenient for taking care of COVID-19 patients.

Associate Professor He said they are racing against time to quickly finish technical tasks so that the ICU can be put into use as soon as possible.

In addition to an ICU hospital of Ho Chi Minh City with 1,000 beds, the Ministry of Health is setting up another 4 ICU centres, which are operated by Bach Mai Hospital, Viet Duc Hospital, Hue Central Hospital and Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital.

* On August 5, the An Giang Fatherland Front received a VND3.3 billion (US$143,600) donation to the provincial COVID-19 prevention fund from TBS An Giang and Viettel An Giang.

TBS also donated VND300 million and 1,600 rapid test kits to Thoai Son District to help it cope with a recent surge in coronavirus cases.

On the same day, a lorry carrying fruit, vegetables and eggs departed An Giang Province for Ho Chi Minh City to distribute such goods to An Giang residents currently living in Ho Chi Minh City who are facing difficulties due to social distancing measures.

* The central province of Quang Ngai is planning to set up two field hospitals to prepare for a rise in the number of COVID-19 patients as many of its native residents are arriving home from southern provinces and cities.

Such field hospitals will initially have 300-500 beds and can be upgraded to 1,000 beds if necessary.

Dong Nai allows resumption of 145 taxis to transport patients to hospitals

Dong Nai Province has allowed 145 taxis to resume operations to transport patients to hospitals during the shelter-in-place period, while permitting shippers to return to work from 6.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. each day.

The 145 taxis, which belong to the Mai Linh, Saigon, Lado and Long Thanh taxi operators, will also be used for essential cases, mainly medical purposes, including transporting people from/to quarantine centers, the Dong Nai Department of Transport said on August 5.

The provincial department granted QR identification codes to the taxis to make it easier for anti-virus forces to check and control the operation of these vehicles.

During their operations, these taxis must comply with Covid-19 safety protocols and make hand sanitizers and face masks available, while the drivers must have a negative Covid-19 test certificate and make online heath declarations before work.

Earlier, the Dong Nai Department of Industry and Trade allowed delivery workers, or shippers, to return to work in the daytime, the local media reported.

These shippers were told to have identifying characteristics such as a uniform, boxes, a business logo or a travel permit. Each delivery man is allowed to work at only one commune, ward or district.

The provincial government on July 31 decided to continue adopting the social distancing order under the prime minister’s Directive 16 for 15 more days from August 2 until 15 and imposed night movement restrictions.

Hospitals in HCMC told not to let Covid-19 patients die at home

The HCMC Department of Health has written to the 115 Emergency Center, hospitals and Covid-19 treatment facilities asking them not to let patients die at home as a result of being denied admission or delays in being transported to hospitals for treatment.

Besides, the municipal department ordered these units to readily admit and treat Covid-19 patients, the local media reported.

The hospitals, Covid-19 treatment centers and the 115 Emergency Center must be open round the clock so that residents can access treatment or medical checkups.

In addition, doctors were told to prepare for screening to determine which patients need a referral for treatment.

Moreover, the municipal department asked hospitals and healthcare centers to proactively add more beds, stretchers and oxygen masks to serve patients to prevent their condition from worsening due to delayed treatment.

The heads of these units were tasked with informing their employees of the order and asking them to work toward minimizing the Covid-19 death rate. The heads will assume responsibility for cases in which patients die at home as a result of hospitals denying treatment or delaying admission.

Top legislator holds online meeting with Hai Phong voters

National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue held an online meeting with 5,000 voters in the northern port city of Hai Phong on August 5.

The NA Chairman informed the voters about the reforms in the organization and operation of the legislative body in the 15th tenure, particularly in the first session.

He took time to talk to voters about an urban development strategy for Hai Phong, which draws many voters’ interest.

The top legislator noted that the Prime Minister issued a decision on September 2020 approving the task of building a master plan for Hai Phong in 2021-2030 with a vision to 2050.

The city must quickly implement the task, he said, noting that without a master plan, there will be many obstacles for socio-economic development.
According to Hue, several districts in Hai Phong have been designated to become urban districts, so their plans on new-style rural area building should include urban development.

The city also needs to make plans for the environment in industrial parks and export processing zones, water supply and waste collection and treatment in urban and rural areas, he said.

Regarding the building of Bach Long Vy into a fishery logistics centre for the northern region, Chairman Hue said the Bach Long Vi island district authority should coordinate with the municipal People’s Committee and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to develop a scheme to this purpose to submit to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

He pledged that the delegation of NA deputies of Hai Phong will help promote the idea./.

Binh Duong speeds up Covid-19 vaccination

Binh Duong Province is set to complete its Covid-19 vaccination drive, with over 300,000 doses, within 10 days starting today, August 5.

The Binh Duong Department of Health has issued an urgent dispatch to the provincial government proposing allocating the doses to quickly complete the vaccination.

To ensure the inoculation process runs on schedule, the department also proposed mobilizing 177 teams to work at fixed and mobile vaccination sites.

Under the department’s proposal, people prioritized for vaccination include healthcare workers, frontline workers, anti-virus forces and those who received the first shot of the vaccine eight to 12 weeks ago.

Besides, the province will also inoculate people aged over 65, those having underlying health conditions, people living in virus-hit areas, suppliers of food and essential goods, foreign experts, teachers, students and freelance workers.

The province will administer 80,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, 149,000 Moderna doses and 23,000 Sinopharm doses in this Covid-19 vaccination drive. Chinese nationals working in Vietnam and Vietnamese students wishing to study in China will get the Sinopharm vaccine, the local media reported.

As of this morning, Binh Duong Province had reported 22,053 Covid-19 infections and 136 deaths in the current fourth wave of infections, which began in late April.

Citizen protection measures quickly implemented regarding death of Vietnamese man in Japan

Vietnamese diplomatic missions in Japan will continue to coordinate with Japanese agencies for the urgent investigation into the death of a Vietnamese man in Osaka while implementing necessary citizen protection measures to protect the legitimate rights and interests of Vietnamese citizens, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang informed at a regular press conference of the ministry held online on August 5.

She said immediately after there was information on social networks about a Vietnamese young man who died after being assaulted in Osaka city's Namba area, the Vietnamese Consulate General in Osaka contacted the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Osaka police, and Vietnamese community in the Kansai region to learn about the case.

