Two field hospitals with a combined capacity of treating 600 COVID-19 patients have been set up in northern Hai Duong province within just 24 hours.

At an online meeting on January 29 with health units in charge of establishing the hospitals, Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long hailed the fast action of Hai Duong, with the support from the Health Ministry, the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases and Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi.

One of them was built at the medical centre of Chi Linh city, and staffed by 45 doctors and about 70 nurses who can provide treatment for 200 patients. The hospital has admitted 31 patients, including one with underlying diseases and two pregnant women.

The other one, converted from the Hai Duong Medical Technical University with 210 beds, is treating 26 COVID-19 patients.

Hanoi advised to set up field hospital amid new COVID-19 outbreaks

Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long has requested Hanoi authorities to consider the establishment of a special hospital to treat COVID-19 patients, given the rapid spread of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.

Speaking at a working session with the capital city’s leaders on pandemic prevention and control works on February 1, Long noted that this time the coronavirus has a high transmission rate, as one patient can transmit the disease to 10 others or more, not just 4-5 people like before.

The incubation period also decreased from 4-5 days to 1-2 days after contacting with the patients, he stressed.

Therefore, the capital city should change its methods of COVID-19 response, he stated, emphasising the need to consider all the second generation of infections (F1s) as suspected infections and trace for all F1 and F2 cases.

The Health Minister urged Hanoi to speed up COVID-19 testing, zone off the areas where the infected cases are detected at a broader scale, and request all locals to wear face masks when going out.

The Health Ministry is willing to provide maximum support for Hanoi, and assigns the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases to help in the treatment.

Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Chu Ngoc Anh affirmed that right after the working session, the committee will ask relevant units to continue strengthening efforts and increasing the testing and treatment capacity to quickly put the pandemic under control.

As of late February 1, the city recorded 19 infections, all related to the new outbreaks detected in Hai Duong province and Quang Ninh province.

Following directions of the municipal People’s Committee, all educational institutions officially suspended operations from February 1 to ensure disease prevention and control.

Phu Lang pottery village busy ahead of Tet

The Lunar New Year (Tet) is fast approaching and the people of Phu Lang commune in Quế Võ district, Bac Ninh province, are busy making unique products for the holiday.

Nguyen Minh Ngoc’s family in Phu Lang commune has worked around the clock lately, producing ceramic products for Tet. Besides traditional items, the family has also introduced new product lines.

Many ornamental tree and bonsai growers have also come to Phu Lang in recent years to buy ceramic pots.

A new spring is approaching and the craftsmen and women of Phu Lang pottery village are still diligently “blowing soul” into ceramic products, helping to provide a beautiful and happy Tet to all./.

Deputy PM asks Hanoi to complete COVID-19 sample collection before Feb. 4

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam has urged Hanoi authorities to complete the collection of samples for those from pandemic-hit areas before February 4.

In a meeting with representatives from the municipal People’s Committee on February 1, Deputy PM Dam stressed that Hanoi faces a high risk of COVID-19 infection if it does not quickly carry out COVID-19 contact tracing.

He asked the municipal authorities to keep a close watch on the development of the pandemic and complete the collection of samples in the shortest period of time.

Regarding Hanoi’s recommendations on quarantine for F1 cases and testing for F1 and F2 cases, Dam said the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control will request for support from the Ministry of Defence.

Hanoi needs to work and learn from experience, as well as pay attention to evaluating the disease prevention and control at factories, he stressed.

According to Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Chu Xuan Dung, Hanoi had so far recorded 19 COVID-19 cases linked to the fresh COVID-19 outbreak in Chi Linh city in northern Hai Duong province.

He suggested the Ministry of Health assist Hanoi in testing 40,000 samples of F1 and F2 cases.

Deputy Minister of Health Do Xuan Tuyen urged municipal authorities to urgently trace F1, F2 and F3 cases, and promote communication activities to call for residents’ voluntary medical declaration.

Community pandemic control teams in Hanoi need to enhance their role to swiftly detect F1 cases, and in collecting samples of F1, F2 and F3 cases.

