The northern region will be hit by a cold snap on January 17 and another on January 20, said the national weather forecasting centre on January 11.

The subsequent cold spell will cause temperatures to fall to a low of 13 degrees Celsius in the plain and below 10 degrees Celsius in the mountainous area.

The cold air fronts to be accompanied by low trenches in the upper westerly wind zone will bring rain to parts of the northern region, with common rainfall climbing as high as 30-60mm or even higher in some places.

The current cold spell that hit the northern region early on January 11 are causing temperatures to plummet to 10 – 13 degrees in the mountainous localities and 13 – 16 degrees in the plain.

Hanoi remains cold on January 11-12, with common temperatures ranging from 11 to 13 degrees.

PM urges faster COVID-19 vaccination, stronger anti-pandemic measures

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh demanded COVID-19 vaccination be further sped up and disease prevention measures strengthened, in an official dispatch issued on January 11.

He made request in the face of the more complicated developments of the pandemic in Hanoi and some other localities, especially risks of new outbreaks caused by the Omicron variant, while the Lunar New Year holiday - the country’s biggest traditional festival - is nearing.

First extraordinary session of 15th NA wraps up

The first extraordinary session of the 15th National Assembly held via videoconference wrapped up on January 11 after four and a half days of sitting.

The NA reached high consensus on the issuance of the Resolution on fiscal and monetary policies with a value of about 350 trillion VND (15.21 billion USD) in support of the fight against COVID-19 pandemic and socio-economic recovery and development for 2022-2023.

As many as 436 out of 466 legislators, or 87.37 percent of the total, approved the Law on amendments and supplements to several articles of the Law on Public Investment, the Law on Public-Private Partnership, the Investment Law, the Bidding Law, the Electricity Law, the Enterprise Law, the Law on Special Consumption Tax and the Law on Enforcement of Civil Judgments.

The Resolution on the investment policy for the construction of the eastern section of the north-south expressway in 2021-2025 was approved by 469 out of 474 lawmakers present at the voting, equivalent to 93.99 percent.

The Resolution on piloting several special policies and mechanisms for the development of Can Tho city was passed with 463 approval votes out of 469 votes, or 92.79 percent. 

Da Nang records three Omicron-related cases

The central city of Da Nang so far recorded three infection cases related to Omicron variant, who were among four COVID-19 cases detected on two flights to Da Nang from Malaysia on December 23-24,  reported Director of the municipal Centre for Disease Control Ton That Thanh on January 11.

The samples of the four patients were sent to Pasteur Institute Nha Trang for genomic sequencing, and the institute confirmed on January 10 that three out of the four samples were infected with Omicron.

The three patients have now tested negative to SARS-CoV-2 and were discharged from hospital on January 10.

Quang Tri border guards save three fishermen in distress at sea

Border guards of central Quang Tri province successfully saved three fishermen in distress at sea on January 11.

Lt. Col. Hoang Bach Tung, head of the Trieu Van Border Guard post, said a fishing boat with three crew members suffered from engine failure and went adrift at noon on January 11 while operating in an area about eight nautical miles off the coast of Cua Viet township.

Notified of the incident, border guards of Quang Tri were sent to rescue the fishermen, who are a man born in 1967 and his two sons, born in 1997 and 1999. They accessed the fishing boat at about 2pm and brought the three ashore at about 3:30pm.

The fishermen are in stable health condition and have returned home.

HCM City spends 40 million USD on Tet caring for disadvantaged people

Ho Chi Minh City will spend over 900 billion VND (40 million USD) on Tet caring for disadvantaged households and policy beneficiaries.

According to a plan issued by the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, war veterans, seriously wounded soldiers, Vietnamese heroic mothers and families of fallen soldiers will receive gifts worth from 1.7 million VND to 3.1 million VND/each.

Meanwhile, poor households will receive gifts worth 1.25 million VND/each.

People with disabilities and elder people over 80 years old will be presented gifts worth 1.15 million VND/each.

Besides, the city will present gifts valued at 1.5 million VND/each to officials and civil servants.

