Four vehicle inspection and registration centers in HCMC, which are among those being forced to shut down while under a police investigation, have been cleared to reopen today, January 16, to meet the demand of auto owners ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday, or Tet.

The four facilities are the 50-03V auto inspection and registration center and one of its branches, both in Thu Duc City, the 50-05V center in District 12 and the 50-07V in Binh Tan District, according to Vietnam Register, which is under the Ministry of Transport.

Vietnam Register said it had inspected these four facilities and confirmed they met standards on infrastructure, equipment and human resources to resume operations in line with the Government’s Decree 139 stipulating regulations on offering vehicle inspection and testing services.

Vietnam Register also dispatched 61 people, including vehicle inspectors and other staff members, to the four centers mentioned above to serve the huge auto inspection and testing demands of car owners.

The move to reopen these centers was made after many auto inspection and registration centers in the city were severely overwhelmed by requests for auto inspection and registration services, due to the closure of multiple centers to serve the police’s probe into bribe brokering, giving and taking and falsifying documents.

Under the prevailing rules, automobile owners will be fined if their vehicles have no valid inspection and testing stamp on the windshield.

Vietnamese in UK, Singapore celebrate Tet

The Vietnamese Intellectual Society (VIS) in the UK and Ireland on January 14 held an annual meeting to review its performance last year and a traditional Lunar New Year celebration for Vietnamese expatriates.

Speaking at the event, VIS chairman Nguyen Xuan Huan said that with more than 100 members mostly professors, associate professors, lecturers, and post-graduates at over 60 universities in the UK and Ireland, the VIS first aims to connect and support its members and then, develop the Vietnamese community in the UK.

He said in 2023, VIS will continue to expand its activities, not only in the academic field to connect and cooperate with other organisations such as the Embassy of Vietnam in the UK, the Association Vietnam-UK friendship, and Vietnamese associations in the UK to promote Vietnam-UK relations.

This year, for the first time, VIS and the Vietnamese students’ association in Oxford city jointly held a Tet celebration at Wadham College which attracted the members of the two associations, their families, and Vietnamese overseas living and working in the UK.

Meanwhile, the Vietnamese Embassy in Singapore and the Vietnamese students’ association in the country on January 14 held a Tet celebration for students who will spend the coming Lunar New Year festival away from home.

Nearly 100 Vietnamese students and guests attended the event which included typical preparation for a traditional Tet celebration like making "chung" cake, playing folk games, and delivering Tet wishes to family and friends.

The activities not only help Vietnamese students feel Tet atmosphere when staying away from home but also promote Vietnamese culture to foreigners.

Top Korean legislator's visit to create impetus for common goals: scholar

The ongoing official visit to Vietnam by Speaker of the Republic of Korea (RoK)’s National Assembly (NA) Kim Jin-pyo is expected to create momentum for the two countries to fulfill their common goals, a scholar has said.

The visit, from January 12-18, is made the invitation of Chairman of the Vietnamese NA Vuong Dinh Hue.

This is the first of such visit to Vietnam by Kim since he took office in July 2022 and also the first by a senior leader of the RoK since the two countries upgraded their relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership in December 2022.

In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency, Dr. Choe Won-gi, head of the Centre for ASEAN–India Studies at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy (KNDA), said a highlight of the visit is Kim’s attendance at the inauguration ceremony of the Vietnam - Korea Institute of Science and Technology (VKIST), scheduled for January 17.

This represents the largest non-refundable aid project between the two countries, Choe said, suggesting them step up cooperation to make it easier for the institute to contribute to scientific-technological development in Vietnam.

Regarding cooperation prospects, he said the bilateral relations have made outstanding strides since the establishment of the diplomatic ties in 1992, especially in economy, and it is time for the two countries to take the relationship to a new height.

Vietnam and the RoK share interests in not only economy but also in diplomacy and security, and boast close cultural ties, he said, stressing that the strategic cooperation should be strengthened through people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

He also suggested the two countries form an economic community to connect the two economies, and become strategic partners in politics, diplomacy, and national defence and security.