He also asked Hanoi authorities to prepare quarantine areas for more than 1,000 people, an area for treating COVID-19 infections and a standby field hospital.

Vietnam expects Myanmar to soon stabilize situation

Vietnam hopes Myanmar will soon stabilise its situation to build and develop the country for peace, stability and cooperation in the region, and continue contributing to the ASEAN Community building process.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang made the statement in response to reporters’ question regarding the recent political instability in Myanmar.

Myanmar’s military seized power after detaining Aung San Suu Kyi and other democratically elected leaders on February 1.

As neighbours in the region and both are members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Vietnam has closely followed the ongoing situation in Myanmar and expects the situation will soon be stabilized.

Hanoi to roll out testing for entrants from Hai Duong, Quang Ninh

Hanoi is set to conduct mass testing for approximately 5,00000 citizens who recently returned from COVID-19) hotspots in Hai Duong and Quang Ninh provinces, according to information released by the Hanoi Center for Disease Control (Hanoi CDC).

In line with this policy, all individuals who have returned to the capital from outbreak sites since January 14 must be tested and self-isolate for a period of 14 days. Other measures such as mask wearing and maintaining a safe distance from other must also be applied.

The unit will therefore co-ordinate efforts alongside relevant agencies to work around the clock as a means of accelerating the mass tracking and testing of those who recently entered the capital from the two provinces.

Hanoi CDC has so far completed testing for roughly 1,000 cases, successfully detecting one COVID-19 case in Nam Tu Liem district. At present, F1 and F2 cases who came into close contact with the infected patient in Tu Liem are now in the process of being traced.

HCM City: COVID-19 patient carries SARS-CoV-2 B117 variant

At the online meeting between the health ministry and relevant units in charge of establishing the field hospitals.

The Ministry of Health asked Hai Duong to establish a testing laboratory that can handle 50,000 samples each day in order to conduct mass testing as early as possible.

Minister Long said the ministry will send machines to the locality to support on-the-spot treatment, noting only patients in serious conditions should be transferred to centrally-run hospitals.

A third field hospital would be established if the situation gets worse, Long added.

Prof. Nguyen Gia Binh, head of the Consultation Group for Severe COVID-19 Patients under the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, suggested Quang Ninh immediately apply treatment methods set by the Health Ministry.\

A COVID-19 patient detected in Ho Chi Minh City has carried the SARS-CoV-2 B117 variant originating from the UK following viral genome sequencing, according to local doctors.

Massive testing is an effective way to early detect and quarantine suspect cases in the community.
Nguyen Van Vinh Chau, Director of the HCM City Hospital of Tropical Diseases, said researchers of the hospital in collaboration with colleagues from the Oxford University’s Clinical Research Unit (UK) jointly carried out viral genome sequencing from a throat swab of a COVID-19 patient of Hai Duong province and found the result.

The 28-year-old patient, a resident of Hai Duong province, the country’s biggest coronavirus hotpot, attended a wedding in Hai Duong together with a friend who was later confirmed as a COVID-19 patient, before flying to HCM City.

Given the combined results of genome sequencing and epidemiological investigations, it is likely that the fresh coronavirus outbreak in Hai Duong was caused by this type of variant, said Dr. Chau.

SARS-CoV-2 B117 is believed to be more transmissible than previously known variants of SARS-CoV-2. The strain is causing a strong coronavirus outbreak in the United Kingdom as well as other European countries.

The fresh coronavirus outbreak has spread to 10 cities and provinces nationwide since the virus emerged in Hai Duong and Quang Ninh provinces less than a week ago. As many as 270 people have so far been exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, mostly in Hai Duong and Quang Ninh. Ho Chi Minh City has registered one case.

Outcomes of Vietnam Party Congress make international headlines

International media agencies have widely covered the recently-concluded 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam, with Nguyen Phu Trong being re-elected to the post of General Secretary.

China’s State-run Xinhua News Agency reviewed some of the event’s major highlights, noting that the National Congress agreed on various goals and orientations on national development up to 2030, with a further vision towards 2045, as well as the GDP growth target set for the 2021 to 2025 period.

