A high-quality workforce is considered an important factor for the Mekong Delta to make breakthroughs in the future, according to the annual Mekong Delta Economic Report 2020.

The report was jointly prepared by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Fulbright University Vietnam’s Fulbright School of Public Policy and Management.

Despite being abundant, the workforce in the Mekong Delta is aging, and younger workers are tending to migrate to other regions, especially Ho Chi Minh City and the southern region, where job opportunities are plentiful, according to the report.

The Mekong Delta now has the lowest immigration in the country and the highest emigration. It is also the only region to have recorded population growth of zero percent during the 2009-2019 period.

Secretary of the Dong Thap provincial Party Committee Le Quoc Phong said the province has launched five strategic breakthroughs for 2020-2025, including continuing to improve workforce quality to meet development demand amid the fourth Industrial Revolution and global integration, enhancing the quality of educational establishments, linking with universities, and paying attention to the transfer of technological advances and economic management knowledge to farmers.

Meanwhile, Secretary of the Can Tho municipal Party Committee Le Quang Manh said the city is now home to over 70 universities and research institutes and more than 7,450 people are involved in scientific research, including leading units in agriculture in the country and the region such as Can Tho University (CTU), Can Tho University of Technology, Nam Can Tho University, and the Mekong Delta Rice Research Institute.

To develop human resources and scientific research, Can Tho looks to continue expanding close and effective ties with regional localities in both breadth and depth via sustainable measures.

CTU Rector Prof. Ha Thanh Toan said it has set a goal of becoming one of the 20 leading universities in Southeast Asia before 2030 and among 1,000 leading universities globally before 2045./.

Hanoi: lockdown measures lifted in 14 areas

Lockdown and social distancing measures were lifted in 14 out of 18 areas in Hanoi, Director of the municipal Department of Health Nguyen Khac Hien reported on February 22.

Addressing a meeting of the municipal Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control on the same day, Hien said if there are no more suspected cases of SARS-CoV-2 found this week, the city will remove lockdown measures in the remaining areas.

According to Vice Director of the department Hoang Duc Hanh, Hanoi has basically completed SARS-CoV-2 testing for people returning from the northern province of Hai Duong - the country's largest COVID-19 hotspot.

The health agency has proposed purchasing 15 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine for people aged 18 and above.

Meanwhile, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Chu Xuan Dung stressed that although Hanoi has gone through 7 straight days with no new COVID-19 cases, the risk of infection in the community remains high.

He asked the committee and local anti-pandemic forces to continue strictly implementing preventive measures, and conducting SARS-CoV-2 testing at hospitals, health facilities, clinics, and concentrated quarantine areas, in order to effectively contain the spread of the pandemic./.

Social distancing lifted in more areas of Hai Duong province

Chairman of the People’s Committee of Hai Duong province Nguyen Duong Thai, who is also head of the provincial Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, signed a decision on February 22 lifting social distancing measures for 185 people in Vinh Hoa commune, Ninh Giang district, where no F0 cases have been reported for the last 21 days.

So far, 2,063 households with a total of 9,623 people in 14 communes and wards in Ninh Giang district and Kinh Mon township have seen social distancing measures lifted.

According to the provincial Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, as of February 22, Hai Duong had recorded 615 COVID-19 infections and 15,051 F1 cases, of which 8,772 have completed quarantine.

Sixty-four residential areas, nine villages, two communes, and two districts in the province are still under medical blockade.

Nearly 236,900 samples have been collected for testing. On February 20 and 21, 997 drivers were tested, with 285 negative for SARS-CoV-2. The remainders are still awaiting their results.

Patient No 2,362 in Kim Lien commune, Kim Thanh district, was identified as being related to patient No 2,332 in Kinh Mon township. Kim Lien commune is now under blockade, and all local residents have been tested.

Vietnam posted no new locally-transmitted COVID-19 cases on the morning of February 22, keeping the national tally at 2,383, according to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.

Of the total, 791 cases have been found since January 27, when the new COVID-19 wave broke out./.

Ministry steps up scientific research for COVID-19 prevention

The Ministry of Science and Technology has said it is intensifying studies serving COVID-19 prevention and control, particularly those on vaccine production.

It will prioritise cooperation with competent agencies in Vietnam and international partnerships in the import, research and production of COVID-19 vaccines, it noted.