Choe emphasised that among the ASEAN member countries, Vietnam is the most reliable and important partner of the RoK.

The core of the RoK’s Indo-Pacific strategy is ASEAN and the core of the ten-member grouping is Vietnam, he said, noting that Vietnam plays a very important role in connecting and accelerating negotiations on the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula.

11 flyover stations of Bến Thành-Suối Tiên metro to be completed by March

It is expected that by March this year, all 11 flyover stations of the Bến Thành-Suối Tiên metro will be completed, according to the HCM City Management Authority for Urban Railways (MAUR).

Engineers and workers are installing and finishing the station elevators, including metal frames, ticket offices and glass balustrades at the main entrances of the stations.

The MAUR said that it was cooperating with the Hitachi Company to complete automatic and safety systems at the stations.

Hồ Trần Công Triều, from the NJPT consultants, said that about 600-700 workers were finishing construction.

It is scheduled that the workers will be off for the Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday from Thursday and back to work next Friday.

The Bến Thành-Suối Tiên metro project was initially scheduled for completion in late 2021 to run commercially in 2022. However, it has been delayed several times due to the pandemic and procedural problems.

With an expected investment of more than VNĐ43.7 trillion (US$1.89 billion), the metro line is funded by Japanese overseas development assistance and Vietnamese counterpart funds.

It is about 19.7km in length with three underground stations, including Bến Thành, HCM City Opera House, Ba Son, and 11 flyover stations, including Văng Thánh, Tân Cảng, Thảo Điền, An Phú, Rạch Chiếc, Phước Long, Bình Thái, Thủ Đức, High-tech Zone, HCM City National University and Suối Tiên Terminal.

After 10 years of construction, around 94 per cent of the metro line has been completed.  

The first test ran on nine kilometres of elevated track between Suối Tiên Station and Bình Thái Station on December 21 last year.

The elevated section is designed for trains to run at a speed of 110 kilometres per hour, but during the test run the train ran at a speed of 40kph.

All 17 trains have 147 seats and a capacity of 930 passengers. They can run at speeds of up to 80km underground. 

Vietnamese in Japan, Thailand, Brunei welcome traditional New Year

Vietnamese students in Japan and Vietnamese in Thailand and Burnei took part in get-togethers to celebrate the upcoming Tet (Lunar New Year) on January 14.

In Tokyo, the Vietnamese Youth and Student Association in Japan (VYSA) held an event to bring Tet atmostphere to Vietnamese who are living and working in East Asia country.

Addressing the gathering, VYSA Chairman Nguyen Dinh Nam highlighted outcomes made by the association in recent years.

According to him, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the VYSA and its chapters across Japan still organise many meaningful activities to strengthen the cohesion in the community and support Vietnamese youth and students in Japan such as VYSA Job Fair, VYSA Charity Bookstore, or sports tournaments like VYSA Kanto Badminton.

He said the VYSA presented 100 packages of gifts to disadvantaged Vietnamese in Japan to help them have a warm and happy Tet.

Nguyen Duc Minh, Chargé d'Affaires of the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan, highly appreciated the VYSA's activities in the past time, while expressing his hope that VYSA will continue to have more practical and meaningful actions to contribute to building a growing Vietnamese community in Japan and further develop Vietnam-Japan relations.

Participants at the event had a chance to experienced folk games and enjoy the traditional dishes of the Vietnamese people as well as muscial performances by artists of the two countries.

Meanwhile, many overseas Vietnamese in Thailand gathered at the headquarters of Vietnamese Embassy in Bangkok on January 14 to welcome the Tet.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Phan Chi Thanh extended his best wishes to the Vietnamese community living and working in Thailand on the occasion of the Lunar New Year.

Thanh praised the efforts of the Vietnamese community in overcoming all difficulties to stabilise their lives and deeply integrate into host society.