The Chinese News Agency reported on General Secretary Trong’s speech at the function’s closing ceremony on February 1, pledging that the 200-member Party Central Committee of the 13th tenure will unite and work hard to successfully implement the Congress’s resolution.

Major Malaysian newspapers covered the re-election of the Party chief on February 1, as well as the election of various delegates to the Party’s Political Bureau and the Party’s Secretariat.

According to The Star, over the coming five-year tenure General Secretary Trong and other Vietnamese leaders will first focus on economic recovery efforts amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic greatly impacting many global markets, alongside other challenges.

The Star therefore anticipates that there would be no significant changes to the nation’s geopolitical and economic orientations following the results of the latest election.

Meanwhile, Free Malaysia Today reviewed Vietnamese progress in the fight against corruption over the past five years, stressing that the fight is still ongoing under the new Party leadership.

Elsewhere, media outlet Nikkei Asia of Japan reported that the 13th Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam had concluded with delegates deciding to re-elect General Secretary Trong to the highest leadership role for the next term.

In terms of the country's future policies, Nikkei Asia quoted Dr. Le Hong Hiep, an expert on Vietnamese economy and politics at ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Research Institute in Singapore, who believes Vietnam will maintain its current foreign policy and pursue a strategy of diversification and international economic integration. This will be carried out whilst simultaneously striving to boost relations with major powers and supporting ASEAN’s role in geopolitical terms.

Several newspapers in Hong Kong (China) also put the results of the election of the 13th National Party Congress on their frontpages. They highlighted the various fights against corruption that Vietnam has pursued, along with General Secretary Trong’s great determination to accelerate the fight over the course of the coming term.

Movies and concerts cancelled following COVID-19 resurgence

A number of local film premieres, music shows, and the production of a famous television show, have all been postponed amid the recent resurgence of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country.

According to a film crew working on the movie “Gai Gia Lam Chieu V”, the premiere event which was due to be held on February 5 in Hanoi has been cancelled.

Elsewhere, the popular annual satirical comedy show “Gap nhau cuoi nam”, known as “Year-end gathering” in English and more commonly known as “Tao Quan”, “Kitchen Gods”, which airs on New Year's Eve on Vietnam Television (VTV), will be recorded without an audience. This will be done in an effort to ensure that COVID-19 prevention measures are followed.

Furthermore, a number of concerts involving famous singers, such as Nguyen Ngoc Anh, Giang Son, and Trong Tan will be also cancelled following the detection of positive COVID-19 cases in northern localities.

Aviation authority sets up COVID-19 hotline

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam has set up a hotline, on 024 3872 7912, to address bottlenecks in the implementation of COVID-19 prevention and control measures.

Aviation agencies nationwide have been urged to strictly observe the Prime Minister’s dispatch on COVID-19 prevention and control as well as measures to repel the spread of the pandemic.

A member of staff at northern Quang Ninh province’s Van Don International Airport is among the newly-emerging COVID-19 cases in the community.

Airport staff must wear face masks and wash their hands regularly. They are also asked to check passengers’ body temperature and disinfect devices and high-risk public areas at airports.

Meanwhile, passengers are required to closely follow health regulations before boarding the plane and during the flights, and keep their masks on the whole trip.

A representative of the Vietnam Airlines Group, which includes national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines, budget carrier Pacific Airlines, and the Vietnam Air Services Company (VASCO), said it has tightened preventive measures on all routes.

Vietnam Airlines heightened the alert to Level 3 on flights from Hai Phong starting from January 29. Social distancing measures will be applied and only water served.

Tet gifts help impoverished people in Quang Binh enjoy holiday

Receiving a gift from a charity group of the 'Border Spring' programme made student Cao Ngọc Huyền feel so happy.

"Our life here is still difficult, but we always receive the attention and care of the local authorities, border guards and other donors," she said.

"We will try our best to learn to be useful people in the future and help villagers have better lives," Huyền said.