The body said it is also working with relevant units in offering information on the pandemic developments.

Since the first outbreak detected in Vietnam, the ministry has joined scientists to conduct studies on epidemiology, virology, treatment regimens, especially the production of the virus test kits. Such work laid the basis for current mass production of the kits.

Vietnam logged three more COVID-19 cases on February 23 morning, raising the country’s total community infections to 1,496, according to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.

Vietnam is one of the 40 countries that have conducted human trials of a COVID-19 vaccine. The nation expects to have 80 percent of its population vaccinated against COVID-19. However, the current supply allows the country to inject only 20 percent of the population in 2021-2022, targeting 95 percent of those vulnerable to virus infection./.

Nationwide response to Lunar New Year tree planting campaign 

The Da Nang Municipal People’s Committee launched the Lunar New Year 2021 tree planting campaign on February 21, as part of the nation’s efforts to plant one billion trees within the five years from 2021-2025 at the call of the Prime Minister.

Addressing the event, Vice Chairman of the Da Nang People’s Committee Ho Ky Minh reported that the central coastal city has planted about 13,250 scattered trees and 200,000 native trees since early 2020.

* From now until 2025, Lao Cai Province’s Muong Khuong District strives to plant 500 hectares of anise in the communes of Ta Ngai Cho, Pha Long and Tung Chung Pho. The cultivation area includes 350 hectares planned for forestry and 150 hectares to be converted from low-productivity corn growing land to anise farming.

* According to the Directorate for Roads of Vietnam, provincial road management authorities and transport departments are planning to plant more than 10,000 green trees along the National Highways in February, thus contributing to protecting the environment and minimising losses caused by traffic accidents.

* The logistics department of Military Zone 4 has directed its affiliated units to implement the tree planting campaign on the occasion of the Lunar New Year 2021, with nearly 10,000 new trees, including both fruit trees and timber trees, having been planted.

* On February 21, the central province of Binh Dinh launched a tree planting festival, targeting to plant 5,000 trees in cultural-sports facilities, rural roads and at schools.

* Subordinate units under the Vietnam Coast Guard High Command have simultaneously launched the Lunar New Year tree planting movement, with 2,615 new trees grown by the Coast Guard Region 1 High Command, 1,750 trees by the Coast Guard Region 2 High Command, and 150 by the Coast Guard Region 4 High Command.

* Affiliated agencies and units of the Military Command of Phu Yen Province recently planted over 1,000 trees of various types around their barracks and training arenas in response to the Lunar New Year tree planting campaign.

* An Giang Province’s border guard forces have planted about 2,000 new trees and 500 sovereignty trees in border areas, contributing to affirming the fatherland’s sacred territorial sovereignty.

The Lunar New Year tree planting festival was first launched by Uncle Ho in the spring of 1960. Since then, the campaign has become a fine tradition of the entire Party, people and army every spring, aiming to maintain a healthy environment for the people and future generations.

People encouraged to give blood voluntarily

Many blood donors have given their blood in response to the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion’s appeal for blood donation.

After the institute called for people to donate blood on February 19, many donors have voluntarily given their blood; however, the institute receives some hundreds of blood units everyday whereas it needs 1,200 – 1,500 blood units; therefore, the institute’s reserve has gradually reduced.

Head of the institute Bach Quoc Khanh said the institute needs an estimated 50,000 blood units for treatment and emergency treatment in February and March, 2021. Despite of blood donation, the institute is still short of 20,000 blood units causing tremendous impacts on supply of blood to 177 medical facilities in 28 cities and provinces in the North region.

To facilitate blood donation, from March 7, Hanoi-based medical facilities where receive donated blood at 26 Luong Ngoc Quyen in Hoan Kiem District; at 132 Quan Nhan in Thanh Xuan District; at 122 Duong Lang Street in Dong Da District will be open from 8 -12 AM and 1:30 – 5 PM all days in a week including Saturday and Sunday.

The institute encouraged those who are healthy enough for blood donation to give their blood to save people. The institute expected organizations to call for more employees to give blood.

Enterprises in Binh Duong Province need over 36,000 workers

According to the Labor Federation of Binh Duong Province, enterprises in the Southeastern province now need more than 36,000 workers.

After Tet holiday, the province welcomed nearly 471,000 workers of 1,420 firms coming back to work, approximating 80 percent. 