On August 3, local police officially informed the Consulate General in Osaka that the victim is a Vietnamese national, born in 1999 from the northern port city of Hai Phong. The Consulate General has contacted and sent condolences to the victim's family, affirming that it would closely follow the case and assist the family in necessary procedures.

Hang said according to the latest updates from the Consulate General, Osaka police had arrested a suspect in the case – a foreigner – at 4:10 pm local time on August 5.
The Foreign Ministry's Consular Department is ready to assist the victim's family, she said.

“This is a heartbreaking incident. We would like to send our deepest condolences to the victim's family and will coordinate with and request the Japanese side to soon bring the perpetrator to trial," said the spokesperson./.

Saudi Arabia presents aid package to support Vietnam's COVID-19 fight

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has given a 500,000-USD medical aid package to Vietnam to support the country in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

The package was presented to Deputy Minister of Health Truong Quoc Cuong in Hanoi by Wibar Abdullah I. Albaseer, Chargé d'affaires of the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Vietnam.

Speaking at the ceremony, Cuong said: “Vietnam is impressed with the tough and effective measures implemented by the Government of Saudi Arabia in preventing and fighting COVID-19".

“In particular, a vaccination campaign has been carried out quickly and makes Saudi Arabia one of the countries with the highest percentage of vaccination coverage in the world,” he said.

The Deputy Minister expressed his appreciation of Saudi Arabia’s aid to Vietnam. “It’s such a meaningful gesture and a source of motivation to Vietnam during this difficult time, physically and mentally. The Ministry of Health is committed to using this precious gift wiselyto fight the pandemic,” Cuong said.

Albaseer said the aid package was part of the Saudi Arabian Government’s 500 million USD budget used to support international efforts to fight COVID-19.

The package was delivered to Vietnam by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre in Saudi Arabia, he said./.

Top Cuban legislator congratulates NA Chairman

President of the National Assembly of People’s Power of Cuba Esteban Lazo Hernández cabled a message of congratulations to Vuong Dinh Hue on his election as Chairman of the 15th National Assembly.

In the message, Hernández said the Cuban people and country are proud of exemplary friendship and solidarity with the fraternal Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

The National Assembly of People’s Power of Cuba has maintained fraternal ties and close cooperation with the Vietnamese legislature for the benefit of the two peoples, he said.

He also wished Hue would successfully fulfil his noble tasks and strengthen ties between the two legislatures./. 

Air service on HCMC-Buon Ma Thuot route suspended 

The Ministry of Transport has approved Daklak Province’s proposal of suspending flights between HCMC and the province’s Buon Ma Thuot City starting on August 5, due to the worsening Covid-19 situation.

The ministry asked the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam to inform local carriers and the relevant agencies about the flight suspension, reported Lao Dong newspaper.

According to the province’s proposal, Covid-19 is still raging in many parts of Vietnam, especially in HCMC and surrounding southern provinces, with domestic infections on the rise. There is a high possibility that the disease could break out in neighboring regions including the Central Highlands province of Daklak.

Up to now, Daklak has reported 225 infections, with most of them linked to HCMC and the southeastern provinces.

To proactively contain the spread of the disease, the provincial government had asked the relevant agencies to suspend road passenger transport services between HCMC and Daklak. However, the air service linking the province with HCMC remained in operation with one flight operated daily, which affected the province’s efforts to fight the coronavirus.

Therefore, the provincial government wrote to the Transport Ministry proposing the suspension of flights on the route.

Local photographer named among finalists of Italian photo contest

Vietnamese photographer Tran Viet Van has made it into the final round of the street category in the Urban Photo Awards, which are taking place virtually in Italy.

His photo is titled “Hồn của phố cổ”, “The soul of old town” in English, and captures an image of a 84-year-old street vendor working in Hoi An ancient city in the central province of Quang Nam.

The 12th version of the Urban Photo Awards has witnessed the participation of 11,000 photos, 417 sets of photos, and 125 photo books from 3,000 entrants globally.

The competition’s judging panel includes 31 leading experts from many countries, such as the United States, the UK, France, Italy, and Japan.

Viet Van is the only Vietnamese photographer named among the successful finalists and his picture is now set to compete in the street category.

This comes after he previously won the third prize at the Urban Photo Awards on two separate occasions, with a photo named “Những thiên thần nhỏ”, also known as “The little angels”, in 2018, along with a set of photos with the theme of “Mẹ tôi”, “My mother”, which was submitted in 2019.

The winner of the 2021 award will be announced in mid-September, with the winning photos going on to be exhibited at the Trieste Photo Day Festival in Italy before being put on display in many cities across Europe.

In particular, they will be published by international magazines such as Urban Unveils volume 6, Prism Magazine, The Post Internazionale, and Street Photography Magazine. 

Quang Liem into semifinals of Chessable Masters

Le Quang Liem, the nation’s leading chess player, has made it through to the semifinals of the Chessable Masters online rapid tournament.

During the quarterfinal stage which was held online on August 4, world No.32 Quang Liem took on Alireza Firouzja, France’s top player and world No.12.

The Vietnamese player enjoyed a surprise victory over his French rival and recorded two wins in a row. The result ensured that Quang Liem will progress straight to the semifinals without completing the remaining two sets thanks to his comfortable 3-1 victory on the first day. Due to this lead, even if he lost the remaining two sets he would still earn a ticket in the next round.

Moving forward, Quang Liem will face off against Levon Aronian of Armenia, currently ranked as the world’s fifth strongest player and winner of the FIDE World Cup in both 2005 and 2017, in the semifinals.

The Chessable Masters represents the eighth event of the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour, a 10-month long series of 10 chess tournaments initiated by chess king Magnus Carlsen of Norway and played online through Chess24.com.

Quang Liem earned at least US$6,500 in bonuses as he has made it through to the semifinals of the tournament.

Vietnam Social Security acts to support workers, businesses amid COVID-19

The Vietnam Social Security (VSS) has carried out solutions to provide maximum support to businesses and workers who are facing difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic, following the Government’s Resolution No 68/NQ-CP and the Prime Minister’s Decision No 23/2021/QD-TTg.