COVID-19: New cases on January 11 total 16,035

Vietnam recorded 16,035 cases of COVID-19 across all 63 localities during 24 hours from 4pm January 10 to 4pm January 11, including 16 imported cases, according to the Ministry of Health.

Hanoi continued to record the highest number of infections with 2,884 cases, followed by Khanh Hoa with 782 and Ca Mau 762.

The national tally reached 1,930,428, including 31 infections of Omicron.

On the day, the country saw 256 deaths from the disease. The death toll now hits 34,790.

All administrative procedures on agriculture to be connected with National Single Window

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) expects to complete the connection of 100 percent of its administrative procedures with the National Single Window (NSW) system in the first quarter of 2022.

In terms of administrative reform, in 2021, the ministry updated and publicised 119 administrative procedures on the National Public Service Portal, abolished 58 others, and simplified three procedures related to natural disaster prevention and control.

It proposed 429 of the 2,559 regulations on business activities be removed or simplified while reducing nearly 219 billion VND, or 13.2 percent, of the compliance cost related to business activities.

WHO backs Vietnam’s pandemic prevention visions

WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific Takeshi Kasai on January 11 said the World Health Organisation backs visions and viewpoints in the COVID-19 prevention and control programme set out by the Vietnamese Government to flexibly response to new variants.

Also present at the meeting, WHO Representative in Vietnam Dr Kidong Park said he supports Vietnam’s plan to improve the capacity of grassroots and preventive health care not only to drive back the COVID-19 pandemic, but also to effectively deal with population aging in the future.

The representatives expressed their impression on Vietnam’s performance in economic development and social welfare over the past time.

Both noted their belief that Vietnam will continue effectively controlling, and safely and flexibly adapting to COVID-19, and become a model in health care in the region and the world.

Quang Ngai: disadvantaged people to receive support ahead of Tet

Authorities of the central province of Quang Ngai will earmark over 30.8 billion VND (over 1.35 million USD) sourced from the local relief fund to support households affected by floods in 2021, on the occasion of the upcoming Lunar New Year (Tet) Festival.

Accordingly, each poor household will receive 600,000 VND in cash, while near-poor households will get 400,000 VND each.

As of December 28, 2021, the local relief fund had raised over 66.5 billion VND from organisations, businesses and individuals in the locality.

Sick fisherman aided at sea

The High Command of Naval Zone 4 on January 11 said it has just aided a sick sailor at sea and brought him ashore for further treatment.

Ha Trong Binh, 47, from Ho Chi Minh City, was onboard a fishing ship operating in the contiguous waters between Vietnam and Malaysia.

A coast guard vessel under the High Command approached the ship on late January 10 to provide checkup and first aid for the sick sailor, who showed the symptoms of headache, dizziness, and vomiting blood.

Diagnosed with gastrointestinal bleeding and decreased blood pressure, Binh was later transported to Rach Gia city in the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang for further health monitoring and treatment.

Kien Giang supports Vietnamese-Cambodians ahead of Tet

The Fatherland Front Committee of the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang on January 11 presented 300 million VND (13,205 USD) to support Vietnamese-Cambodians in six border localities in Cambodia prior to Tet (Lunar New Year).

Vietnamese Consul General in Preah Sihanouk province Vu Ngoc Ly said in last August and September, the Vietnamese-Cambodian people received prompt support in terms of equipment and foodstuff from compatriots at home.

Vietnam to mark World Wetlands Day

Vietnam will join other United Nations member states to mark World Wetlands Day on February 2 this year, according to a notice sent by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MoNRE) to concerned ministries, organisations, and cities and provinces.

This year’s event is themed “Wetland Action for People and Nature,” aims to motivate individuals, businesses, and governments to “invest financial, human and political capital to save the world’s wetlands from disappearing and to restore those we have degraded.”

Civil construction to benefit from public investment wave: insiders

Civil construction is likely to be one of the sectors that enjoy direct or indirect benefits from the Government’s public investment wave, according to insiders.

A report by Mordor Intelligence showed that Vietnamese construction market value reached 57.5 billion USD in 2020 and is expected to hit 94.9 billion USD in 2026, with an annual growth rate of 8.7 percent in the 2021-2026 period. The sector made up 8 percent to the country’s growth on the average in the past 10 years, it said

Meanwhile, the General Statistics Office revealed that in 2021, the production value of the sector topped 1.9 quadrillion VND (83.6 billion USD), up 5.1 percent year on year despite COVID-19 impacts.