Accordingly, there are around 200 enterprises registering their recruitment on different channels such as Binh Duong Employment Service Center, recruitment websites, especially on online recruitment platforms of the province, etc.

Of which, some enterprises have demand of numerous workers such as Timberland Joint-Stock Company in Tan Uyen Town with over 4,000 workers, Yazaky Company in Di An City with 900 workers, Fengheng Vietnam Company in Nam Tan Uyen Industrial Zone with over 300 employees, etc.

Book Street revenue falls sharply during Tet

The HCM City Book Pedestrian Street, one of the most-visited attractions in the city during the Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday, saw a decrease of 50 per cent in revenue compared to Tết last year, earning VNĐ500 million (US$21,600).

Lê Hoàng, director of the Book Street Company, said the attraction welcomed around 20,000 visitors, including 2,000 foreigners, from February 10-16.

The number of visitors declined 80 per cent compared to the last Tết, he added.

The book street on Nguyễn Văn Bình Street in District 1 offered a series of reading and cultural activities during the holiday, including a showcase of book and new publications about Tết.

It also held workshops about making lucky money envelopes, writing calligraphy, and painting glasses and bottles made of bamboo.

Local artisans gave instructions on making Vietnamese traditional toys -- colourful figurines made of glutinous rice dough -- as well as different kinds of jams like coconut and ginger, and chocolate for Valentine's Day.

Local painters and calligraphers taught children to paint T-shirts and fabric totes with traditional images such as buffalo and bamboo.

The HCM City Journalists’ Association set up a stall to sell special publications for Tết from the city’s major newspapers and magazines including Trẻ (Youth), Thanh Niên (Young People) and Sài Gòn Giải Phóng (Liberated Sài Gòn). All money from selling the publications will be used for charity purposes.

All staff and visitors to the book street were required to wear face masks, wash hands with sanitiser, and have their body temperature checked.

Opened in 2016, the book street features dozens of book stalls of more than 25 publishers.

It has earned VNĐ181 billion (US$7.8 million) in turnover. More than 3.5 million books on different topics, including 57,000 new titles, have been sold, and 11.5 million people have visited the street.

Police officers receive thank-you notes

Writing letters is no longer common as technology has advanced, but police officers across the country still receive thank-you letters every year from people who they have helped.

Each letter was written in a different circumstance, but they all show the favourable public impression of the police force and the positive changes the police have made in ensuring security and order.

Kpă Hùng, a resident of Ia Bòng Commune, Chư Prông District, in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai, sent a note to local police to thank them for finding his lost cows.

In August 2020, he had three cows stolen. In a short time, the police of Chư Prông District found the thief.

“I write this letter to thank Chư Prông District’s police for tracking and recovering my property for my family. I was personally touched by your help. Other villagers came to congratulate me and expressed their admiration for the police,” he wrote.

Phạm Thị Huyên, living in Việt Quang Town, Bắc Quang District, the northern mountainous province of Hà Giang, will never forget when she found her three-year-old daughter missing in a crowded festival last November thanks to the help of local police officers.

“I felt like I was turned crazy and panicked not seeing my child. When I almost fell into despair, I was encouraged by police officers who told me ‘We are here to help you. Please calm down!’.”

“My child told me ‘When I went missing, I reported it to police'. It showed that in my child’s mind, police are always a helpful force who she would come to ask for help in time of trouble,” Huyên said.

The police of northern Hòa Bình Province have also been praised by local people for their quick response in administrative procedures.

In a thank-you letter sent to police of Tân Lạc District, Hà Minh Thọ, a local resident, said his child had a brain injury and was treated at the provincial hospital. However, he didn't have an ID card to use the insurance scheme.

“Police came to his bed at the hospital to help him with the ID card and household registration despite the rainy weather and COVID-19,” Thọ said.

Police officers of Hòa Bình Province visited houses of every veteran so they do not have to travel to administrative offices to apply for ID card registration.

Nguyễn Văn Cuối, a resident of Hòa Bình City, said: “I am unable to walk due to injuries in the war and being impacted by Agent Orange. Thanks to the police visiting my house to help me with the procedures, now I have my ID card.”

Universities use variety of evaluative methods to make decisions on student admissions

Universities in the country are using several kinds of evaluative methods to make decisions on student admission this year, including competency assessment examinations.  