He urged them to uphold the tradition of solidarity, promote the cultural identity of Vietnam, actively contributing to the relationship between the two countries.

Also on January 14, the Vietnamese Embassy in Brunei held a Lunar New Year get-together with the participation of more than 100 Vietnamese living and working in Brunei and international guests.

RoK’s parliament speaker visits Ninh Binh

Speaker of the Republic of Korea (RoK)’s National Assembly (NA) Kim Jin-pyo visited the northern province of Ninh Binh and had a working session with local authorities on January 15.

Speaker Kim and his entourage were briefed the province's Party building, socio-economic development in 2022 as well as outcomes in cooperation between Ninh Binh province and RoK cities by Nguyen Thi Thu Ha, Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and head of the provincial National Assembly deputy delegation.

Ninh Binh targets comprehensive, rapid and sustainable development, toward green growth and high quality, Ha said, adding that the province focuses on improving the investment and business environment, effectively eliminating difficulties for companies, and attracting investments, including those from the RoK.

Currently, the province is home to 41 foreign direct investment (FDI) projects from the RoK, accounting for 27.08% of the total number of FDI projects in the province.

Korean FDI projects with a total registered capital of over 413 million USD  are operating effectively, making contributions to local economic growth, bringing a great source of revenue to the provincial budget as well as creating jobs for local workers.

In 2022, Thanh Cong Group and Hyundai Motor contributed more than 80% of the province's budget revenue.

Ha said that she hopes Speaker Kim and his entourage will continue to support cooperation between the province and RoK cities as well as help promote the image of Ninh Binh to Koreans.

Kim, for his part, proposed Ninh Binh continue to create favourable conditions and support RoK businesses operating here, and suggested setting up a hotline between the province and the RoK Embassy in Vietnam to actively support RoK citizens when necessary.

Kim said Ninh Binh is increasingly becoming a famous tourist destination, and he expects in the coming time, more and more Korean tourists will visit the province.

Programme helps enhance links between overseas Vietnamese and homeland

The Xuan Que Huong (Homeland Spring) artistic programme was held on January 14 in Hanoi, bringing together more than 3,000 delegates, including 1,000 overseas Vietnamese (OV).

On the sidelines of the event, several OVs shared their pleasure as they enjoyed the atmosphere of traditional Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday in the country. They expressed their confidence in Vietnam's socio-economic development in 2023.

Nguyen Thi Kim Thoa, a 55-year-old OV from Poland, said she appreciates the Party's guidelines and State policies for OVs, which  affirm the overseas Vietnamese community is an integral part of the nation.

These guidelines and policies have met the needs of OVs, she said, adding that they have also promoted adding Vietnamese into teaching curricula at educational institutions in areas where many Vietnamese live.

The teaching of Vietnamese for the 2nd and 3rd generation is very necessary, she went on.

“Focus should be on the best options to teach the children to read and write Vietnamese so that they understand their ancestors as well as the national cultural identity of Vietnam", she said.

Etcetera Nguyen, an OV from the United States, said that after two years affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Tet atmosphere this year is more vibrant. According to him, in recent years, the role of the overseas Vietnamese community has continuously strengthened in host countries and they have made positive contributions to the fatherland through specific actions.

For his part, Dr. Tran Hai Linh, chairman of the Vietnam- Korea Business and Investment Association, said he was impressed by the meetings between Party and State leaders and overseas Vietnamese to listen to their opinions and aspirations. Linh said he is proud of Vietnam's efforts to overcome difficulties, control the pandemic and restore socio-economic activities.

Regarding Vietnam’s policies for OVs, he suggested strengthening and promoting the role of those who are qualified and understand both sides in assisting relevant Vietnamese bodies to develop cooperation plans with other countries around the world.

Art exhibition to celebrate 'Tết' in Hà Nội

The Việt Nam Fine Arts Association has held an exhibition to celebrate the Lunar New Year 2023 and the 93rd anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of Việt Nam (February 3, 1930 – 2023).