In the coming time, public investment will be a great resource that the Government pours into infrastructure projects to promote growth and support economic recovery.

Various entities to be honoured at upcoming ASEAN Tourism Forum

Many Vietnamese entities will be honoured at this year’s ASEAN Tourism Awards in four out of the five categories, namely ASEAN Green Hotel Awards, ASEAN MICE Venue Awards, ASEAN Clean Tourist City Awards, and ASEAN Sustainable Tourism Awards, according to the organisers of the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2022.

The prizes will be announced and presented within the framework of the forum to be held in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, from January 16 – 20, under the theme “a Community of Peace and Shared Future”.

It is the largest event within the ASEAN tourism cooperation framework. Vietnam will send a delegation to the forum.

Pho ranks 2nd of 20 best soups in the world by CNN

The American news channel CNN has named Pho Bo (Vietnamese beef noodle soup) second on the list of 20 best soups in the world, along with China’s Lanzhou equivalent and Thailand’s Tom yum goong.

According to CNN’s description, Broth is simmered for hours with cinnamon, star anise and other warm spices to create a wonderfully aromatic base for this rice noodle soup.

The soup is considered a national dish and can be found all over the country though it originated in the north before being taken to the south, where people have added their own influences to the dish.

Pho has been getting rave reviews from global travel magazines for decades, and no visitor to Vietnam fails to mention it.

Today, beef pho remains the most beloved version in Vietnam, with options that include the original raw beef, a mix of raw and cooked beef, brisket and tendon.

New regulations on financial support for overseas guest workers

Vietnamese guest workers will get a subsidy worth VNĐ7-20 million (US$300-880) if they are forced to return home earlier than contracted due to natural disasters, disease, war or economic recession.

The regulation is part of Decision 40/2021/QD-TTg on the fund for overseas employment support, signed by Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai.

Managed by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs, the fund aims to support and expand the labour export market and minimise risks for guest workers and labour export enterprises.

HCM City closes Hoc Mon COVID hospital

The HCM City Department of Health plans to close the Hóc Môn COVID-19 treatment hospital in Hóc Môn District as the number of COVID-19 cases has dropped in recent weeks.

In the past three days, the city saw positive signs in COVID-19 prevention and control. The daily number of COVID-19 cases dropped under 500, and deaths under 20.

On January 8, the city was classified as a green zone with low pandemic risk. 

Nearly 17,000 soldiers’ remains retrieved over the last eight years

The remains of almost 17,000 soldiers have been collected over the past eight years.

Samples are being tested as part of projects to identify the fallen soldiers in an attempt to provide closure for their loved ones.

Reports revealed that from 2013 until now, more than 17,000 martyrs’ remains were retrieved, which includes 8,000 in the country, over 2,000 in Laos, and 6,000 in Cambodia.

The country has received around 38,000 samples from the deceased soldiers and also from relatives of those who lost their lives in the hope of matching peoples' DNA, among which 23,000 samples have been analysed and stored.

A total of 4,000 cases with missing information were also identified.

Authorities have also verified and corrected information for 1,260 out of 1,736 graves at the Đắk Lắk martyr cemetery (accounting for 72.58 per cent of the graves with partial information, and 55.9 per cent of the total burials).

Red Sunday 2022 blood donation campaign set to open

Organisers expect to collect 45,000 - 50,000 blood units in the Chủ Nhật Đỏ 2022 (Red Sunday), a blood donation campaign that will officially open at the People’s Police Academy in Hà Nội on January 16.

The annual event will be organised by Tiền Phong (Vanguard) newspaper, the National Steering Committee on Traffic Safety, and the National Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusions (NIHBT), in more than 40 provinces and cities across the country.

It aims to handle the shortage of blood for emergency and treatment periods during and after the Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday.  

Last year, the health sector received more than 1.3 million blood units donated from voluntary donors across the country.

National Table Tennis Clubs Championships 2021 opens

The National Table Tennis Clubs Championships 2021 opened in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak on January 11. 