Huyền is one of many local students and ethnic people in Thượng Hóa Commune, Minh Hóa District, Quảng Bình Province to be cheered by the gifts.

Hundreds of gifts have been carefully packed to send to people and soldiers in the remote border area in Quảng Bình to help them have a warm Tết (Lunar New Year) festival.

The gifts come from volunteers, youth union, veterans' association and agencies in Quảng Bình.

Although they are still quite tired after a long trip to Thượng Hóa Commune, everyone in charity group of the 'Border Spring' programme feels cheered up by the warm welcome of the locals.

Nearly 250 Tết gifts have been presented to local students and 210 gifts to ethnic minority households and policy beneficiaries.

The group also inaugurated a primary and secondary schools in Ón and Mò O Ồ Ồ villages and offered gifts to soldiers at the Cà Xèng border point.

"The 'Border Spring' programme is a meaningful activity towards people in border and mountainous areas. These are just small gifts but they are our love and sharing with the local people to help them enjoy Tết," said Mạnh Thị Minh, deputy secretary of the Youth Union of Vietnam News Agency.

During the two-day charity journey, the group also organised a special event dubbed the “0 đồng market” which took place at Mò O Ồ Ồ Village.

Aiming to bring joy to welcome the Lunar New Year, the volunteer group worked with local authorities to organise the charitable market with different goods for Tết holiday.

"It's a market of love, helping poor people have a warm holiday. All people here feel so happy," said Cao Xuân Long, a local resident.

The enthusiasm created a special atmosphere at the year-end with hope for a year full of happiness, according to the secretary of provincial Youth Union, Nguyễn Tuấn Hùng.

"The '0 đồng' market shows the love and sharing of the community to the poor in remote areas, arousing young people to love their homeland and nation and be willing to go everywhere to help people in need," he said.

The programme also provided free medical checkups and health consultations to local people and soldiers.

Major Nguyễn Trung Chính from Cà Xèng border point said most people here are ethnic minorities including the Chứt, Rục and Sách communities.

"People here are still facing many difficulties so we have launched many programmes to help locals. We have supported ethnic groups to grow rice, adopt poor children to help them access education and bring electricity to the villages,” the major said.

Poverty, lack of education facilities, poor infrastructure and low awareness of local people have deprived many children of education opportunities.

Chính said local border soldiers have worked to get more children access to education and helped ethnic communities improve their lives.

Mobile app launched to improve health care for the elderly

The first mobile application S-Health was introduced by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the Ministry of Health’s General Office for Population and Family Planning and the Vietnam Association of the Elderly on January 29 to provide free healthcare information and services for the elderly in Vietnam.

Information on the app is frequently updated, including health care for the old during the fight against COVID-19, common diseases in the elderly population, rational nutrition, and geriatric physical therapy.

Users can keep track on their health by providing the app with their health metrics such as blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and Body Mass Index (MBI). The app will then create an archive, analyse the index, and give warning to the users.

Voice search is a preeminent property of this app, making it easier for the elderly with visual impairment to look for health information.

Besides, the app provides users with contacts of prestigious healthcare facilities nearby.

According to Deputy Director of the General Office for Population and Family Planning Nguyen Thi Ngoc Lan, the app, developed based on financial and technical support from the UNFPA, is important for the elderly, helping them reduce dependence on other people.

Currently, S-Health is on a trial run, and it will be complete on the occasion of the Day for the Elderly in June. The app is available on IOS App Store or Android CH Play./.

COVID-19: Localities receive training in use of entry management software

The Ministry of Health on January 28 provided training to the 63 provincial-level localities nationwide on the application of a software managing people entering Vietnam.

Viewed as highly important for COVID-19 prevention and control, the software helps manage people entering Vietnam from when they fill in health declarations to the time they are under quarantine or exit the country.

It helps intensify the monitoring of those in quarantine by conducting random checks via an automated phone system. It also assists the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control in knowing their movements in Vietnam.

After filling in health declarations, each person entering the country will be given an access code and QR code. While the access code is for updating their information on the Vietnam Health Declaration app on smartphones, the QR code can be used at ports of entry and quarantine facilities or shown to authorities.

