An additional 55 COVID-19 cases were detected over the six hours from 12pm to 6pm on June 8, according to the Health Ministry.

Among the new cases, two were imported and 53 were domestic infections, including 21 in Bac Giang, 15 in Bac Ninh, 14 in Ho Chi Minh City, 2 in Hanoi and one in Ha Tinh.

The national tally rose to 9,158, with 6,003 recorded since April 27.

On June 8, 40 patients were given the all-clear, raising the number of recoveries to 3,549. The death toll increased to 55.

Sixteen provinces have passed through 14 days without any new cases.

Among active patients, 218 have tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 once, 92 twice and 78 thrice.

The same day, the Health Ministry has received medical supplies and essential goods donated by the business community. The DKSH Vietnam and Humasis Vina presented 3,000 rapid test kits worth 600 million VND (26,150 USD), the Wakamono company 100,000 anti-virus masks and the FV Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City equipment worth 1 billion VND./.

Vietnam reports 54th COVID-related death 

A man from northern Hưng Yên Province has died of COVID-19 related complications, the 54th death recorded in Việt Nam, the Ministry of Health confirmed at noon on Tuesday.

The 51-year-old man had a number of underlying health conditions including hepatitis and cirrhosis of the liver.

On May 4, the patient was admitted to National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Hà Nội’s Đông Anh District, suffering from a fever, loss of appetite and jaundice. He tested positive for coronavirus on May 9.

Over the next few weeks his condition gradually worsened and he did not respond well to treatment.

On Monday (June 7), he suffered from Hemorrhagic shock and his body began to shut down due to large amounts of blood loss. He died later the same day.

The cause of the death has been recorded as hemorrhagic shock due to gastrointestinal bleeding, cirrhosis of the liver, liver failure and pneumonia caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection. 

Nghe An closes non-essential services in five localities near Ha Tinh

Despite reporting no new Covid-19 domestic infections for more than a week, the provincial government of Nghe An decided to suspend non-essential services in five localities that share their border with Ha Tinh Province, which detected a new outbreak last weekend, from June 8 until further notice, said a local official.

Nguyen Duc Trung, chairman of the provincial government of Nghe An, told a Covid-19-related meeting this morning, June 7, that these non-essential services include eateries, restaurants, coffee shops, hair salons and beauty centers located in Vinh City, Cua Lo Town, and the districts of Nghi Loc, Hung Nguyen and Nam Dan. Take-away services are allowed.

Speaking at the meeting, Duong Dinh Chinh, director of the provincial Department of Health, said that the coronavirus transmission risk in Nghe An could be extremely high as many localities of Nghe An share their border with Ha Tinh, which reported nine locally-infected cases as of this morning.

A large number of workers from Ha Tinh commute daily to Nghe An to work, trade and receive medical treatment. Therefore, more effective measures need to be adopted to better contain the spread of the virus, Chinh added.

The provincial chairman also asked people returning home from virus-hit provinces to make appropriate health declarations.

Besides this, passenger transport services, contract cars and taxis traveling between Nghe An and Ha Tinh must be suspended. Meanwhile, trucks carrying essential goods are permitted to operate as normal but have to comply with Covid-19 safety measures.

The suspension of these services will also start from tomorrow until further notice.

Since May 27, the north-central province of Nghe An has not reported any new cases of Covid-19 by community transmission in the latest wave.

Local COVID-19 cases surge by 75, 106 patients given severe prognosis 

The Health Ministry confirmed the detection of 75 new community transmissions of COVID-19, and one imported infection which was immediately put into isolation upon arrival at midday on June 8.

A total of 55 new cases were recorded in the northern province of Bac Giang  along with 4 in neighbouring Bac Ninh province, all of which are linked to previous outbreaks which have hit industrial parks in both localities, with all cases being quarantined.

The majority of new injections in Ho Chi Minh City are linked to the Revival Ekklesia Mission, while cases in the other localities had previously come into contact with confirmed COVID-19 patients.

At present, the country has so far confirmed 7,520 locally-transmitted cases and 1,583 imported ones. The overall number of domestic case amounted to 5,950 in the last coronavirus wave.

With regard to treatment for the virus, more than 6,400 COVID-19 patients are currently undergoing treatment at 106 medical facilities nationwide.

As of the morning of June 8, the nation has recorded 9,027 COVID-19 patients, of which 3,059 were released from hospital after going on to make a full recovery from the virus. Indeed, approximately 1,703 patients, equal to 33.4%, are asymptomatic, while 3,080 people, equivalent to 60.4%, are suffering from mild symptoms.