The exhibition introduces 152 works by 152 painters who are members of the association, mainly themed of spring and cats for the Year of the Cat.

Each painter has his/her own visual language, diversified in style, expressed on many different materials such as oil paints, lacquers, ceramics, acrylics and watercolours.

The works contain joy and hope for a peaceful spring and a new year with many successes in art creation and life.

Some typical works in the exhibition include Spring by Trần Tuyết Mai, Mother Spring by Nguyễn Hữu Thuận, Spring Colours by Nguyễn Hữu Chiến, and I Love Cats by Đinh Thị Nguyệt.

Painter Lương Xuân Đoàn, chairman of the Việt Nam Fine Arts Association, said that for a long time, the spring painting exhibition has become a beautiful tradition and custom of the association.

After a year of hard work, the exhibition is like a good wish in the new year. For artists, the best blessing is to "show off" each other their latest works to welcome the spring with the expectation and wish that their creative path in the coming year will be favourable and successful.

The exhibition runs until January 19 at the exhibition hall at 16 Ngô Quyền Street, Hoàn Kiếm District, Hà Nội.

PM calls on Chinese group to invest in transport infrastructure projects

Vietnam always welcomes foreign investors, including those from China, in the spirit of “harmonious interests, shared risks,” Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has affirmed.

The PM made the affirmation at a reception for Yan Jiehe, Founder and Chairman of China Pacific Construction Group, one of China's largest private corporations in the field of transport infrastructure, in Hanoi on January 14.

Briefing the guest on Vietnam’s socio-economic development, Chinh said Vietnam has defined infrastructure development, covering transport infrastructure, as one of the three strategic breakthroughs.

The country aims to build 3,000 km of expressways by 2025, and 5,000 km by 2030, he continued.

The PM suggested the Chinese group hold working sessions with Vietnamese ministries, agencies, localities and partners to seek cooperation opportunities, soon open a representative office in the Southeast Asian nation, and join bidding for transport infrastructure projects in an open, transparent and equal manner, and in line with Vietnamese legal regulations.

For his part, Yan spoke highly of Vietnam’s economic prospects, and noted his hope to participate in infrastructure projects in the country.

The group will soon open a representative office in Vietnam, and closely coordinate with Vietnamese agencies and localities, he said.

Zero-dong coaches carry 280 passengers back hometowns to enjoy Tet

Last night, hundreds of poor laborers, workers, people with disabilities and students working and studying in Ho Chi Minh City caught zero-dong coaches to come back to their hometowns to enjoy the Tet holiday.

This year, seven zero-dong coaches carrying 280 passengers departed from Ho Chi Minh City to their hometowns in the Central provinces of Phu Yen, Quang Ngai, Quang Nam, Nha Trang City of Khanh Hoa Province, Quang Binh and so on.

Among the passengers, there were many people with difficult circumstances and even there were those who have earned their livelihoods in Ho Chi Minh City for nearly a decade have not had enough conditions to buy Tet tickets to come back hometown.

"Coach number 7 plus" is a volunteer project implemented by the TES sponsor fund, formerly the VNO Organization. The coach brings poor people to their hometown for free, departing from Ho Chi Minh City to the central provinces.

After six years of operation, there have been more than 20 departed coaches bringing over one thousand passengers back home safely.

Passengers flock to train, bus stations to return to hometowns for Tet

On the 23rd day of the last lunar month, a huge number of people started flocking to bus and railway stations including Saigon Railway Station and Mien Tay (Eastern) Coach Station to return to their hometowns to enjoy the Tet holiday.

At the Saigon Railway Station, trains were ready to meet the travel demand of passengers during the Tet holiday on Saigon-Hanoi route and vice versa and others.

Previously, the Saigon Railway Station had opened tickets for sale via its website, electronic wallets, mobile applications and at the station or ticket agents. Therefore, it was convenient for passengers to do check-in procedures and get on board.

This is the image of Le Gia Dung’s family on the SE20 train, departing from 2:10 p.m. on the 23rd day of last lunar month. His family had ten members travelling to Thanh Hoa Province to enjoy the Tet holiday.