Việt Nam National University-Ho Chi Minh City (VNUHCM), for example, will continue organising competency assessment examinations for its member universities and other universities that are not VNUHCM members.

The examination will be held on March 28 at venues in HCM City, Đà Nẵng City, and Bến Tre, An Giang, Khánh Hòa, Bạc Liêu and Đắk Lắk provinces.

Students who cannot take the exam on March 28 can register for other competency assessment examinations for VNUHCM on July 4 in HCM City, Đà Nẵng, and An Giang and Khánh Hòa provinces.

The University of Social Sciences and Humanities under VNUHCM will admit 50 per cent of its total enrollment quota based on competency assessment examinations’ results. The University of Technology under VNUHCM will admit 70 per cent of its total enrollment quota based on these exam results.  

The HCM City University of Food Industry will admit students with more than a 650 score on the competency assessment examinations, and other students based on results of the national high school graduation examination and high school profile. It plans to enroll 3,500 students for 26 majors this year.

The University of Economics and Finance and HCM City University of Technology will admit 10 per cent of their total quota based on the competency examinations’ results.

In 2020, nearly 70 universities in the country admitted students based on the examinations’ results.      

Hồng Bàng International University (HIU) this year will organise a competency assessment examination along with scholastic aptitude tests (SAT) II for maths, literature, physics, chemistry, biology, English, arts, and pre-school and physical education subjects.

Students who have more than an 800 score on the SAT will not need to take the competency assessment examination and can use this SAT score to apply for HIU admission.

HIU for the first time will use interviews and admit students based on the condition of each its faculties. In this method, students will not take any examination. The number of students admitted with this method will account for 2 per cent of its total enrollment quota for this year.  

The university will also enroll students based on the results of the national high school graduation examination.

It will enroll 38 per cent of its total quota based on students’ high school profile.

For majors in health and education sciences, the university will comply with the Ministry of Education and Training’s enrollment regulation.

In 2021, the university’s total enrollment quota is expected to be more than 4,200 students for its 68 majors.

HCM City Open University will enroll 4,500 students for 38 majors. The national high school graduation examination and high school profile will be used for admission. But the university will also give priority to enrolling students with excellent learning results at high school, and those who have more than a 26 score on an International Baccalaureate examination or Cambridge International A Level exam, or a 1,100 score on the SAT.

The Hà Nội University of Sciences and Technology and Vietnamese-German University will organise their own examinations this year, and will also use national high school graduation examination results and other methods for admission decisions.

Việt Nam National University in Hà Nội this year will resume organising competency assessment examinations after many years of not using them. 

HCM City health sector launches community campaign for fighting against Covid-19

The health sector in Ho Chi Minh City has been conducting a community campaign for fighting against Covid-19, said Deputy Director of the city Department of Health Associate Professor Tang Chi Thuong yesterday. 

The Department has been calling the participation of the whole medicine system including preventive medicine sector, private and public clinics citywide in the community campaign for fighting against Covid-19. The campaign will last from now till March 10. It is one of activities to welcome Vietnamese Physicians' Day (February 27).

The campaign includes continued control of Covid-19 clusters; health declarations, screening testing and supervision of those who are from Covid-19-hit areas as per the Ministry of Health’s list especially from northern provinces as well as foreign experts entering Vietnam from January 1 till now.

Additionally, the health sector will continue performing tests on doctors and nurses to ensure all medical workers being tested before March 10. Moreover, the sector will also continue assessing risk of transmission of Covid-19 in the community and enhance the role of the group of people propagandizing Covid-19 information in the community and encouraging dwellers to conduct 5K principle including Khau trang (Facemask) – Khu khuan (Disinfection) – Khoang cach (Keeping distance) – Khong tap trung dong nguoi (No gathering) – Khai bao y te (Medical declaration) and write accurate health declaration.

The city Center for Disease Control (HCDC) has just sent its document to medical facilities in Thu Duc City and other districts asking them to tighten control of Covid-19 prevention regulation in places for wordship. In the document, HCDC proposed to stop all religious activities gathering 20 people up in places for wordship.
Director of HCDC Dr. Nguyen Tri Dung announced yesterday that lockdowns in some places in the city have been officially lifted.