The tournament drew the participation of 160 male and female players from 22 clubs nationwide, who will compete in single and teams’ events in different age groups. 

Secretary General of the Vietnam Table Tennis Federation (VTTF) Phan Anh Tuan said players and referees will test for COVID-19 every three days from January 10 to the closing ceremony on January 15. 

Held annually by the Vietnam Sports Administration and the VTTF, the event aims to seek new talents and improve their skills in preparation for tournaments, most recently the 31st Southeast Asia Games to be held in the northern province of Hai Duong.

Can Tho, Netherlands join hands to handle plastic waste in Hau river

Officials of the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho have worked with representatives of the Dutch Embassy in Vietnam and Clear Rivers on implementing a pilot project to collect plastic waste in Hau river.

During the January 11 meeting, Ramon Knoester, founding director of Clear Rivers, said the waste collection model in the Hau river includes a machine called "Litter Trap", which can operate automatically without using fuel to collect plastic waste floating on the river into a bag.

The trap is expected to collect about 8 tonnes of plastic waste a week, he said, adding that the waste will be reused sustainably in accordance with a circular economy model.

Clear Rivers successfully produced many reusable products from plastic waste collected in rivers, including floating park, furniture, and construction materials, he noted.

In the framework of the project, communication activities will be organised to raise public awareness of measures to reduce and recycle plastic waste, and call for joint actions towards a pollution-free planet.

Central provinces change COVID-19 prevention measures ahead of Tet

Localities in the central region have tightened COVID-19 prevention and control measures, and simultaneously created conditions for residents to return to their hometowns for lunar New Year (Tet) celebrations.

Last week the Quang Tri provincial Department of Health issued urgent documents outlining COVID-19 prevention measures for people wishing to return home from other localities. The province decided to suspend conducting medical surveillance at home for a period of 14 days for all cases who have had two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and are coming from green zones in nine southern provinces and cities.

Thua Thien-Hue province requested that people coming either to or returning from localities at Level Three and Level Four in the four COVID-19 alert system must be isolated at home for at least 14 days, and subject to a COVID-19 test three times on the first, seventh, and 14th days. They are encouraged to conduct rapid antigen tests, or the RT-PCR method if they have not been vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2.

Quang Ngai have changed pandemic prevention measures in order to create the most favourable conditions possible for people to go home and celebrate Tet in a safe and economical manner. Quang Ngai allowed all mild F0 cases to receive treatment at home. It also plans to speed up COVID-19 vaccination for all people above 18 years-old.

Meanwhile, the central province of Quang Nam is currently suspending non-essential services, such as karaoke, massages, discos, bars, pubs, billiards, and cinemas, until March, a change from the past when the locality paused these activities until further notice.

In contrast, Khanh Hoa has still allowed entertainment activities to operate normally requesting residents to follow the Health Ministry’s 5K message as a way of curbing the spread of the virus. The province has been recording 700 to 900 F0 cases each day.

Ho Chi Minh City in dire need of 45,000 workers in post-Tet period

As many as 45,000 workers, mainly in the footwear, mechanical electronics, and refrigeration sectors, will be urgently needed in Ho Chi Minh City after the Lunar New Year, known locally as Tet.

Nguyen Van Lam, deputy director of the municipal Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, said the southern city would be launching a job transaction scheme which aims to connect the city with other provinces in order to meet labour demand in the post-Tet period.

Localities have therefore been requested to introduce workers who are keen to return to the city and seek jobs once Ho Chi Minh City becomes a green zone in the nation’s ongoing COVID-19 fight, he noted.

The southern metropolis has so far earmarked over VND901 billion in support of workers for Tet. It has also presented 15,000 gifts to poor workers in industrial parks and helped them to return home for the festive occasion.

Three Vietnamese cities receive ASEAN Clean Tourist Awards

Three local cities are set to be presented with the ASEAN Clean Tourist Awards 2022, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.

The trio are Ha Long City of the northern province of Quang Ninh, Da Lat City of the Central Highland province of Lam Dong, and Vung Tau City of the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau.

The awards ceremony is set to be part of the 2022 ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF 2022) and is scheduled to take place on January 19 in Sihanoukville, Cambodia.