The passenger said that this year, all of his 10 family members will come back to Thanh Hoa Province to enjoy the Tet holiday. Last year, they traveled by air but this year we chose trains to have more experience.

He is a freelancer so the time to return back to HCMC is flexible, it might be on the tenth day of the first lunar month for his kids to go to school.

Mr. Van Khac Nam – Head of SE20 train on Saigon-Hanoi route informed that according to observation and notifications from the Branch of Saigon Railway Transport Joint Stock Company, all of the passengers on board are very excited successfully buying tickets to return to to their hometowns for Tet celebrations. Most of the passengers were workers from other localities working in Ho Chi Minh City.

At the Mien Tay (Western) Coach Station, it is on the peak travel time of the Tet holiday season and there was a huge number of passengers flocking to the station to buy tickets and get on board to return to their hometowns for Tet celebration.

High-quality passenger bus operators at the Western Bus Station were reportedly to sell tickets at stable prices.

Pham Thi Truc Linh, a passenger at the Mien Tay Coach Station said that her husband and she were buying tickets to come back to Hau Giang Province to enjoy the Tet holiday with the affordable price of VND170,000 (US$7.3) per ticket. She wishes people a new year with more stable jobs and prosperous lives to start the new year more advantageously.

It is forecasted that a huge number of passengers will continue to flock to bus and railway stations in the next couple of days.

Flower fairs in HCM City open for Tết

HCM City has launched six flower fairs to entertain residents and visitors during the upcoming Tết (Lunar New Year festival), which falls on January 22 this year.

The fairs are located at September 23 Park and Lê Văn Tám Park in District 1, Gia Định Park in Phú Nhuận District, Phú Mỹ Hưng Urban Area in District 7, Bình Điền Wholesale Market in District 8, and in Thủ Đức city.

They offer various kinds of flowers and ornamental trees from HCM City’s suburban districts of 12 and Củ Chi, and  the Mekong Delta provinces of Đồng Tháp and Bến Tre.

On January 6, the city launched its annual floating flower festival “Trên Bến Dưới Thuyền” (On the Wharf - In the Boat) at District 8’s Bình Đông Wharf.

The festival includes 666 stalls and boats, displaying hundreds of various kinds of flowers and fruits from flower growers and gardeners in the Mekong Delta provinces of Long An, Tiền Giang, Bến Tre, Vĩnh Long and Đồng Tháp, and the Tây Nguyên (Central Highlands) province of Lâm Đồng.

Traditional flowers such as rose, chrysanthemum, raspberry chrysanthemum, and marigold, are expected to be best-sellers this year. They are priced from VNĐ100,000-350,000 (US$4-15) per pot.

Apart from flowers and fruit, the festival offers Southern folk music performances and kylin dances to entertain visitors.

All the fairs will open until January 21, or Lunar New Year’s Eve.

In addition, the city’s annual Spring Flower Festival will open at Tao Đàn Park in District 1 on January 16.

The festival will display more than 2,500 indigenous and foreign flowers, ornamental fish, bonsais and trees.

The exhibits are provided by florists and artisans from HCM City, Hà Nội and the provinces of Bình Dương, Bến Tre, and Tiền Giang.

The event will also feature miniature sunflower gardens, mai (ochna) gardens, and rice paddies around the park so visitors can have beautiful photos for the spring festival.

Music and dance performances will be held along with traditional food sercice at the festival.

The flower festival will end on January 27. Entrance fee is VNĐ30,000. 

Overseas Vietnamese gather in Tet celebrations

Overseas Vietnamese people worldwide have been celebrating the Lunar New Year (Tet) at gatherings held in their host countries as the biggest traditional festival for Vietnamese is nearing.

At a Tet celebration organised by the Vietnamese Embassy in Australia on January 15, Ambassador Nguyen Tat Thanh highlighted achievements in the two countries’ relations in 2022, expressing his belief that under the leadership of the Labour Party of Australia, bilateral ties will develop even more strongly in the time ahead.