According to figures compiled by the Treatment Subcommittee under the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, out of more than 6,400 COVID-19 patients being treated, 363 cases have since tested negative for the SARS-CoV-2 virus between one and three times.

With regard to the clinical status of the patients, the Subcommittee said that there are 106 cases with severe prognosis, of which 82 have a very severe prognosis, whilst three cases are believed to be fatal.

During the noon time, the Treatment Subcommittee under the Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control confirmed the 54th fatality relating to the novel coronavirus.

The latest fatality is a 51-year-old man from the northern province of Hung Yen.

His causes of death was attributed to hemorrhagic shock due to gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with septic shock, cirrhosis, and  pneumonia caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Over 60 percent of COVID-19 patients have mild clinical symptoms

Over 60 percent of the COVID-19 patients still under treatment show mild clinical symptoms while 363 have tested negative for the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 from once to thrice, said the National Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.

As of June 8 morning, Vietnam had recorded 9,027 infection cases, including 3,509 recoveries and 53 fatalities.

More than 5,400 patients are undergoing treatment at 106 healthcare establishments nationwide. The northern province of Bac Giang is taking care of the largest number of patients, over 3,100, the treatment sub-committee said.

It noted that more than 60 percent of the patients show mild clinical symptoms while 106 are forecast to get critical, including 82 in very critical condition and three with fatality prediction.

There are nine patients living on the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machines at present.

The treatment subcommittee said leading experts have frequently held telehealth consultations to give guidelines on the treatment of severe cases, helping save many whose condition was previously forecast to get worse.

Luong Ngoc Khue, Director of the Health Ministry’s Department of Medical Service Administration and deputy head of the treatment sub-committee, said healthcare establishments need to proactively seek advice on serious cases from experts via the telehealth system, and the ministry is always ready to send experts to help./.

Overseas Vietnamese continue to support COVID-19 fight at home

The State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a ceremony on June 7 to receive 100 million VND (4,350 USD) from Dr Phan Bich Thien, a Vietnamese Hungarian, to support COVID-19 prevention and control activities in Vietnam.

Thien’s mother and sister handed over the money to the committee on her behalf. She is also Vice President of the Vietnamese Association in Hungary.

At the ceremony, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, Pham Quang Hieu, said he highly values Thien’s assistance for Vietnam’s COVID-19 fight.

Since the pandemic first broke out in the country, he went on, Vietnamese people from all around the world have donated cash and goods in a show of mutual support.

Responding to a call from the Party, State, and the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee, overseas Vietnamese have contributed to Vietnam’s COVID-19 vaccine fund.

Along with receiving support from overseas Vietnamese, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has proposed policies and directly organised activities to support and raise funds for assisting Vietnamese communities abroad to overcome the difficulties posed by the pandemic.

Relevant agencies have coordinated to arrange 468 flights to safely repatriate 113,000 Vietnamese from more than 59 countries and territories while sending more than 830,000 face masks and medical supplies and necessities to Vietnamese people in over 20 pandemic-hit localities, he noted.

The ministry has also received food and medical supplies from many agencies, localities, and enterprises for the Vietnamese community in Cambodia, which reflects the tradition of solidarity and mutual support among Vietnamese people and the attention of the Party and State to Vietnamese communities abroad in a spirit of not leaving anyone behind.

According to the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, on May 31, Steve Bui, Chairman of a Japan-based financial consultation and investment group and Chairman of the Steve Bui & Friends Foundation, presented nearly 1,000 bottles of hand sanitiser and 9,000 N5 facemasks worth nearly 300 million VND to medical staff in the two COVID-19 hotspots of Bac Giang and Bac Ninh provinces.

On June 1, representatives from the Vietnam-Korea Businessmen & Investment Association (VKBIA) and the Saigon Share charity group visited and presented medical supplies to frontline forces in the COVID-19 fight in HCM City’s Go Vap district.

The Overseas Vietnamese Association in Macau (China) also handed over 131 million VND to the VFF Central Committee to support pandemic prevention and control activities./.

Vietnam, Indonesia step up naval cooperation

Rear Admiral Tran Thanh Nghiem, Commander of the Vietnam People’s Navy, on June 8, had phone talks with Indonesian Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Yudo Margono.