As of the morning of January 29, Vietnam’s COVID-19 tally stood at 1,651, including 786 cases of community transmission. Some 1,430 patients have recovered while the number of fatalities is still at 35./.

South African paper praises Vietnam’s comprehensive, modern diplomacy

South Africa’s Pretoria News on January 29 ran an article entitled “Historic milestone for Vietnam” by its Editor-in-Chief Valerie Boje, highlighting the success of the comprehensive and modern diplomacy of Vietnam with focus on the three pillars of Party diplomacy, State diplomacy and people-to-people diplomacy.

The article noted that Vietnam has diplomatic relations with 189 members of the United Nations - including South Africa - and long-term cooperation frameworks with 30 strategic and comprehensive partners, including all ASEAN countries and most of the G20.

As a key member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Vietnam has negotiated, ratified and signed key free trade agreements, namely the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA), promoting international economic integration and creating new impetus for economic recovery, it said.

In 2020, as ASEAN Chair, Vietnam was particularly involved in coordination with other nations in the region in responding to the pandemic, and outlining the post-pandemic economic recovery and development plan.

In November last year, South Africa along with Cuba and Colombia, signed the documents of accession to ASEAN’s Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC), opening the way to greater trade in the region.

Vietnam is also a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in the 2020-2021 tenure, and among its duties organised a meeting on strengthening the implementation of the UN Charter, highlighted the issue of cooperation between the UNSC and ASEAN, and participated in the UN peacekeeping force, read the article.

The UN General Assembly also approved a resolution drafted by Vietnam to designate December 27 as the International Day of Epidemic Preparedness, it added.

It held that the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam, which is being held in Hanoi from January 25 to February 2, will set out the country’s vision and proposed future development directions in terms of its domestic and international policies./.

Players, referees receive insurance for injuries in 2021

The Việt Nam Professional Football Company (VPF) will provide insurance to players and referees in national football competitions in the 2021 season.

It is the fourth year in a row VPF has signed a deal with the Post and Telecommunication Joint Stock Insurance Corporation (PTI) to cover nearly 900 people who compete in the V.League 1, V.League 2 and National Cup and Super Cup match.

Players will receive up to VNĐ300 million (US$13,000) per case while referees are covered up to VNĐ200 million ($8,700).

“The VPF, clubs and players appraised PTI’s service quality after three years we have been working together. PTI has helped share financial worries when players suffer unexpected injuries. It helps them feel comfortable to contribute their best for football,” said VPF General Director Nguyễn Minh Ngọc.

PTI has paid about VNĐ6 billion ($261,000) for more than 200 cases of injuries such as defenders Đỗ Duy Mạnh of Hà Nội FC and Phạm Xuân Mạnh of Sông Lam Nghệ An and striker Lê Thanh Bình of Bình Định.

“Our partnership goes to its fourth year. This shows the VPF’s trust toward our service which is believed to push the development of Vietnamese football,” said PTI General Director Bùi Xuân Thu. 

Movies and concerts cancelled following COVID-19 resurgence

A number of local film premieres, music shows, and the production of a famous television show, have all been postponed amid the recent resurgence of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country.

According to a film crew working on the movie “Gai Gia Lam Chieu V”, the premiere event which was due to be held on February 5 in Hanoi has been cancelled.

Elsewhere, the popular annual satirical comedy show “Gap nhau cuoi nam”, known as “Year-end gathering” in English and more commonly known as “Tao Quan”, “Kitchen Gods”, which airs on New Year's Eve on Vietnam Television (VTV), will be recorded without an audience. This will be done in an effort to ensure that COVID-19 prevention measures are followed.

Furthermore, a number of concerts involving famous singers, such as Nguyen Ngoc Anh, Giang Son, and Trong Tan will be also cancelled following the detection of positive COVID-19 cases in northern localities.

Pagoda visitors requested to wear face masks

Most Venerable Thich Duc Thien, Vice President and General Secretary of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha has asked visitors to pagodas to wear masks during the Tet Holiday. 