He noted that last year, the Vietnamese community in Australia stayed united, contributed to the homeland, and carried out many activities to help strengthen connections between the two countries.

As Vietnam and Australia will mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties in 2023, Thanh said he hopes new breakthroughs will be recorded in bilateral diplomatic, economic, trade, and investment links.

The diplomat also called on the community to increase support for one another, help promote the countries’ strategic partnership, and further contribute to the homeland.

On this occasion, the embassy presented certificates of merit to the Vietnamese collectives and individuals in Australia in recognition of their outstanding dedications to bilateral friendship and cooperation.

Similar celebratory events have also been held by the Vietnamese embassies in Cuba, Japan, Algeria, Germany, and Mexico, the Vietnamese Consulate General in Vancouver of Canada, the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to the UN and the country’s Consulate General in New York.

The coming Lunar New Year, the Year of the Cat, will start on January 22.

Strong cold spell hit northern region

A strong cold spell hit northern provinces in the early morning of January 16, pushing the temperature in the region down by 10°C compared to the previous day, according to the National Hydrometeorological Forecasting Centre.

The temperature in the region is forecasted to drop to 9-12°C in lowland provinces and 6-9°C in mountainous areas on January 16 night.

Notably, the weather agency warned that many mountainous areas could see temperatures plunge to below 3°C, and frost and snowfall appear.

The severe cold will last through January 18 in the northern region, with the highest temperature during daytime hovering around 14-16°C. Fog and high humidity make people feel colder.

From January 19 to January 23 (the 28th day of the Lunar December to the 2nd day of the lunar January), the northern region will have rain in some places accompanied by light fog. Air pollution may increase due to the weakening cold spell.

The northern region is expected to celebrate the Lunar New Year festival in cold weather with highest temperatures at 17-22°C.

Another cold spell is expected to hit the region from January 24-26, making the temperature further drop.

North-central provinces will also experience cold weather from the night of January 16 with the temperature falling to 11-14°C.

Meanwhile, more rain is expected in the area from Da Nang to Binh Thuan between January 16 and 23. The temperature is forecast to range from 20 to 28°C.

The Central Highlands region will enjoy sunny weather from January 16 to 23 with the highest temperature of 27-30°C and the lowest of 17-21°C.

Southern provinces will see the highest temperature of 29-32°C, and the lowest of 22-26°C. Ho Chi Minh City and neighbouring provinces and cities are less likely to experience unseasonal rain during Tet holiday.

Airline agencies asked to ensure security, transportation during Tet

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has asked agencies under its wing to tighten control over order, security, and transportation during Lunar New Year (Tet) celebration and spring festivals this year.

Specifically, Dong Hoi and Tho Xuan airports were asked to provide services for night flights around the clock to meet demand.

Airports across the country, particularly Tan Son Nhat and Noi Bai international airports, were asked to arrange proper staff and equipment to ensure smooth luggage screening and delivery.

Airports were also asked to arrange proper parking areas for shuttles so that passengers could find and use them conveniently.

Major airports like Tan Son Nhat, Noi Bai, and Da Nang were instructed to speed up the application of non-stop toll collection.    

The CAAV also requested its subordinates to strengthen internal inspection and supervision of service provision of taxi firms allowed to operate at airports. 

Strict punishment will be given to violating drivers who are reported to cheat or overcharge passengers.

Airports were also required to urgently complete the maintenance of infrastructure and strictly comply with regulations and measures to ensure security and safety for under-construction maintenance works.

Meanwhile, airlines operators were asked to develop plans and control measures to minimise flight delays and cancellations. This year, people will have a seven-day holiday from January 20-26 for the Tet festival.

Health Ministry ensures medicine, equipment, staff during Tết holiday

The Ministry of Health has asked public and private hospitals across the country to ensure sufficient amounts of medicine, equipment and staff during the upcoming Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday, which falls on January 22.