During their discussion, Nghiem highlighted the two nations’ increasingly fortified naval cooperation, saying their bilateral naval consultation mechanism, which is alternately hosted by the two sides, has been highly effective.

He appreciated the participation and practical opinions of the Indonesian Navy delegation delivered at a virtual conference of the Working Group of the ASEAN Navy Training Experience Exchange Programme (ANTEEP), which was held by the Vietnam People’s Navy in April this year.

For his part, Yudo Margono stated the Indonesian Navy is committed to working closely with Vietnam to build and maintain a peaceful and stable border sea area between the two countries, as well as to create favourable conditions for their fishermen to operate without violating their respective waters.

Both officials agreed to promote necessary steps on a joint training standard procedure in order to standardise the process and improve coordination between the two navies for addressing common maritime security challenges./.

Vietnam-India scientific webinar seeks ways to deepen defence ties

The Ministry of National Defence’s Institute for Defence Strategy (IDS) and India’s Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS) on June 7 jointly held a webinar to seek ways to deepen the ties between the two countries in the coming time.

The event was co-chaired by IDS Director Maj. Gen. Vu Cuong Quyet and CLAWS Director V.K. Ahluwalia.

The two sides exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual interest and highly spoke of the strong and sustainable growth and the effectiveness of the Vietnam-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

They discussed policies and measures to reinforce the bilateral relations in the future, while emphasising practical moves made by the two countries to show support for each other amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Maj. Gen. Quyet said the Vietnam – India relations have grown constantly despite impacts of COVID-19, with security-defence remaining one of the pillars of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

The webinar provides the two sides a chance to find ways to boost the bilateral defence cooperation, taking into account each nation’s situation, he said.

Ahluwalia, for his part, hailed the Government of Vietnam’s measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus, with the major contribution from the Vietnam People’s Army. He voiced his belief that the two countries’ defence ties will continue to expand in the coming time./.

Coastal provinces act to remove EC yellow card

In an effort to remove the yellow card imposed by the European Commission (EC), coastal cities and provinces have adopted drastic measures to fight irregular, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

Dang Van Tin, head of Ninh Thuan province’s Fisheries Sub-Department, said the province has adopted solutions to monitor and control the activities of fishing vessels, ensuring they follow State regulations while tracing the origin of aquatic products to prevent any IUU fishing.

Relevant agencies have been assigned to strengthen supervision over fishing vessels, crew members, vessel safety equipment, food hygiene, output control, and fishing records at the Fisheries Control Office at Dong Hai Port in Phan Rang - Thap Cham city and Ca Na Port in Thuan Nam district. Vessels that don’t complete the necessary documents and procedures will not be allowed to leave port.

With the installation of tracking systems on boats, it’s become easier for police to detect violations in offshore fishing. They can therefore prevent boats from operating in foreign waters and provide timely assistance for them if they strike trouble at sea.

Vessels that don’t turn on the system will be reminded and then face strict punishment by agencies if they still fail to do so.

Ninh Thuan province has 708 vessels installed with tracking systems. Those with owners facing financial difficulties, running at a loss, or suffering damage are yet to be equipped with the systems.

In the Mekong Delta province of Ca Mau, meanwhile, 1,250 vessels have had monitoring systems installed in the three years since they were first introduced.

Of these, 1,200 vessels are of 15-24 metres in length and the remainder more than 24 metres.

According to Nguyen Van Viet, deputy head of Ca Mau province’s Fisheries Sub-department, substantial efforts have been made in promoting relevant legal documents to raise public awareness about IUU fishing.

However, a number of boat owners have not yet taken part in training courses and communications work on the matter.

Ca Mau is home to one of Vietnam’s four major fishing grounds and boasts abundant seafood reserves, thus attracting many fishing boats from other localities.

The province has accelerated its communications work to help local fishermen gain a better legal understanding on preventing and fighting illegal fishing.

In addition to issuing leaflets, the sub-department has coordinated with relevant agencies to prepare reports informing local people about areas where fishing is prohibited as well as providing them with knowledge on regulations and penalties for illegal fishing in foreign waters.

Nguyen Van Thuong, a local fisherman, said that thanks to the information campaign on fighting illegal fishing, his family understands its harmful effect.

It not only impacts the lives and assets of fishermen but also means any illegal fishing is in vain because no country will buy the catch, he said./.

Phase 3 human trials of homegrown Nano Covax vaccine to begin on June 8

More than 6,000 volunteers have registered for the third phase of human trials of homegrown Nano Covax vaccine, which is scheduled to begin on June 8, according to the Military Medical University (MMU) under the Defence Ministry.