The Vietnam Buddhist Sangha asked pagodas and temples to strictly follow prime ministerial directives about strengthening preventive measures against Covid-19 and monitor the situation. Visitors will be asked to wear face masks and wash hands upon visiting pagodas and temples.

The monks must also fill in medical declaration forms to see whether they had visited any hotspots, and help raise public awareness.

The Vietnam Buddhist Sangha will ask Buddhist followers to report illegal border crossers in order to help preserve community safety from Covid-19.

Airlines to help passengers cancel and change flights for free

Passengers from and to Van Don Airport can have their tickets cancelled or changed to other dates after the airport closed for Covid-19 prevention.

After Van Don Airport was locked down, many airlines have cancelled flights. Bamboo Airways reported that passengers can change the date, hour and routes for free if the new flights' departure time is no more than 72 hours from the original schedule. Passengers can also cancel or reserve their flights for free.

Passengers who bought tickets via partners and agents will have their refunds transferred into the agents' account within 45 days starting from the day the agents submit requests to the airlines. Passengers who bought tickets directly via airlines' websites or air ticket offices will have the refunds within 90 days.

Vietjet Air also offers support to passengers who have flights from and to Van Don from January 29 to February 13. Passengers can change to other flights like HCM City-Hanoi, HCM City-Hai Phong, HCM City-Thanh Hoa and HCM City-Vinh City. If passengers want to change to other routes or the new departure time is more than 72 hours from the original time, the airlines will only collect the fare difference.

Passengers can also choose to reserve the tickets for a year. Since the changes must be done three hours before the departure time, passengers should contact Vietjet Air and ticket offices quickly for support. Each ticket can be applied for change once.

Vietnam Airlines also offered supports for passengers who are affected. The airlines will follow directives from the government, Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam.

The PM ordered to temporarily shut down Van Don Airport from January 28 after the new outbreak. Passengers were asked to follow regulations such as filling in medical declaration forms and wearing face masks throughout the flight.

Czech newspaper highlights Vietnam’s development vision

Czech newspaper Halo Noviny on February 1 published an article on Vietnam’s development vision, as well as the achievements the country has recorded over the past five years.

The article said Vietnam is known as a bright place for economic growth and has increasingly integrated into the world economy.

This is one of Vietnam's great achievements under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) in recent years, which has helped create the driving force for the country's entry into a new period of development, according to the article.

Between 2016 and 2020, Vietnam was one of the few countries with high and stable economic growth (an average of nearly 6 percent). It is noteworthy that even in 2020, when the global economy was in recession due to impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnam is one of the fastest growing economies in the world with a growth rate of 2.91 percent.

In addition, thanks to its multilateral foreign policy, Vietnam has made many important achievements in international economic integration in order to optimise all available resources for national development.

The article said the freshly-concluded 13th National Party Congress is considered an important milestone for Vietnam's development as it sets not only development orientations for the country in the five-year period, but also goals by 2030 and with a vision towards 2045. In particular, Vietnam aims to become a developed country by the mid-21st century.

It lauded the important role by the CPV in the past struggles for national liberation as well as the cause of reform.

The country has also been seen as a safe and attractive destination for international visitors, the article said./.

ADB provides 25 million USD to help Philippines purchase COVID-19 vaccines

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) announced on February 1 that it has allocated 25 million USD to help the Philippine government purchase COVID-19 vaccines.

The Manila-based bank said the financing will come from the Health System Enhancement to Address and Limit COVID-19 project, which ADB approved in August.

The lender said the newly allocated funding for vaccine supply will follow the vaccine access and eligibility requirements under ADB's Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility (APVAX), launched last December with a financing commitment of 9 billion USD for the region.

The Philippines has developed a COVID-19 vaccine road map to immunise 60 to 75 percent of Filipino. It is negotiating vaccine delivery with several vaccine developers.

The ADB said the government's vaccine supply contracts with the bank’s financing, including direct payments by ADB to vaccine manufacturers, will follow the lender's procurement rules and guidelines, and its anti-corruption and integrity policy.