Applying information technology (IT), simplifying procedures and reducing dossier processing time are among solutions that are being deployed drastically by the VSS.

It said that IT application will help limit contact and prevent the spread of virus in the context of complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic and many localities applying social distancing. As a result, the Government's support policies targeting employees and employers who are affected by the pandemic have been implemented in a timely, convenient and simple manner.

The VSS has promoted the provision of online public services to assist people facing difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic; workers who have to suspend labour contract, take unpaid leave or stop working, such as paying wage and handling the reduction of insurance premiums for insurance of occupational accident and disease.

The above measures of the VSS, together with the efforts of ministries, agencies and localities, have contributed to repelling the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuring social security./. 

 

US reaffirms support for ASEAN’s central role

US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken reaffirmed the US support for ASEAN’s central role and the group’s Outlook on the Indo-Pacific as part of the vision of the US for a free and open Indo-Pacific while addressing the ASEAN-US Foreign Ministers' Meeting on August 4.

At the meeting, Blinken and Foreign Ministers of ASEAN member countries discussed pressing international and regional challenges, including fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change, solutions to human resource development, and the situation in Myanmar.

Blinken emphasised the US’s commitment to supply more than 500 million doses of vaccines to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) for distributions to 92 low- and middle-income countries worldwide, as well as the African Union, through the COVAX (COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access) Facility.

He noted that the US has so far donated more than 23 million doses of vaccines and nearly 160 million USD to support ASEAN member countries to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Blinken announced that his country intends to contribute 500,000 USD to the ASEAN COVID-19 Response Fund to support vaccine procurement, and it will also continue to assist the ASEAN Secretariat in developing an ASEAN Public Health Emergency Coordination System.

He highlighted the importance of taking bold actions in the 2020s to address challenges related to the climate change crisis, and promote green recovery, emphasising the US’s support for the region to minimise economic losses caused by the pandemic.

Blinken also underlined the need to develop human resources in ASEAN, while reaffirming his country’s consistent support for the next generation of ASEAN leaders, the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Academic Fellowship at Fulbright University Vietnam, among other programmes./.

Obituary: Veteran painter Đỗ Quang Em dies

Veteran painter Đỗ Quang Em, a leading artist of the South’s fine arts, died at home on Tuesday in HCM City. He was 79.

His funeral took place on Thursday in HCM City.

Chairman of Việt Nam Fine Arts Association Lương Xuân Đoàn told Tuổi Trẻ newspaper: "Đỗ Quang Em was one of the four cornerstones of the fine arts world that evolved in pre-1975 Sài Gòn."

Đỗ Quang Em was born in Ninh Thuận Province in 1942. He studied photography from his father, owner of a small photographic studio when he was a child.

He was sent to study at the Gia Định College of Fine Arts in Sài Gòn (now the HCM City University of Fine Arts).

In 1965, he became involved in painting after graduating from college. His work earned recognition from art lovers and critics.

In 1973-74, he worked as a lecturer at Gia Định College of Fine Arts.

Đỗ Quang Em was part of a family of three generations of artists and trained himself to be a master of light in his paintings.

Em’s art focused on the use of strong contrasts between light and dark.

Because of his love for photography, Em chose to paint realistic items but pushed his style further into the realm of hyperrealism. The technique, which takes a lot of time and skill, looks as real as a photograph.

“Em was professional in his use of this technique. The use of light and shadow helped the painter build up texture and detail,” said art critic Nguyên Hưng.

Hyperrealism was an art movement and style popular in the United States and Europe in the 1970s with Carole Feuerman being the forerunner along with Duane Hanson and John De.

Founded on the aesthetic principles of photography and photorealism, the artists often worked to create paintings that resembled photographs.

Hyperrealists took ordinary everyday objects and used them as a means to convey more subdued emotions in their paintings. They presented these objects as living and tangible, painted in meticulous detail to the point that they created an illusion of reality far from the original photo.

Hyperrealists often add subtle, pictorial details to create the illusion of a reality which doesn't exist often conveying the emotional, social, cultural and even political messages of the artiste.

Đỗ Quang Em’s works feature a range of topics and objects, from people to animals and still life. Many of his paintings portray his wife and daughters.

He also loved to draw cups, glasses, oil lamps and origami figures.

He organised several solo and group exhibitions in HCM City, Singapore and Hong Kong.

His works have been displayed and collected by Vietnamnese and foreign galleries and collectors, including the HCM City Musuem of Fine Arts.

Two of his famous paintings are Tôi và Vợ Tôi (My Wife and I) and Ấm và Tách Trà (A Teapot and Cups, which were auctioned for US$70,000 and $50,000 in Hong Kong in 1994-95.

His paintings in the 1990s sold for $60,000-70,000 in the foreign market.

German scholar: Party chief’s article clarifies pathway to socialism in Vietnam

German professor Günter Giesenfeld has commented that Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s article clarifies Vietnam’s pathway to building socialism in both theoretical and practical aspects.

Giesenfeld, who is also a communication scientist and film director, said in the article, Trong described socialism as a theory, a movement and a regime.

The article affirmed that socialism and national independence are a basic and consistent way of the Vietnamese revolution and a key part of President Ho Chi Minh’s Thought.

According to him, Vietnam chose to go on the pathway to socialism, skipping capitalism stage in line with the Political Platform since the establishment of the Communist Party of Vietnam in 1930.

He also mentioned Vietnam’s renewal process that started in 1986, considering it an important milestone in Vietnam’s post-war history. He added that Trong stressed that Vietnam is in the period of transition to socialism so that many jobs need to be done ahead.

In a socialist-oriented market economy, every economic policy serves social development goal, the article said.

The scholar said Party chief Trong’s arguments gave convincing answers to important questions and offered valuable information about Vietnam’s current economic situation, which once again, highlighted the importance of renewal policy with clear results that Vietnam could be proud of.

He expressed his belief that the article will help Westerners understand such pride via data mentioned in the article. He added that he wants to translate the article into German so that more people could know it.

He is considering the publication of the full text or excerpts of the article in the next issue of Vietnam Kurier magazine, or on the website of the Friendship Group with Vietnam (FG Vietnam).