A MMU representative said in this phase, the vaccine, developed by Vietnamese Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology JSC, will be tested on around 13,000 volunteers aged between 18 and 74, in many localities nationwide.

The third phase, also the final one, aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the vaccine and each volunteer may only receive one jab of 25 mcg.

Director of the university Prof. Dr. Do Quyet showed his confidence in the safety of Nano Covax vaccine with the positive results obtained from the previous two trial phases.

Navo Covax vaccine started testing on humans on December 17 last year and has completed the second phase.

The first-phase trials showed the vaccine was safe and vaccinated volunteers had antibodies against the UK variant (B117).

The second-phase ones were conducted on 560 volunteers divided into four groups, with 80 people injected with a placebo and three other groups administered with 25mcg, 50mcg, and 75mcg doses. However, only 554 received second shots because six people withdrew from the trial.

All of the vaccinated volunteers have developed antibodies against COVID-19 at different levels.

Regarding the antibody index to neutralise the virus, people injected with 25mcg dose got the highest index with more than 90 percent at 14 days after the second shot and 42 days since the first jabs./.

Vietnam launches first programme on child protection online

Vietnam has for the first time launched a national programme to protect children online in an attempt to make the internet a healthy and safe place for children to learn, socialise and express themselves.

Under a Prime Minister’s decision, the first national-level programme aims to protect the privacy of children and prevent and handle acts of abuse.

It focuses on supplying children with age-appropriate knowledge and skills so that children can self-identify and be able to protect themselves when online.

It will also maintain a healthy network environment, develop an ecosystem of Vietnamese applications for children to learn, socialise and express themselves in a safe and creative way.

Websites with the national “.vn” domain and those with IP addresses in Vietnam will be required to self-categorise content suitable for children's ages.

Network operators and digital platform providers such as Google, Facebook, and Zalo will apply artificial intelligence technology and big data analysis to filter videos and clips with malicious content./.

Lai Chau culture and tourism week slated for November

A culture and tourism week is scheduled to take place in Phong Tho and Tam Duong districts in the northern mountainous province of Lai Chau this November, with the event set to feature a wide range of exciting activities, the Voice of Vietnam (VOV) reported.

Local artists will be given the opportunity of participating in a unique street festival where they will dress up in ethnic costumes, perform traditional folk songs and dances, in addition to playing local musical instruments.

A special corner dedicated to food and crafts will also be set up, whilst rituals of ethnic groups will be re-enacted as a means of helping visitors to learn more about local cultural values.

Furthermore, visitors will have the chance to play folk games and experience sampling local specialties throughout the week.

Moreover, Tam Duong district will also host the Putaleng paragliding tourney 2021 and a cycling tournament covering distances such as 15km, 20km, and 25km which will take place in Lai Chau city.

All COVID-19 prevention and control measures will be applied throughout the week to curb the potential spread of the pandemic in the community, according to the organisers./.

Forty-four new COVID-19 cases reported on June 8 morning

Vietnam documented 44 new COVID-19 cases in the past 12 hours to 6am on June 8, including one imported case, according to the Health Ministry.

The 43 domestically-transmitted cases, including 22 in Bac Giang, six in Bac Ninh and 15 in Ho Chi Minh City, were all detected in quarantined or locked-down areas.

The imported case has been sent to quarantine right upon arrival in the central province of Quang Nam.

To date, Vietnam has found 7,445 domestically-transmitted and 1,582 imported cases. The number of cases detected since April 27 when the fourth wave of the pandemic began in the country is 5,875.

The number of recoveries is 3,509, while the number of fatalities stands at 53.

Among patients undergoing treatment in medical establishments, 216 tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 once, 72 twice and 75 thrice.

There are currently 176,398 people who had close contact with confirmed patients and entered the country from pandemic-hit regions under quarantine at hospitals, concentrated quarantine facilities or residences.

On June 7, 87,016 additional COVID-19 vaccine shots were injected, raising the total delivered vaccine doses as of 4pm the same day to 1.34 million, with 38,166 people receiving full two shots.

The Health Ministry called on everyone to follow its 5K message, including khau trang (facemask), khu khuan (disinfection), khoang cach (distance), khong tu tap (no gathering), and khai bao y te (health declaration), and get vaccinated./.

