The Hanoi Department of Health has written to public and private hospitals asking them to admit all Covid patients in critical condition to reduce deaths in the city.

All hospitals in the city were told to ensure Covid patients can undergo emergency and medical checkups promptly and to classify patients into groups based on their health condition and give them fast treatment.

As of December 25, over 19,700 Covid patients had been receiving treatment at home and hospitals in Hanoi City, with 205 of them taking a turn for the worse.

Since the ongoing fourth wave of the Covid pandemic, which began in late April, Hanoi City has reported more than 100 Covid deaths, with most of them being unvaccinated or having underlying health problems, the local media reported.

Vietnam's vaccination coverage exceeds WHO’s target

Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son disclosed that Vietnam's vaccination coverage has exceeded the target set by the World Health Organization.

Deputy Minister Son said presently, with 79 percent of its population having received their first dose of vaccine and 66 percent of the population getting the first dose of vaccine, Vietnam has surpassed the World Health Organization’s target of achieving at least 40 percent vaccination coverage in 2021.

According to Dr. Kidong Park, World Health Organization (WHO) Representative in Vietnam, the most impressive is that Vietnam has been able to secure more than 160 million doses of vaccine and provide more than 140 million doses of vaccine to the people who are eligible for getting a vaccine in a short time.

COVID-19 testing requirement scrapped for air travellers from HCM City, Cần Thơ

The Ministry of Transport no longer requires all air passengers from HCM City and the Mekong Delta city of Cần Thơ to provide proof of negative COVID-19 test results, according to its new rules issued on Monday.

The testing obligation now only applies to those living or travelling from locked down areas or zones classified as having the highest level of COVID-19 risk (Level 4) in the two southern cities.

Passengers from these areas must show proof of negative COVID-19 RT-PCR or rapid antigen test results done within 72 hours of the flight’s scheduled departure time.

Passengers will not be allowed to board flights if they have COVID-19 symptoms, for example, cough, fever, shortness of breath, muscle aches, sore throat and loss of taste.

Under the newly-released regulations, the Ministry of Transport also enables carriers to serve in-flight meals and increase the frequency of flights on domestic routes from December 29, 2021 to February 16, 2022.

Long An breaks ground on key road to HCMC

Long An Province has broken ground on the Provincial Road 823D project, which will connect the province with HCMC and other southern provinces.

The 14-kilometer road will allow a maximum speed of 80 kilometers per hour, have six lanes and cost some VND2.5 trillion, mainly sourced from the State and provincial budgets. The construction of the provincial road is set to take 720 days, the local media reported.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony on December 26, Long An Chairman Nguyen Van Ut said that Provincial Road 823D is a key traffic project, helping link HCMC and Long An, facilitate goods transportation and reduce traffic jams facing several main routes.

The road will connect with Ho Chi Minh Road, National Highway N2 of Ring Road 4, and Provincial Road 825 in Long An Province’s Duc Hoa District. It will run across multiple potential industrial parks and residential areas.

The road project is expected to stimulate the province’s economic growth, attract investment, promote the development of the service and trading fields and speed up urbanization.

The provincial government urged the Duc Hoa District government to complete site reclamation and clearance so that the project could run on schedule.

33 works on AO/dioxin victims honoured

The Vietnam Association of Victims of Agent Orange/dioxin (VAVA) on December 27 held an award ceremony to honour 33 outstanding press works on AO/dioxin victims and overcoming consequences of toxic chemicals used in the war in Vietnam.

It was part of activities marking the 60th year since the US army began to drop tens of millions of extremely toxic chemicals on various areas across Vietnam.

Nearly 600 entries were submitted to the organising board from January 1 to March 30, 2021, including those compiled by overseas Vietnamese.

Three A prizes were awarded, along with five B, 10 C and 15 consolation prizes. 

The award-winning works will be made a book serving as learning material in the future.

Vietnamese, Chinese courts boost ties

Chief Justice of the Supreme People’s Court of Vietnam Nguyen Hoa Binh held an online talks with Chief Justice of the Supreme People’s Court of China Zhou Qiang on December 27.

Both sides informed each other about their respective achievements in lawmaking, judicial reform and the application of information technology in court activities.

They agreed to share experience in building a law-governed State and electronic courts, and judicial training for judges, and strengthen cooperation among local courts, especially those in border provinces.

Both sides shared the view that the talks contribute to further tightening ties between people’s courts of the two countries and make active contributions to reinforcing solidarity and friendship between the two nations. They promised to hold mutual visits once the pandemic is under control.

HCMC to implement policies to protect vulnerable people after pandemic

HCMC is collecting feedback on its policies to safeguard the vulnerable after the Covid-19 pandemic, said a local official at a meeting held yesterday, December 24.