Giesenfeld, 83, has been Chairman of the FG Vietnam for tens of years. He is now also editor-in-chief of Vietnam Kurier, a magazine featuring Vietnam with three issues per year./.

ASEAN, New Zealand joins hands to ensure regional peace, stability

The ASEAN-New Zealand Ministerial Meeting was held via a video conference on August 5 within the framework of the 54th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM-54) and Related Meetings.

At the event, the two sides agreed to carry out the new Plan of Action in the 2021-25, prioritise to support each other in COVID-19 response and sustainable recovery, as well as foster economic-trade-investment cooperation and stabilise the regional supply chain.

They will also step up cooperation in anti-terrorism and transnational crimes, education, environmental protection, climate change adaptation, natural disaster preparedness, and smart agriculture.

They will work to reduce the development gap and enhance cooperation in subregions, including the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS).

The sides affirmed to further support the open, fair and rules-based multilateral trade system, and bolster regional linkages through improving the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA) and promoting the ratification of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement.

ASEAN and New Zealand pledged to continue closely working together in an effort to maintain and ensure peace, security and stability in the region, including the East Sea.

New Zealand backs ASEAN’s principle stance and welcomed the bloc to uphold its role in promoting dialogues and trust-building, ensuring the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), as well as the building of an effective and efficient Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in accordance with international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Head of the Vietnamese delegation Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung emphasised the significance of the ASEAN-New Zealand strategic partnership for peace, stability, prosperity and sustainability in the region.

Vietnam asks New Zealand to help ASEAN in COVID-19 response, timely and equal vaccine access, and economic recovery.

Vietnam hopes that the two sides will soon level up the AANZFTA and complete the ASEAN-New Zealand Air Services Agreement, while suggesting New Zealand help ASEAN narrow the development gap and bolster sustainable development in subregions, including the GMS.

On the East Sea issue, the head of the Vietnamese delegation underlined that ASEAN countries and New Zealand share interest and responsibility in maintaining peace, stability, security and maritime safety in the waters.

Vietnam reaffirms ASEAN’s stance on the East Sea, adding that ASEAN and China are actively building an effective and efficient COC in line with international law and the UNCLOS.

At the end of the event, Brunei took over the coordinating role for the ASEAN-New Zealand relations in the 2021-24 period./.

Foreign Minister attends ASEAN-Canada Post Ministerial Conference

Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son attended the ASEAN-Canada Post Ministerial Conference via a videoconference on August 5, as part of the 54th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.

Son hailed Canada’s wish to further deepen ties with ASEAN, making active contributions to the bloc’s common efforts to maintain peace, stability and development in the region.

He suggested Canada assist ASEAN in timely and full access to COVID-19 vaccines, promote specific measures to help regional countries deal with impacts caused by the pandemic and step up recovery and development efforts.

Vietnam supports the launch of negotiations on building the ASEAN-Canada free trade area to facilitate trade and investment, he said. He also proposed accelerating joint work regarding women, peace and security.

The minister stressed that maintaining peace, security, navigation nd aviation freedom in the East Sea is benefit and responsibility of countries, including ASEAN and Canada.

Affirming ASEAN’s consistent principled stance on the East Sea, he highlighted the importance of building trust, self-restraint, non-militarisation, peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

He said ASEAN is actively working with China to build an effective and efficient Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in line with international law and the 1982 UNCLOS. He suggested Canada continue supporting ASEAN’s efforts in the issue.

Canadian Foreign Minister Marc Garneau expressed his wish to upgrade ties with ASEAN, join ASEAN-led cooperation mechanisms more deeply and soon launch talks on a free trade agreement between ASEAN and Canada.

ASEAN member states lauded Canada’s donation of 3.5 million CAD (2.8 million USD) to the ASEAN COVID-19 response fund in the next five years and a medical supplies package worth 4.5 million CAD to the grouping.

Both sides agreed to prioritise giving mutual support to cope with the pandemic, mitigate impacts caused by it and promote comprehensive and sustainable recovery.

They pledged to accelerate economic, trade and investment collaboration and stably maintain supply chain linkage. This year, they will launch talks on the free trade area and carry out the action plan for the 2021-2025 period.

Canada vowed to continue with programmes on education-training, high-quality human resource development, support for businesses, disaster management, application of innovation technology, cyber security, digital economic and sustainable development, and climate change response.

The two sides consented to hold celebrations for the 45th anniversary of ASEAN-Canada partnership next year.

On regional and global issues of shared concern, ASEAN and Canada spotlighted the importance of maintaining peace, security and stability in the region, especially in the East Sea in the current context.

Canada supported ASEAN in promoting cooperation, dialogues, building regional trust, upholding international law, building rules-based regional order, and addressing disputes by peaceful means in line with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS and completing a COC.

Canada welcomed ASEAN for actively promoting reconciliation and dialogue, assisting Myanmar in seeking measures to stabilise the situation, while emphasising its support for ASEAN to successfully implement Five-Point Consensus reached by ASEAN leaders./.

People-to-people exchange key to development of Vietnam-Thailand ties: Thai scholar

The Vietnam-Thailand relations have been upheld and strengthened in all fields by the countries’ leaders and people despite uncertainties in the region and in each nation.

In an interview with the Vietnam News Agency’s correspondent on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic ties (August 6, 1976 - 2021), Dr Nakorn Serirak, a lecturer at the College of Local Administration of Thailand’s Khon Kaen University, underlined that the relationship between people of the two nations is the most crucial and key to the reality of international relations.

He said the clearest proof of progress is in the establishment of the Thailand-Vietnam strategic partnership which benefits bilateral trade and investment for both sides.

In addition, working on the consultation mechanisms in both countries may facilitate business negotiations and investment promotion between the countries.

Both sides are to work to increase the value of bilateral trade and reduce trade impediments, and will promote cooperation in the digital economy, he added.

The scholar pointed out four outstanding factors in the countries’ ties, notably the good relations between the Thai Royal family and Vietnamese leaders and the diplomatic relations between political leaders.

Meetings and discussions at diplomatic forums and exchanges of diplomatic officials between the two countries; as well as cooperation between high-ranking officials in both governmental and business sectors, are also among the factors.