The financing will also follow global best practices on safeguards measures, including waste management of medical supplies, the bank added./.

Planning approved to preserve Oc Eo - Ba The special national relic site

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has approved the planning for preserving and restoring Oc Eo - Ba The, a special national relic site of the ancient Oc Eo civilisation in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang.

The site covers 433.2ha of land in Oc Eo township of Thoai Son district.

Under the planning, relevant agencies will also capitalise on this relic site’s values to develop experience and ecological tourism.

The Oc Eo civilisation, part of the ancient kingdom of Phu Nam, was first discovered by French archaeologist Louis Malleretin 1942 via artefacts unearthed in the area of Ba The Mountain, now in Oc Eo township.

The civilisation, named after Mound Oc Eo in Thoai Son district where the relic site was first found, took shape and developed strongly in southern Vietnam between the first and seventh century.

Apart from Thoai Son, relics of the Oc Eo civillisation have also been found in other localities of An Giang province. There is a rich diversity of artefacts discovered so far, including those relating to religion, architecture, graves, and canals./.

13th National Party Congress brings confidence: Singaporean-Vietnamese professor

The just-concluded 13th National Party Congress went smoothly despite fresh COVID-19 outbreaks, bringing about confidence, and it can be viewed as an initial success, Vu Minh Khuong, an associate professor at Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, told Vietnam News Agency.

Vietnam is making remarkable steps towards economic integration, he noted, adding that there is a new atmosphere of reform in Vietnam, which can be called the second “Doi Moi” (Renewal) period, as all people and the entire Party are being well aware of the nation’s resurgence towards prosperity, to turn Vietnam into a developed country by 2045 on the occasion of the 100th National Independence Day.

In such context, Vietnam should prioritise forming an excellent administration that meets people’s expectation and is capable of managing the entire development process, he suggested.

Speaking of foreign affairs, Khuong said Vietnam should promote comprehensive relations with the US, Japan, China, the EU, and Southeast Asian nations, not only in diplomacy but also economy and security, in order to maximise the benefits.

COVID-19 infections in Thailand, Philippines remain high

Thailand on February 1 recorded 836 new coronavirus cases, 793 of them from active testing.

No new deaths were reported, leaving the toll at 77, according to a briefing from the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Analysis (CCSA).

Of the new cases, 782 were in Samut Sakhon, with a further six in the northeastern province of Maha Sarakham and five in Bangkok. A further 39 cases were found in hospital and clinic walk-ins -- 32 in Samut Sakhon, five in Bangkok and two in Ratchaburi.

Thailand has documented 19,618 COVID-19 cases so far, including 17,155 locally-transmitted infections and 2,463 imported cases. As many as 12,514 patients have recovered and were discharged from hospitals, while 7,027 are under treatment.

Meanwhile, the Philippines reported 1,658 new cases the same day, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 572,272, according to the country’s Department of Health (DOH).

The death toll climbed to 10,807 after 58 more patients died from the viral disease, the DOH said. It added 27 more patients recovered, raising the total number of recoveries to 487,574.

The Philippines, with a population about 110 million, has tested over 7.3 million people since the disease emerged in January last year.

World Health Organization (WHO) Representative in the Philippines Rabindra Abeyasinghe lauded the Philippines for making use of the prolonged coronavirus lockdown in dealing with the pandemic.

The Philippines remains under varying degrees of lockdown restrictions for more than 10 months now, causing the economy to shrink 9.5 percent in 2020.

The Philippine government plans to buy 148 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to inoculate up to 70 million Filipinos this year./.

Vietnamese in Eastern Europe rejoice at success of 13th National Party Congress

Vietnamese in Eastern European countries have expressed their delight at the success of the freshly-concluded 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV).

Nguyen Van Duc, Vice President of the Vietnamese Association in Odessa province, Ukraine, Vice President of the Vietnamese War Veterans’ Association in Ukraine and President of the Vietnamese War Veterans’ Association in Odessa, highlighted the resolution adopted at the congress.