HCM City proposes using minibuses

The southern metropolis Ho Chi Minh City is seeking to run 12-17-seater minibuses to make it easier for local residents to get access to this public transport services as the city has a lot of narrow roads with high traffic flows.

In a proposal sent to the Prime Minister, the municipal People’s Committee said minibuses would provide better connections between residential areas and those where traffic infrastructure has yet to be developed thanks to their small size.

The city currently has over 2,300 buses, mostly 17-60-seater vehicles.

It has nearly 5,000 streets in total with over 3,450 routes of less than seven meters in width, which are impossible for its existing public buses to enter.

The lack of public bus services has thus forced residents to rely on their personal vehicles.

As planned, by 2022, the city will have 30 minibus routes linked with stations along the metro line No.1, 10 bus routes connecting with the bus rapid transit No.1, and several others linking with new urban areas./.

Schools in Quang Ninh to reopen next month with tightened anti-pandemic measures

Students in the northern province of Quang Ninh will return to school from March 1 after the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday was extended due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

However, COVID-19 prevention and control measures will be tightened at the local schools, heard a meeting of the standing board of the provincial Party Committee on February 22.

Notably, schools in Dong Trieu town that borders Hai Duong province’s Chi Linh city - a COVID-19 hotspot will reopen one week later, depending on the latest situation.

Since the latest COVID-19 outbreak, Quang Ninh has closed its schools and adopted online learning.

The first community infection was recorded in Quang Ninh on January 27. However, thanks to its quick response, the province has soon put the pandemic under control.

Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Nguyen Xuan Ky asked local departments and agencies to continue with the communication work in order to raise public awareness of the epidemic which is expected to continue developing complicatedly in the time ahead.

COVID-19 checkpoints within Quang Ninh will be removed, while those outside its territory will be maintained, he said, stressing the need to closely control people and vehicles entering the province, especially through waterways.

COVID-19 frontline workers will be tested for the coronavirus within 14 days, the official said.

Discos, bars and karaoke parlours will remain closed. However, localities where COVID-19 cases have yet been detected will decide the resumption of such services themselves and take responsibility for the decision.

At the same time, medical declaration and check-up will be stepped up in localities in the province./.

Rare animals released to the wild in Ha Tinh province

Vu Quang National Park in the central province of Ha Tinh announced on February 22 it received two stump-tailed macaques and one python molurus from local people.

The primate and reptile animals belong to Group IIB, the group of rare animals restricted from being held in captivity, hunted and used for commercial purposes.

The Vu Quang National Park said that it received the animals from residents in Son Linh commune, Huong Son district, who found the macaques, one weighing 4 kilogrammes and the other 2 kilogrammes, injured in the forest. They took the animals home, and took care of them.

Meanwhile, the python, over 2.5 metres in length and over 7 kilogrammes in weight, was handed over by a local resident in Tho Dien commune, Vu Quang district./.

Binh Thuan minimises COVID-19 impact to boost domestic tourist arrivals this year

The south-central province of Binh Thuan is taking preventive measures against COVID-19 so as to fulfil its goal of welcoming 6.5 million visitors in 2021.

The province expects over 90 percent of all tourist arrivals this year to be Vietnamese and for revenue to reach 15.5 trillion VND (672.2 million USD), according to the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

To this end, it is crucial to keep the COVID-19 pandemic at bay, the department said, adding that it has been sticking to guidelines on preventive measures in the new context.

An inter-sectoral force from the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Department of Health, and local administrations has been established to inspect the implementation of the guidelines and grant safety labels to those strictly following them.

According to the guidelines, local tour operators and providers of lodging and other tourism-related services must require their tour guides and staff as well as visitors install and use the Bluezone contact-tracing app.

Each must also set up an information board providing guidelines on how to stay safe and prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The local hotline for medical reports must be visible at reception areas, public spaces, and private rooms in lodging facilities.

Temperature checks and hand sanitiser should also be made available to tourists, while services can only be provided if safe distancing rules are adhered to.

Binh Thuan remained a safe destination for travellers last year though it was hit hard by the pandemic. It welcomed 3.2 million tourist arrivals, representing just 46 percent of the annual plan. Tourism revenue plunged 38 percent year-on-year to 9.4 trillion VND./.

"Free & easy" tours to thrive in 2021

More independent trips, "free & easy" tours and guided small group tours will be high on travellers' agendas for 2021, the HCM City Department of Tourism has said.