Serirak affirmed that all these reflect in the exchanges of diplomatic missions and official visits by both the members of the Thai Royal family and political leaders as well as senior officials of ministries or major corporations of the two countries.

The political movement of the people and students during 1975-76 in protesting against the US air force in Thailand is the most evident incident that explained the feeling of Thai people who did not want the US army to bomb and kill Vietnamese friends.

Furthermore, a joint agreement on the grant of Thai citizenship to Vietnamese who lived in the country for a long time is to show the way the people of the two countries have a close-knit friendship and can live together peacefully and happily.

Therefore, it is important and necessary to promote future activities and cooperation between people of the two countries, the scholar emphasised.

More activities should be stepped up such as the cooperation between academicians and researchers at universities, establishment of joint research institutes in universities, exchanges of experts and personnel in new areas, teaching of Thai language in Vietnam and vice versa, and socio-cultural exchange activities, among others.

He believed that facilitation of travel between the countries at the local level should be bolstered.

Starting from the flight between Chiang Mai and Hanoi, routes linking other cities should be considered, he said, adding that it helps entrepreneurs in both countries be more comfortable when travelling, and brings people of two countries closer through tourism together with technical cooperation at the local level.

As members of ASEAN, Thailand and Vietnam should cooperate with each other in strengthening their role to secure and support peace and cooperation among ASEAN members, Serirak said./.

Vietnam, Tanzania to enhance economic, investment cooperation

Vietnamese Ambassador to Tanzania Nguyen Nam Tien and Tanzanian Foreign Minister Liberata Mulamula vowed to continue promoting economic and investment cooperation between the two countries at their meeting on August 4 in Dar es Salaam.

Ambassador Tien, who paid a courtesy visit to the Tanzanian FM, congratulated Tanzania for its election as Vice President of the 76th General Assembly of the UN in June this year.

He said Vietnam is willing to share experience with Tanzania in national development, economic transition, poverty reduction and improvement of living standards.

According to the diplomat, trace-investment is a bright spot in bilateral ties, with Vietnam being the largest buyer of raw cashew nuts from Tanzania in recent years. He hailed the pioneering role of the Viettel Tanzania (Halotel) in universalizing mobile phone and internet networks to remote areas in the African country, contributing to creating jobs and incomes for local residents and fulfilling its tax obligation to the Tanzanian Government.

Ambassador Tien proposed that the two countries continue to exchange information via the channels of the State, party and the legislature body so as to enhance mutual political trust and support for development.

He noted that there is great potential for bilateral collaboration, when bilateral trade turnover in 2020 stood at just 300 million USD as against Vietnam’s total foreign trade of 545 billion USD. He asked the Tanzanian Government to facilitate the operation of Viettel Tanzania and assist Vietnamese firms in looking for business opportunities in Tanzania.

Minister Mulamula hailed the role of the Viettel Tanzania company, and called on Vietnamese firms to invest in cashew nut processing in Tanzania.

He voiced approval of proposals from the Vietnamese Ambassador, and affirmed that the country will continue to support Vietnam in multilateral mechanisms./.

Ministry of Public Security's cooperation with Thai agencies produces practical results: official

The Ministry of Public Security's ties with Thai agencies like the Royal Thai Police, National Security Council, and Ministry of Justice have been sustained and consolidated, bringing about practical outcomes, said Minister To Lam while receiving the new Thai Ambassador to Vietnam, Nikorndej Blankura in Hanoi on August 5.

Lam singled out as example the fruitful exchange of information on trans-national crime; coordination in verifying and arresting wanted criminals and expelling individuals who take advantage of Thai territory to conduct sabotaging activities targeting Vietnam; cooperation in investigating and cracking down on drug trafficking rings from third countries to Thailand through Vietnam and vice versa; as well as joint work in the field of training and equipment aid serving drug crime prevention and control.

To boost such engagements in the future, the minister suggested the two sides work towards the signing of an extradition agreement as a basis for their law enforcement forces; continue to share experiences in the management of entry-exit activities, tourism and investment; strengthen coordination in handling cases related to Vietnamese and Thai citizens; and step up cooperation in the field of human resources training.

For his part, Nikorndej Blankura pledged to do his utmost to foster Vietnam - Thailand collaboration across various fields./.

Vietnam attends first Friends of Mekong Ministerial Meeting

Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son attended the first Friends of the Mekong (FOM) Ministerial Meeting, which was held on August 5 via videoconference.

Addressing the meeting, Minister Son affirmed Vietnam’s commitment to working with other members to build an environment of peace, stability, prosperity and sustainable development in the region.

FOM cooperation needs to originate from development demands of Mekong countries, and helps promote regional cooperation, strengthen the integration of collaboration mechanisms to mobilise all resources for sustainable development and addressing challenges effectively, he stated.

The Vietnamese official suggested FOM prioritize cooperation in COVID-19 prevention and control, building high-quality infrastructure, green growth, and step up policy dialogue on sustainable development in the Mekong sub-region.

The meeting agreed that FOM should intensify cooperation in addressing common challenges and promoting sustainable and inclusive growth, including supporting socio-economic development and promoting green growth during and after the pandemic, ensuring food, water source and energy security, building high-quality infrastructure, and backing the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030 (SGD) and the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Participants agreed that FOM has made positive contributions to consolidating friendship between member countries, assisting Mekong countries in responding to the pandemic and promoting sustainable development and prosperity of the region.

FOM cooperation should continue to promote the common values and principles in the UN Charter and the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), uphold the central role of ASEAN as well as principles of equality, consensus and mutual benefit, and respect for international law, so as to help connect FOM cooperation with ASEAN and existing Mekong cooperation frameworks.

The meeting was chaired by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, with the participation of Foreign Ministers and representatives of Cambodia, the Republic of Korea, Laos, Myanmar, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Thailand and Vietnam, together with the ASEAN Secretary-General and representatives from the European Union, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Mekong River Commission (MRC). India and the United Kingdom attended the event as invited guests./.

​Switzerland's National Day, diplomatic ties with Vietnam celebrated in Hanoi

A ceremony was held in Hanoi on August 5 evening to celebrate Switzerland's 730th National Day (1291-2021) and the 50th founding anniversary of Vietnam-Switzerland diplomatic relations (1971-2021) with the attendance of Swiss Vice President and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ignazio Cassis.