Health Minister Đào Hồng Lan said it was vital to ensure emergency aid, medicine and medical personnel are available 24/7 as the number of traffic accidents, food poisoning incidents and drunk driving incidents are expected to rise during the holiday. 

For patients who need to be transferred to specialised hospitals for treatment, hospitals and health clinics in localities must give initial emergency treatment before transferring them to specialised hospitals.

All refusals or delays in giving timely treatment or transferring the patients will be strictly dealt with, according to Lan.

The ministry has asked leaders of hospitals, specialised doctors, as well as security guards to be on duty around the clock during the holiday. 

Hospitals and health clinics must also prepare adequate medicine supplies and equipment, especially for diseases such as hand, foot and mouth disease, dengue fever, influenza and others which might happen in the winter-spring period.

The ministry has requested the drug administration to ensure adequate supply of medicines and sustainability of drug prices during the holiday.

Health clinics at the grassroots levels in communes and districts must strengthen epidemiological surveillance to prevent the spread of epidemics.

Regarding the emergence of the latest Omicron subvariant, the health minister has required all hospitals and medical facilities across the nation to tighten prevention measures.

The ministry said it would continue to provide booster shots for all people, especially medical workers, the elderly and others at highest risk during the holiday.

45 COVID vaccination sites to be set up

Dr Tăng Chí Thượng, director of the HCM City Department of Health, said the risk of the latest subvariant entering Việt Nam is extremely high as international travel will surge during the holiday. 

The city health sector is ready to deploy 10,000 beds, including 1,000 resuscitation beds, for COVID patients. 

It has assigned the HCM City Hospital for Tropical Diseases to treat severe and critical patients.

HCM City health authorities plan to set up 45 COVID vaccination sites at hospitals and health centres amid the rapid global spread of the latest Omicron sub-variant.

Besides, at least two permanent sites will be established in each district during the Lunar New Year holidays to ensure access to everyone, according to the municipal Department of Health.

No XBB.1.5 subvariant cases have been detected in Việt Nam yet, but the risk is extremely high as international travel is expected to surge during the holidays, according to the department.

The department has instructed all hospitals and medical centres to tighten preventive measures during the holidays when there is a surge in travel.

Bandovic faces tough test in debut as Hà Nội FC meet Hải Phòng in National Super Cup

New Hà Nội FC head coach Bozidar Bandovic faces a challenging debut in Việt Nam as he leads his team against Hải Phòng in the National Super Cup match on January 29 at the Hàng Đẫy Stadium in Hà Nội.

As Hà Nội secured both the V.League 1 and National Cup title, their rival in the super cup, which is the opening game of the 2023 season, is the V.League 1 runner-up Hải Phòng, making a northern derby.

Although the Montenegrin coach has been in Hà Nội for several weeks, he has spent time researching Hải Phòng, who he described as a big challenge.

Speaking at the press conference on January 11, coach Nghiêm said Hải Phòng had both advantages and disadvantages in the coming match.

Hà Nội have recently ended its contracts with several key players. Nghiêm said national defender Đoàn Văn Hậu's going away would be a big loss for the champions, but they will have strong local support in the match.

Nghiêm, who was voted the best coach of 2022, said Hải Phòng will do their best, and if they were lucky enough, they will win the trophy.

The winner will walk away with VNĐ300 million (US$12,800), while the loser will take VNĐ200 million ($8,600).

Players who scored the opening goal and MVP of the match will receive VNĐ10 million ($430) each.

The Super Cup, launched by Tiền Phong newspaper, was first organised in 1999. After 22 years, Hà Nội, Sông Lam Nghệ An and Becamex Bình Dương have won most with four times.

Hà Nội won in 2010, 2018, 2019 and 2020. A win on January 29 will push them to the top among Super Cup winners.

Meanwhile, it would be a second win for Hải Phòng after their first in 2005.

Source: VNA/SGT/VNS/VOV/Dtinews/SGGP/VGP/Hanoitimes