Staycations and luxury leisure vacations are also popular this year, the department said in a report. Short-distance itineraries to the southeastern region and Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta, following health and safety protocols, are favoured by travellers.

Independent trips, including self-drive itineraries located near the city such as Vung Tau, Da Lat and Phan Thiet, saw a rise in visitors during the Tet holiday.

Lai Minh Duy, general director of TST Tourist, said domestic tours could be customised for each group or family, with socially-distanced and mask-wearing guidelines.

Many Tet tours had been delayed until the Reunification Day holiday on April 30, when COVID-19 outbreaks were expected to be contained by that time, Duy said.

Travellers scrambled to cancel trips and get refunds for tours during the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday due to COVID-19 outbreaks in late January, just a few days ahead of Tet.

Around 500 customers cancelled Tet tours worth a total of 6 billion VND (260,400 USD) at leading travel firms in the city. Most of them required full refunds and refused to delay trips, firms said.

Travel demand during Tet was nearly at a standstill. During the holiday, popular tourist and entertainment sites in the city such as Dam Sen Park, Suoi Tien Theme Park, Van Thanh and Binh Quoi tourist sites were closed to contain the spread of the virus.

Hotels in HCM City are now operating at occupancy rates of less than 10 percent, according to the department. Many hotels prepared special F&B programmes and offered promotions to meet rising demand during the Tet season but were then affected by the new outbreaks.

As many as 29 hotels with a total of 2,053 rooms have been approved to serve as hotel quarantine areas, and four more, with a total of more than 440 rooms, are waiting for approval from city authorities./.

Some provinces, enterprises, universities to offer free COVID-19 vaccinations

Several provinces, enterprises and universities nationwide will provide free COVID-19 vaccinations to their residents, staff and students in order to share the financial burden for pandemic prevention and control.

The Ministry of Health has approved the import of 30 million doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, the first COVID-19 vaccine to obtain such authorisation in the country.

Under the ministry’s plan, the Drug Administration of Vietnam will import the first 200,400 doses of the vaccine for emergency use on February 28.

Following the ministry’s approval, Hanoi, Hai Phong, and Quang Ninh and Ba Ria-Vung Tau provinces asked for approval from the Government and Ministry of Health to buy vaccines for their localities.

Hai Phong authorities expect that it will be one of first localities in the country to buy the vaccine. It aims to provide free vaccinations to more than 2 million people.

Quang Ninh province will allocate 500 billion VND (21 million USD) to buy the vaccine and give priority to frontline workers.

Ba Ria – Vung Tau province and Hanoi authorities said they would use funds from their budget and call on sponsors to buy vaccines to provide free vaccinations to local residents.

Coteccons Group has been working with the Vietnam Vaccine Joint-Stock Company to register in advance to buy vaccines for 8,000 staff and their families of Coteccons and Unicons, a member of the Coteccons Group.

Tran Thi Lieu Vinh, human resources director at Coteccons, said: “Free vaccination to staff not only helps prevent transmission but also makes us feel more confident in work amid the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Pham Thai Son, director of the Communications and Enrollment Centre at the HCM City University of Food Industry, told Vietnam News that the university plans to buy 25,000 doses of the vaccines to provide to its lecturers and students.

According to AstraZeneca Vietnam, the primary analysis of Phase III clinical trials from the UK, Brazil and South Africa have confirmed that it is safe and effective at preventing COVID-19, with no severe cases and no hospitalisations more than 22 days after the first dose.

Vietnam’s locally made COVID-19 vaccine, Nano Covax, is in the second phase of human trials following the first phase results, which showed that the vaccine is safe and 90 percent effective, according to the National Council for Ethics in Biomedical Research.

Besides Hanoi, the People’s Committee in the Mekong Delta province of Long An on February 21 said that Nano Covax could start its second phase human trial in the province on February 26, one month earlier than scheduled.

The second phase trials in Hanoi and Long An will reduce the time needed to three months instead of the previously scheduled six months.

The number of registered volunteers in the second phase is nearly 1,000. The phase is expected to last until the end of March and the results will be reported in April.

The third phase of human trials is expected to start in May.

The other two locally made COVID-19 vaccines are in the first phase of human trials.

Source: VNA/VNN/VNS/VOV/Dtinews/SGT