At the event, the State Bank of Vietnam's Governor Nguyen Thi Hong, on behalf of the Vietnamese Government, congratulated the Swiss Government and people on the occasion.

With support from international friends, including Switzerland, Vietnam is sparing no efforts to push back the COVID-19 pandemic, she said.

Hong expressed her hope that there will be more high-ranking delegations and friends from Switzerland to visit Vietnam as well as more people from the European country to form connections with Vietnam.

Cassis said the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs supports the designing and construction of the 'Geneva Conference Room' within a new building of the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam to support the facility's training and research on international relations.

With 177 direct investment projects in Vietnam and a total registered capital of about 1.9 billion USD, Switzerland currently ranks 20th among 140 countries and territories directly investing in the Southeast Asian nation.

Despite adverse impacts from the COVID-19 epidemic, two-way trade between Vietnam and Switzerland reached 863.5 million USD in 2020./.

Young Vietnamese people in US join hands in supporting frontline forces in HCM City

Members of “Stay Strong Saigon” - a project of young Vietnamese people in the US in coordination with members of the “Vietnam - Unite for Vietnam” project to launch a campaign to donate 20,000 N95 face masks to frontline forces in the COVID-19 fight in Ho Chi Minh City, according to The Gioi va Viet Nam (World and Vietnam) newspaper.

The coordination is hoped to help protect frontline doctors and medical workers from COVID-19.

Within 24 hours since launching, the campaign raised over nearly 12,000 USD from donors.

All members of the “Stay Strong Saigon” and “Vietnam - Unite for Vietnam” are still working hard every day to call for more donations for frontline medical workers and people in HCM City.

Another campaign - VietBay - initiated by Vietnamese people living in Silicon Valley in the US has been carried out with an aim of raising 200,000 USD to support poor people in HCM City affected by the COVID-19 pandemic./.

Over VND24 trillion proposed for expressway linking HCMC, Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc

The 68.7-kilometer HCMC-Thu Dau Mot-Chon Thanh expressway project passing through HCMC and Binh Duong and Binh Phuoc provinces will need an estimated investment of nearly VND24.3 trillion in the first phase, according to the prefeasibility report for the project.

A representative of the Ministry of Transport said on August 3 that the prefeasibility report had been completed.

Accordingly, the expressway will have two sections: one stretching from the Go Dua Intersection to the An Phu Intersection in HCMC and the other from the An Phu Intersection to an intersection with National Highway 14 in Chon Thanh District, Binh Phuoc Province.

In the first phase, the 8.6-kilometer section was designed to have 10 lanes. The remaining section will have four lanes.

Of the required investment for the first phase, more than VND12.1 trillion will be sourced from the State budget and the remaining mobilized by the investor of the project. If approved, the first phase will be conducted from 2021 to 2025.

The HCMC-Thu Dau Mot-Chon Thanh expressway is part of the Ho Chi Minh road project and the country’s expressway system by 2020 with a vision to 2030.

At present, residents must pass some 120 kilometers of roads to travel from HCMC to Binh Phuoc. Once the HCMC-Thu Dau Mot-Chon Thanh expressway is in place, the connectivity of HCMC and the other localities in the southern key economic zone and the Central Highlands will be improved, thus boosting the socioeconomic development.

Ha Tinh and Quang Tri to receive southern returnees

Authorities in Ha Tinh Province will organise five flights to help transport 1,000 low-income people home from the virus hotspots of HCM City and other southern provinces and cities.

Two flights will be held on August 6, two flights on August 7 and one flight on August 8. Each flight will have 190 seats. Ha Tinh Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs is helping to review and build a list of the returnees.

Ha Tinh already arranged a train to carry 814 people home from the southern provinces. However, many people tested positive for Covid-19 afterwards.

In Quang Tri Province, the local authorities have also planned to transport about 400 low-income people home. A train will be arranged on August 11. It will stop at Saigon Station in HCM City, Di An Station in Binh Duong and Long Khanh Station in Dong Nai.

All of the returnees must be tested negative for Covid-19 within 72 hours prior to the departure.

People with sickness, from ethnic minority groups, pregnant women, people over 60 years old, children under 16 years old, students, tourists and people who are visiting relatives are prioritised.

Thousands of people have registered to return to Quang Tri. On July 29, Quang Tri provincial authorities received 384 returnees.

The provincial authorities have called for support for the people being stuck in HCM City.

HCM City to spend VND501bn to help uncontracted workers

HCM City has proposed to spend VND501bn (USD21.7m) to support uncontracted workers who are facing difficulties due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The aid package will be given to 334,000 people from the city budget. Each person will be given VND1.5m.

The Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs also proposed to give 170,000 low-income people living in rental areas VND1m each household. 90,000 poor and near-poor households will also be given VND1m each.

Le Minh Tan, director of the Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, said on August 3 that they had submitted the proposal to HCM City People's Committee.

"This is the second aid package to uncontracted workers, poor and near-poor households. The procedures will be simple and the money will be transferred directly to the people," he said. "unemployed workers don't have much savings and have many difficulties during the pandemic."

In July, 334,000 uncontracted workers were also given VND1.5m each when the city issued the first-aid package.

Support centre for Covid-19 victims set up in HCM City

Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, Nguyen Thanh Phong has just decided to set up a centre to provide support to local people who are facing difficulties during the on-going virus outbreak in the area. 

The centre, which is located at the headquarter of the city's Fatherland Front Committee in District 1, will receive and manage goods including food and necessities sent by donors to local people who are facing financial difficulties and frontline workers doing the Covid-19 prevention and fighting work.

The centre will co-operate with authorities in Thu Duc City and districts to have a list of people in need of support after losing their jobs due to the pandemic.

Besides, the centre will also check the needs of doctors, nurses and other staff who are working at quarantine sites, field hospitals and other hospitals to timely provide them with support.

The Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs has just proposed to spend VND501bn (USD21.7m) to support uncontracted workers and households who are facing difficulties due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to the proposal, 170,000 low-income families living in lockdown areas will be given VND1m each. 90,000 poor and near-poor households will also be given VND1m each.