2020 saw Vung Tau City in Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Quy Nhon City in the central province of Binh Dinh, and Hue City in central Thua Thien-Hue province honoured with the title.

Two national football players test positive for COVID-19

Van Toan and Hoang Duc of the national football squad have been infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, according to the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF).

The two players had tested positive following their return to their hometown in Hai Duong City, just 60km from Hanoi capital, for family reunion. They are both fine and show no signs of having high temperatures, VFF said in its announcement.

The duo will miss the chance to meet their team mates for training on January 13.

The national squad coached by Park Hang-seo will fly to Australia on January 20 to prepare for their FIFA World Cup 2020 qualifying clash with their hosts slated for January 27. They will then return to Vietnam for a home match against China on February 1 as part of the third Asian qualifying round of FIFA World Cup 2022.

Alligator spotted on Lo Gom Canal

Some local residents saw an alligator swimming in Lo Gom Canal in Ward 8, District 6, HCMC, on January 10 and took pictures of it to report the incident to the local authorities.

After several hours, the authorities successfully caught the alligator and sent it to the Saigon Botanical Garden in District 1.

According to an official, the alligator is 80 centimeters long and weighs three kilograms.

The local authorities will continue to monitor the canal to ensure safety.

Quang Nam discharges 12 Omicron-hit patients

After testing negative for Covid-19 three times, 12 of 14 Omicron-infected patients who entered Quang Nam Province from abroad have been discharged from hospitals.

Mai Van Muoi, director of the provincial Department of Health, said today, January 11, that the remaining two patients are receiving treatment as their cycle threshold values—used to identify the presence of Covid-19—failed to meet requirements.

Quang Nam Province has yet to detect any new cases infected with the Omicron variant.

Applications open for Japan-funded scholarship project for Vietnamese public employees

Young Vietnamese public employees have been invited to apply for the project for human resource development scholarship by Japanese grant aid (JDS) 2021, which was opened on January 7, aimed at contributing to the socio-economic development of Vietnam.

The JDS program is a full-scholarship program, which includes tuition fees, flight tickets, monthly scholarships and other allowances funded by the Japanese Government through official development assistance. The program has been implemented in Vietnam since 2000 and has seen 751 JDS fellows from Vietnam travel to Japan.

The application deadline is 5 p.m. on February 7, 2022. As many as 45 candidates will be selected by May and leave for Japan in August 2022.

Kindergarten, sixth graders in HCMC to return to school after Lunar New Year

Vice Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Duong Anh Duc said that kindergarten, primary and sixth graders in HCMC will return to school after Tet holidays ( the Lunar New Year).

The municipal People's Committee requested the Department of Education and Training to deploy and be ready to bring children from preschools, primary schools, and sixth graders to schools in person in green areas after the 2022 Lunar New Year.

Ministry provides information on Molnupiravir

Following the information that Molnupiravir, an anti-viral drug developed by US companies Merck and Ridgeback, has been kept out of the treatment protocol recommended by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the Ministry of Health has provided feedback on the issue.

According to the Ministry of Health, the drug Molnupiravir has been licensed for circulation and approved for emergency use in the treatment of Covid-19 in many countries such as the UK, the US, and Japan.

The Ministry of Health specifies that to ensure safety and effectiveness, only use Molnupiravir with a doctor's prescription following the indications, usage limits and warnings, and cautions of the drug. 

Art propaganda exhibition to promote gender equality 

“In Art We Trust” exhibition is aimed at promoting the idea that man can be more active in caring responsibilities in the same manner that women can have a bigger role in the economy.

The art propaganda exhibition entitled “In Art We Trust” promoting gender equality will open to public from January 14 to 16 at Goethe Institut in Hanoi.

According to the organizer of the exhibition, 40 outstanding works of art by authors of various ages (9 to 68 years) from all over the country will be on display.

These paintings were selected from the submissions to the Art Propaganda Contest on Gender Equality, which was co-organized by O Kia Ha Noi Creative Space, Heritage Space and WISE during the past few months.

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

VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES JANUARY 11

Lao Prime Minister wraps up Vietnam visit