The document has set forth development orientations for the country in the next five and 10 years, he said, adding the Party has taken drastic actions to fight corruption, brought into full play brainpower both at home and abroad, and promoted democracy and consensus, as reflected through the outcomes of the COVID-19 combat.

The success of the congress matches aspirations of the people, he said and called on the Party and the Government for more attention to overseas Vietnamese who want to invest in the homeland.

Le Van Tu, Permanent Vice President of the Vietnamese Association in Odessa and Permanent Vice President of the Vietnamese War Veterans in Odessa, said the congress’s motto "solidarity - democracy - discipline - creativity - development" matches people’s wishes.

Nguyen Van Sinh, a member of the Vietnamese Association in Odessa, lauded the thorough preparations for the congress, saying right officials have been elected to the Politburo, the Secretariat, and the Party Central Committee.

He expressed his hope that the Party will have better performance in anti-corruption work to raise public trust, thus helping elevate Vietnam to a new high.

Nguyen Xuan Hoan, a student in Russia, expressed his interest in strategic breakthroughs, notably human resources development, and his belief that with the Party’s leadership guidelines and policies in the 13th tenure, scientists and researchers will have opportunities to bring into full play their talents./.

Over 1,130 wild animals rescued in 2020: ENV

As many as 1,132 wild animals in Vietnam were rescued last year as 57.1 percent of the 2,216 violation cases reported by civilians handled, said the Education for Nature Vietnam (ENV) on February 1.

The non-governmental organisation on wildlife protection recorded a total of 2,907 violation cases in the year, nearly doubling its 2019 data. They comprised of 1,956 cases in advertising illegal wildlife trade and 863 others of captivity.

The rescued included 436 birds, 362 turtles and 120 monkeys, among others.

Of particular note, seven bears held captive in southern Binh Duong province were transferred to a sanctuary in Ninh Binh in the north, bringing the number of saved bears last year to 32.

ENV Deputy Director Nguyen Phuong Dung urged relevant agencies to exert more efforts in raising the success rate of handling wildlife violations this year, and asked people to not use wildlife products but report unlawful activities through the free hotline on wildlife protection on 1800-1522 and email hotline@fpt.vn./.

Vietnam to build a powerful country soon: Times Kuwait

Vietnam is firmly stepping into 2021 with a new mindset and soon realise the aspiration to build a powerful country, highlighted Times Kuwait, an English daily published in Kuwait.

In its artile “Vietnam: New board of leaders promises new positions” on February 1, the newspaper described Vietnam’s just-concluded 13th National Party Congress a success, with the result that Nguyen Phu Trong was reelected as the Party General Secretary in the 13th tenure, and the new board of leaders is expected to lead the country to reap further achievements.

2021 is the first year that the new leaders will implement the Resolution adopted at the 13th Party Congress, the 2021-2025 socio-economic development plan, and the 2021-2030 socio-economic development strategy.

Promoting the country’s achievements after 35 years of Doi Moi (Reform), with consensus and determination of both political system and the whole people, Vietnam will soon realise its target of becoming a prosperous nation soon, the article wrote.

This milestone marks the turning point for Vietnam in the next five years with great hope among its people that under the new leadership, Vietnam is determined to continue its positive role in building and shaping multilateral institutions as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in the year of the 2020-2021 term.

Vietnam has been recognised by the international community as a “beacon” in pandemic prevention and control and socio-economic development, ensuring social security. Last year, despite being shattered by the pandemic and severe droughts and floods, the Communist Party of Vietnam led the country to attain remarkable achievements in all sectors. This creates a solid foundation for the Southeast Asian country to enter 2021, and concretise the goal to build a powerful nation.

The article also highlighted Vietnam’s export with turnover reaching nearly 281.5 billion USD in 2020 with average export growth of about 11.7 percent per year from 2016 to 2020. The size of its economy has increased 1.4-fold since the beginning of the 2016-2020 period. Vietnam has become the fourth-largest economy in ASEAN, and a manufacturing hub in the Asia-Pacific region./.

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