Outstanding achievements made in gender equality among ethnic minorities: Report

Vietnam made outstanding achievements in gender equality in ethnic minority and mountainous areas in the period of 2015 to 2019, including a drop of 4.7 percent in the rate of child marriage in ethnic minority groups, according to a report released on August 4.

 

The report “Figures on Ethnic Minority Women and Men in Viet Nam 2015-2019,” along with the “Policy Brief: Gender issues in ethnic minority areas in Vietnam,” was launched in celebration of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples on August 9. The report was conducted by the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) with financial support from the Embassy of Ireland in Vietnam, and in coordination with the Institute of Labour Science and Social Affairs under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (ILSSA-MOLISA), and the Department of Ethnic Minority Affairs - Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs (CEMA).

According to the report, the percentage of ethnic minority households with access to the internet (Wi-Fi, cable, or 3G) increased 9.4 times from 6.5 percent in 2015 to 61.3 percent in 2019, while the average income per capita per month of ethnic minorities in 2018 increased by 1.8 times in four years, and the average monthly income per capita of ethnic minority female-led households was always higher than that of male-led households.

The proportion of children attending school at the right age increased by 15.2 percent from 2015 to 2019; and the percentage of ethnic minority people participating in health insurance reached 93.5 percent with no difference between men and women.

The two publications cover information on ethnic minority women and men in Vietnam for the period of 2015-2019, including gender analysis outcomes and providing policy recommendations for gender equality promotion in ethnic minority areas in the country.

Data in the reports were analysed based on the findings of the Survey on the Socio-economic Situation of the 53 Ethnic Minority Groups in Vietnam, which was conducted by the General Statistics Office in collaboration with CEMA in 2015 and 2019. There are seven main topics: population; infrastructure and assets; labour, employment, and income; education and training; culture and society; health, environment, and sanitation; and ethnic minority cadres and civil servants.

The reports also highlight persistent gender issues in ethnic minority and mountainous areas which are affecting women and girls. For instance, while the overall rate of child and consanguineous marriage among the 53 ethnic minority groups has reduced, the extent of reduction was uneven and has continued to increase among a number of ethnic minority groups.

The analysis found that female ethnic minority workers are more likely to undertake insecure jobs and are more vulnerable in the workplace than their ethnic minority male and Kinh female counterparts. Also, while the percentage of ethnic minority women aged 10-49 who give birth at health facilities reached 86.4 percent, it remains significantly lower than that of Kinh women which is over 99 percent.

Bui Ton Hien, Director of ILSSA-MOLISA said that in ethnic minority communities, women and girls are often more disadvantaged in accessibility to opportunities and resources due to social norms which impose an inferior position to them, limit them within birth delivery and household production activities.

Meanwhile, Luu Xuan Thuy, Director of Ethnic Minority Affairs Department under the CEMA highly appreciated UN Women’s technical contribution and believed that gender equality analyses in ethnic minority areas are fundamental information and useful for the stakeholders in designing policies and intervention programmes to ensure that ethnic minority women are not left behind in the country’s sustainable development process.

Elisa Fernandez Saenz, UN Women Representative in Viet Nam said that the objective of the reports is to provide stakeholders with a clearer picture on the current gender equality situation in ethnic minority areas in Vietnam, wherein gender issues are being well addressed by the government, but which needs further effort for intervention in both areas of policy and programme.

She emphasised that gender equality issues which intersect with ethnicity are often difficult to tackle and require a comprehensive approach, as well as commitments of financial investment in the coming years.

“UN Women believes that these reports shall contribute to filling the gap of gender statistics among ethnic minority groups in Vietnam, and to the progress of promoting socio-economic and sustainable development in ethnic minority areas,” she said.

For her part, Lisa Doherty, Deputy Head of Development at the Embassy of Ireland in Vietnam said that Ireland believes it is critical to empower and support women and their communities. The Embassy of Ireland’s partnership with UN Women aims to ensure that the government's ethnic minority policies and programming - support for which has always been a central pillar of Ireland’s engagement in Vietnam - include appropriately strong attention to gender considerations and prioritise women's empowerment, she added./. 

All contacts of Covid cases in HCMC can self-isolate at home

The HCMC Department of Health has recommended that Thu Duc City and all districts in the city should quarantine all direct contacts of conformed Covid-19 cases at their residences.

At a conference to review the home quarantine of direct contacts of Covid-19 cases in the city on August 3, Doctor Nguyen Huu Hung, deputy director of the municipal Department of Health, said the solution was urgent amid the current situation, requiring the cooperation of all competent agencies and quarantined people, the local media reported.

The department proposed that Thu Duc City and districts make arrangements for people to monitor those quarantined. Direct contacts of Covid cases violating the anti-virus regulations during the self-isolation at home will be sent to centralized quarantine centers or face sanctions.

The city has piloted home quarantine for asymptomatic Covid cases and direct contacts of Covid cases for half a month.

In the current wave of infections, which began on April 27, the city has repeatedly changed the quarantine regulations. Earlier, direct contacts of Covid cases were put under centralized quarantine for 14 and then 21 days and a further home quarantine for seven more days.

In early July, the city’s Covid cases reached 7,000 and directs contacts of Covid cases exceeded 14,000, causing an overload at concentrated quarantine facilities. The municipal Department of Health started piloting home quarantine for direct contacts of Covid cases in eight high-risk districts for 28 days.

The city also put direct contacts of Covid cases at centralized quarantine centers for 14 days and at home for 14 more days in line with the Ministry of Health’s directions.

Since July 17, the city has piloted home quarantine for direct contacts of Covid patients. The military and police forces were responsible for ensuring security and social order and monitoring quarantined people, while healthcare workers were in charge of instructing quarantined people to make health declarations on the Vietnam Health Declaration app, taking their samples for Covid testing, instructing them to collect waste properly and informing the healthcare centers if direct contacts of Covid cases test positive for the coronavirus.

As of August 3, HCMC had sent nearly 42,700 people into mandatory quarantine, including over 5,900 people at centralized quarantine centers and some 36,700 others at home.

Student wins VFCD festival poster competition

College student Nguyễn Ngọc Thư has won first prize at a graphic design contest held to design a poster that promotes Việt Nam’s identity and culture.