The city will use its budget to provide monthly support to the non-working-age population, the elderly, and those living alone or in disadvantaged conditions. Children with congenital diseases and orphans will receive support from the authorities.

Accordingly, the city is working to develop more allowance policies for them and submit them to the city’s authorities for consideration and approval.

NA Vice Chairman calls for more support for AO victims

Permanent National Assembly (NA) Vice Chairman Tran Thanh Man December 27 called on individuals and organisations at home and abroad to uphold the traditional of mutual support and take more practical actions to help Agent Orange (AO) victims.

He also urged individuals, international organisations and peace lovers globally to act to prevent the threats of war and chemical war in particular in the future in any country, as well as join hands to support Vietnamese AO victims.

President of the Vietnam Association of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin (VAVA) Sen. Lieut. Gen Nguyen Van Rinh and delegates at the event shared the view that VAVA’s activities have become increasingly effective and practical, deserving an organisation protecting AO/dioxin victims, a common house and spiritual support of its members.

Photo book captures HCMC people’s resilient spirit in Covid-19 fight

Photographer Nguyen A has released a photo book honoring the resilient spirit of people in the fight against Covid-19 pandemic in HCMC.

The pictures were taken in June when the city hit the peak in the Covid-19 pandemic capturing citizens in activities of mass testing, blood donation, journeys of migrants who leave HCMC for their hometowns, Covid-19 memorial ceremony and the city’s recovery in the new normal state.

On this occasion, the photographer also presented another photo book titled “We are Vietnam” praising 125 women who have outstanding contributions to various fields of national defense, education, health, arts and more.
Nguyen A previously introduced a book featuring images of the frontline forces in field hospitals and quarantine facilities across the city in the Covid-19 combat.

COVID-19: Additional 14,872 cases recorded on December 27

Vietnam logged 14,872 infections of COVID-19, including five imported cases, in the past 24 hours to 4pm on December 27, including 27 imported cases, reported the Health Ministry.

Hanoi still recorded the highest number of infections with 1,948 cases. It was followed by Tay Ninh with 943 cases and Hai Phong with 931 cases.

The country has so far confirmed 1,666,545 infections.

Since the fourth pandemic wave hit the country on April 27, as many as 1,660,900 cases have been discovered, 1,256,797 of this figure have recovered.

The same day, 204 people were confirmed dead from the disease. The number of fatalities has so far reached 31,418, or 1.9 percent of the total infections.

According to the Ministry of Health’s report, 7,636 patients nationwide are in serious conditions, with 905 requiring invasive ventilation and 19 on life support (ECMO).A further 11,374 patients were given the all-clear, taking the total number of recoveries to 1,259,614.

Vietnam, Italy talk use of stem cells in COVID-19 treatment

A webinar on the application of stem cells in COVID-19 treatment was held on December 27.

Speaking at the event, Director of Italy’s national emergency service 118 Mario Balzanelli said amid the rapid spread of Omicron variant so far, the best method is the earliest intervention, quarantine and treatment of infection cases.

Apart from traditional regimen, autologous stem cells could be used in treatment, he said, adding that many patients recovered without lung scars left after 30 days of therapy.

The Vietnamese and Italian doctors also presented the application of stem cells in medicine and COVID-19 treatment.

The event was the second of its kind to share Italy’s experience in caring and treating COVID-19 patients. 

Nine regular int’l air routes to be resumed from first day of 2022

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam has just informed that regular international flights from/to Vietnam will be resumed on January 1, 2022, in two phases, with air travel with nine foreign destinations to be available again in the first phase and fifteen in the second phase.

Accordingly, Vietnam will restore regular international air routes with airports in a number of Asian countries, including China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, among others, and the US.

To be allowed to enter Vietnam, airlines must ensure their passengers have completed epidemic prevention requirements as regulated by the Vietnamese authorities, the aviation authority noted. 

Khanh Hoa welcomes Russian visitors holding “vaccine passports”

The south-central coastal province of Khanh Hoa welcomed its first group of Russian tourists since March 2020 on December 26. The move marks a new period of development for the province’s tourism sector. 

The Azur Air flight, carrying a total of 325 passengers, including 226 Russians holding “vaccine passports”, touched down at Cam Ranh International Airport early on the morning of December 26.

It is expected that between December 26 and March 23, Azur Air and Anex Vietnam, the tourism agency that organised this trip, will conduct 26 flights bringing Russian tourists from Moscow to Khanh Hoa and Nha Trang with a frequency of two round-trip flights a week, each carrying 320-340 passengers.