The contest is a part of the Việt Nam Festival of Creativity & Design 2021 (VFCD) which is organised by RMIT University in Việt Nam, in collaboration with UNESCO, the Việt Nam National Institute of Culture & Arts Studies and COLAB Việt Nam.

With the concept "Balancing the Intersections", Thư’s design was made with lines and cubes. She was inspired by images of daily life across the country such as street vendors carrying poles across their shoulders on hot summer days or flower vendors riding their bicycles through Hà Nội's quiet Old Quarter streets in the afternoon.

Images of ferry boats lying next to one another in the Mekong Delta impressed her a lot.  

“I also remember a childhood toy – the wooden dragonfly swaying at the tips of our fingers,” said Thư, 21, a third-year student at the Graphic Design Department in FPT College, Hà Nội.

“All evoke in me a sense of balance – balancing between the old and the new, between the calm and the chaotic.”

Thư’s design will be developed further and become the key visual used throughout the festival. She will be featured and mentioned as a Creative Partner of VFCD 2021 and will take home a prize worth VNĐ25 million (more than US$1,000).

Three awards for inspiring ideas were also granted to Nguyễn Hoàng Mạnh Khang, 26, and Ngô Quang Trung, 22, from HCM City, and Ngô Nguyễn Thụy Anh, 22, from Helsinki (Finland). 

They will receive an honorary gift of VNĐ5 million each. All four winners will be featured in a public talk about the graphic design idea for VFCD 2021.

“I am impressed with the contestants and professionalism,” said Professor Julia Gaimster, RMIT dean of the School of Communication & Design.

“They showed us very clear, professional, forward thinking and well researched presentations. They are talented in the use of technology, with many innovative ideas that would appeal to a variety of audiences.”

The VFCD Graphic Design Contest attracted 37 individuals and groups of Vietnamese contestants aged 18-30 from all over Việt Nam and abroad.

The judges selected the winners based on five criteria including creativity, innovation, symbolic thinking, branding orientation, and inspiration.

The contest was beneficial to not only the contestants but also to hundreds of young designers and audiences who directly participated in the two workshops organised by VFCD 2021.

These included Designing Key Visuals & Creative Merchandise: The Dos and Don’ts  led by reputable design company Hands Collective; and From VFMD to VFCD and beyond: What we’ve learnt led by Behalf Studio -- the prominent designers behind the impressive key visuals of the previous two editions of VFCD.

HCMC establishes center for essential goods reception, delivery support

The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee has just decided to establish a center for essential goods reception and delivery support to help people with difficult circumstances due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The newly-established center is based on Ho Chi Minh City Vietnamese Fatherland Front, 55 Mac Dinh Chi Street, Da Kao Ward, District 1.

Chairwoman of the Ho Chi Minh City Vietnamese Fatherland Front Committee To Thi Bich Chau takes the role of the center director along with 18 other members who are representatives of municipal departments, units and agencies.

The center is responsible for receiving and managing the donated foodstuffs and essential goods from domestic and foreign organizations and individuals to provide those people with difficulties due to the Covid-19 pandemic and front forces participating in the fight against Covid-19.

The management board will collaborate with the authorities of Thu Duc City and districts of HCMC to review the on-demand support of poor households, unemployed people. Based on the demand, the center will organize the food and goods delivery to the residents through local authorities.

Sporadic goods allocation hampers shopping ticket use in HCMC

HCMC citizens are complaining about the long and crowded queues at grocery shopping locations, while supermarkets struggle to anticipate the flow of shoppers and stock shelves on time.

After the first week of using the grocery shopping tickets, residents of Go Vap District complained they could not always buy what they needed after waiting in line for hours. Since traditional marketplaces in Go Vap are not allowed to operate, people flock towards supermarkets and small retail outlets, causing fresh food to run out during peak shopping hours.

In some notable examples, local residents have reported that locations with quality fresh products usually run out of stock early, while some other places would quote fluctuating prices on essential goods.

Meanwhile in Binh Thanh District, people have enjoyed uncrowded grocery trips thanks to having scheduled shopping hours. According to a local official, there is an abundance of supermarkets in the area but not many people, hence such convenience.

Speaking with SGGP News on August 03, Deputy Director of the HCMC Department of Industry and Trade Nguyen Nguyen Phuong said the shopping tickets are meant to limit the number of people by each time frame to ensure social distancing as well as manage the supply flow. He stressed, however, that the execution does not need to be too rigid, and that each locality could make changes to the number of shopping locations allowed based on a number of factors.

He also added that there is no shortage of goods coming to HCMC but rather a lack of operational distribution channels. There are currently only 27 working traditional, mainly in the suburbs.

Meanwhile, retail outlets like supermarket chains and convenience stores are struggling to keep up with the number of shoppers with a reduced number of employees, many of whom are stuck in quarantine.

The HCMC People’s Committee previously directed its localities to make sure there is enough essential goods to go around, and requires cooperation from the local distribution channels to mobilize available means of transport for timely and continuous supply.

Thu Duc City launches ambulance service for Covid-19 patients

A fleet of eight ambulances transporting persons with suspected symptoms of the coronavirus disease to hospitals has been launched in Thu Duc City. Covid-19 patients in need of this service, can book it through the number, 1800.1722.

It is an attempt being made by the Thu Duc City’s authorities to tackle the ongoing pandemic, said Chairman of the People’s Council of Thu Duc City Nguyen Phuoc Hung said at the launching of ambulance service on August 3.

Each of these ambulances is equipped with equipment in emergency medical services. A separate team of drivers and emergency medical workers was created for the purpose to carry patients to hospitals safely and quickly.

Previously, a motorbike emergency medical response service that can enter narrow alleys to carry out patients was launched by the Le Van Thinh Hospital in Thu Duc City.

In conferences on Covid-19 prevention and control, Chairman of the HCMC People’s Committee has also asked the municipal Health Department and the 115 Emergency Center to mobilize sources of ambulance services in the public and private healthcare units to support the transportation of F0 cases and help the city reduce mortality rates in severe Covid-19 patients.

As of present, the city has a total of 200 vehicles and plans to add more 100 ambulances in the next two weeks. In addition, Mai Linh Joint Stock Company has converted 200 taxis to mini-ambulances amid spike in demand.

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