Exhibition on Hoang Sa, Truong Sa comes to Quang Tri’s mountainous district

Maps, documents and images on Vietnam’s sea and islands sovereignty collected at home and abroad are on display in the mountainous district of Dakrong, central Quang Tri province.

The mobile exhibition, which opened on December 27, is co-organised by the provincial Department of Information and Communications and the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Among the exhibits there are documents containing historical evidence testifying to Vietnam’s legal sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagoes.

The exhibition also highlights socio-economic achievements of Dakrong district through photos, on the occasion of the 25th founding anniversary of the locality (January 1, 1997). The event is scheduled to last until January 10,2022.

100,000 ha of rubber plantations expected to get sustainable forest management certificate

A total of 100,000 ha of rubber plantations of Vietnam Rubber Group (VRG) are expected to get an international sustainable forest management certificate in accordance with the Vietnam Forest Certification Scheme (VFCS) and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) in the first quarter of 2022, according to PEFC in Southeast Asia.

So far, 55,000 ha of rubber plantations of VRG has been awarded the certificate.

With the existing certified area, 85,000 tonnes of natural rubber and 300,000 tonnes of certified sustainable rubber wood will be exploited for commercial production.

PEFC is the largest forest certification system in the world and the certification system of choice for small forest owners, with more than 300 million hectares in 49 nations. Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, PEFC provides independent assessment, endorsement, and recognition of national forest certification systems.

Construction of key routes linking northern mountainous provinces begins

A transport project that build roads to connect northern mountainous provinces began with a groundbreaking ceremony held in Lai Chau, one of the localities involved, on December 27.

Covering areas of Lai Chau, Lao Cai and Yen Bai provinces, the project will build two routes at total costs of 5.339 trillion VND (235.328 million USD) sourced from a loan by the Asian Development Bank and a non-refundable aid from the Australian Government and capital from the Vietnamese Government.

One of the routes, about 147km long, connects Lai Chau to the Hanoi – Lao Cai highway, while the other, some 53km, links Yen Bai’s Nghia Lo town to the highway.

With the Ministry of Transport as its investor, the project will be carried out in 2021-2024. Once completed, the routes are expected to shorten the journey from the three provinces’ political and economic hubs to the capital city, reducing transport cost and traffic congestion and promoting socio-economic development.

HCM City praises religious volunteers’ contribution to fighting against pandemic

Ho Chi Minh City’s Vietnam Fatherland Front on December 27 held a ceremony honouring 20 religious volunteers who have completed their task of supporting frontline forces at COVID-19 treatment hospitals in the city.

They are among 679 volunteers of different religious groups who have taken part in COVID-19 prevention and control in various hospitals since July 22. 

Honda Vietnam to present 20,000 helmets to people nationwide

Honda Vietnam Company has worked alongside the National Traffic Safety Committee (NTSC) to launch its annual motorcycle helmet programme by donating nearly 20,000 pieces to students and people across the country.

Honda Vietnam first developed its annual motorcycle helmet programme in 2015, and a total of 150,000 helmets have been provided free of charge for residents across the country over the past years.

According to the NTSC’s data, 80% of deaths in road traffic accidents are related to motorbikes. As such, wearing a helmet helps to reduce the risk of head injury by 60% and the risk of mortality by 40%. 

Mobile COVID-19 vaccinations must be conducted for people in high-risk groups: PM

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chính has called on the nation to do everything necessary to protect the most vulnerable against COVID-19 and reduce the number of deaths related to the virus.

The PM signed Official Dispatch 1815/CD-TTg dated December 26, 2021 on the management and protection of people at high risk of contracting COVID-19; reducing severe cases and deaths due to COVID-19.

The PM asked ministries and localities to follow a number of requests to ensure effective management and monitoring of public health, early detection of COVID-19 cases and reduce the number of severe cases and COVID-19 related deaths. 

The Prime Minister has called on localities to implement strict management of these high-risk groups by collecting data and analysing their need for support.

US$235 million transport project launched connecting mountainous Northern provinces

The Ministry of Transport (MoT) and Lai Chau Province People’s Committee on Monday launched a transport project connecting several mountainous provinces in northern Viet Nam.

The project includes two routes: the first is 147 kilometres in length, connecting Lai Châu Province (at the junction of Lai Châu City Hospital) to the Hà Nội – Lào Cai Expressway.

The second route is 53 kilometres long, connecting Nghĩa Lộ Town, Yên Bái Province (at National Route 32) to the Hà Nội – Lào Cai Expressway.

The project funding includes over US$187.2 million from the Official Development Assistance loans of the Asian Development Bank; US$4.48 million of non-refundable aid from the Australian government; and US$43.56 million from the Vietnamese government’s counterpart fund.

According to a MoT representative, this is one of the key transport infrastructure projects ensuring connections between the provinces of Lai Châu, Lào Cai, and Yên Bái to the Hà Nội - Lào Cai Expressway.

It is expected to shorten the travel distance from the capitals of the provinces to other localities linked to Hà Nội, and improve the efficiency of the Hà Nội - Lào Cai Expressway. 

Hanoi seeks to reduce COVID-19 deaths

The Hanoi Department of Health has requested public and non-public medical examination and treatment facilities to implement a range of solutions aimed at reducing the number of deaths caused by COVID-19.

According to the department’s latest dispatch, all suspected cases and confirmed COVID-19 cases must be classified, have their risk fully assessed, and be diagnosed in order to come up with timely treatment.

In line with the measures, all cases undergoing a medical examination at treatment facilities must be carefully screened, with a particular focus on their history of COVID-19 vaccinations. Moreover, vulnerable and unvaccinated people, individuals aged 65 and above, and those with underlying health conditions, must undergo treatment in private areas.

Most notably, the department has also requested that hospitals and treatment facilities across the capital accept all patients with COVID-19.

Union to further engage OVs in people-to-people diplomacy

The Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) is set to work harder to increase overseas Vietnamese (OV)’s engagement in people-to-people diplomacy in the time ahead.

So said VUFO President Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga at a hybrid conference held in Hanoi on December 27 to disseminate the Politburo’s Conclusion No. 12 on OV affairs.

She said the union is the core force of the people-to-people diplomacy and always views the work on OV affairs as an important task. Given this, it has carried out a number of practical activities to support OVs and encourage them to contribute to the homeland.

Particularly, during the COVID-19 pandemic, VUFO has concurrently assisted the overseas community and called on them to support the pandemic fight in Vietnam.

HCM City aims to complete injection of COVID-19 booster doses within next January

Ho Chi Minh City is striving to complete the injection of booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines into all local adults within January 2022, earlier than the target set by the Ministry of Health in the first quarter of next year.

At a meeting on December 27, local authorities reported that last week, the number of new COVID-19 infections was under 1,000 each day with less than 50 deaths.

Head of the Office of the city Department of Health Nguyen Thi Huynh Mai said that as of December 27, the city had administered more than 14 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, with 7.9 million people receiving one shot, 6.9 million getting two shots and more than 438,000 receiving three shots.

She said that the city Department of Health has coordinated with local public and private clinics to mobilise personnel for vaccination activities.

Viet Nam-Japan family association set up in Japan’s Kyushu-Okinawa region

The association of Việt Nam-Japan families has freshly debuted in Japan’s Kyushu-Okinawa region, grouping families whose wives or husbands are Japanese.

The region covers seven prefectures on Kyushu island and the Okinawa Prefecture.

At the congress held at the Vietnamese Consulate General in Fukuoka on December 25, more than 40 delegates passed the association’s operation charter and elected the executive board for the 2021-2023 term.

Typical faces of performing arts industry in 2021 honoured

An art programme, introducing typical artists of the performing arts industry in 2021, was organised at the Hanoi Opera House, on December 26.

Organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the programme was attended by Members of the Party Central Committee (PCC): Nguyen Van Hung, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism; Le Quoc Minh, Editor-in-Chief of Nhan Dan (People) Newspaper, Deputy Head of the PCC Commission for Communication and Education, and Chairman of the Vietnam Journalists’ Association; together with representatives of relevant ministries and sectors.

The programme introduced and honoured 78 artists who won First Prize, Gold Medal and Excellence Award of three festivals held over the past year, including: National Circus Talent Competition 2021, National Drama Festival 2021 and the National Dance and Music Festival in 2021.

Work on North-South expy sections to begin next year

Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh has told the Ministry of Transport to start work on 12 sections of the 729-kilometer North-South expressway project in 2022 so that they can be ready by 2025.

According to Thanh, 11 sections of the first phase of the North-South expressway project were approved by the National Assembly in 2017, but it took four years to complete investment procedures and start construction. At this pace, the 12 sections of the expressway project for the 2021-2025 period cannot be completed during the period.

The Government had earlier suggested using public funding for all 12 sections of the North-South expressway project in the 2021-2025 period. They require an estimated investment of VND147 trillion.

The completion of the entire North-South expressway with a total length of nearly 2,100 kilometers is important to reach the target of having 3,000 kilometers of expressways by 2025.

Over the past nearly two decades, only 1,200 kilometers of expressways have been developed, so building 1,800 kilometers of expressway in the next four years is a big challenge, the deputy prime minister said.

Source: VNA/VOV/VNS/VIR/SGGP/SGT/ND

VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES DECEMBER 27

PM orders close supervision of COVID-19 high-risk groups