Memories of President Ho Chi Minh among OVs in Thailand

On his journey to seek a way towards national salvation, President Ho Chi Minh travelled to many countries around the world. During his time in Thailand, from July 1928 to the end of 1929, Uncle Ho made an unforgettable impression on the overseas Vietnamese community in the country.

A researcher on his time in Thailand, Dr Truong Thi Hang, a lecturer at a Thai university and co-author of the book “President Ho Chi Minh: The one who laid the foundation for the modern Vietnam-Thailand relations”, said Uncle Ho’s presence in Thailand aroused patriotism among overseas Vietnamese and strengthened their desire for national salvation in the Fatherland.

The overseas Vietnamese community in Thailand has always been aware of preserving the nation’s traditional values, spreading patriotism among young people and helping children understand their heritage.

The patriotic spirit aroused by President Ho Chi Minh during his time in Thailand has been continued to this day by Vietnamese expatriates./

OVs in Switzerland contribute to national COVID-19 prevention and control fund

The Vietnamese Embassy in Switzerland held a ceremony on June 7 to raise donations for Vietnam’s COVID-19 prevention and control fund in response to the appeals of the State President, the Prime Minister, the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee and the Foreign Ministry.

Speaking at the event, Ambassador Le Linh Lan emphasised the country's positive results as well as difficulties and hardships in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic over the past time.

Accordingly, the Government's top priority is to protect public health and mobilise all social resources to ensure mass vaccination, thus bringing life back to normal, and boosting economic recovery.

She praised the responsibility and solidarity of the embassy's staff members and their families with a hope to contribute to the country’s combat, and asked them to continue to unite, raise vigilance against the pandemic, fulfill the assigned tasks well, and join hands with the whole country and the overseas Vietnamese community in this fight.

Earlier, the embassy sent a letter calling for individuals, associations and businesses in the Vietnamese community in Switzerland to make voluntary donations to and sponsor Vietnam's COVID-19 prevention and control fund for each person's health, for the community and for the nation./.

Thousands of people join in virtual race “Run for Vaccine”

A virtual race is underway to raise money for Vietnam’s COVID-19 vaccine fund with the message “Steps for Solidarity”, according to the General Department of Sports and Physical Training under the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism.

Accordingly, each participant will make a contribution of VND 100,000 to the fund.

As of noon June 5, four days after registration started, more than 3,200 people had registered to join the virtual competition.

The registration will be open until July 18, with the race expected to attract about 10,000 runners.

After registration, runners can start running from the next day. The race has four distances – 10 km, 21 km, 42 km, and 100 km – and each runner has 21 days to complete the distance they chose in registration.

There is no limit on the number of runs so long as the runner completes the distance with a speed of 3 to 12 minutes per km.

After completing the challenge, the runner will receive a virtual certificate and a virtual medal to celebrate the meaningful journey.

Launched by the e-newspaper VnExpress on June 2, “Run for Vaccine” aims to join the Government and Ministry of Health’s drive to call for donations to the COVID-19 vaccine fund.

Hanoi capital sees air pollution worsen as residents burn straw

The air quality around Hanoi capital plunged to worse levels on June 6 due to a combination of post – rice harvest straw burning and hot temperatures.

According to data released by AirVisual, the air quality index (AQI) of the capital on June 6 was recorded at between 151 and 200. This represents a high level, meaning that the air quality present within the local atmosphere has reached a very unhealthy level for local residents.

Despite spells of rain, the air quality in Hanoi continued to remain at a bad level, reaching between 117 and 170.

Hanoi has become one of the world’s most polluted cities, with its AQI climbing to over 200 at some points, according to Air Visual. Indeed, its AQI in several places has even been recorded at around 220 to 235.

The AQI is a metric used by multiple governmental agencies in order to determine how polluted the air in a specific area is, with the levels ranging  from zero to 500. When there is a high index value it indicates higher levels of air pollution with a higher potential for adverse health effects, meaning that children, senior citizens, and individuals suffering from respiratory and heart diseases should avoid sustained and high-intensity outdoor exercises when the AQI level reaches 150 or above.

According to environment experts, this spell of low-quality air is occurring as Hanoi’s suburban districts are entering the rice harvest season. The air quality throughout the capital has therefore worsened due to straw burning and hot temperatures, with smoke badly affecting both the environment and people living locally.

The local authorities have issued a directive aimed at putting an end to straw burning, although so far this plan has proved to be ineffective.

Boy band 365 made their name after YouTube MV hit 500 million views

The HCM City-based boy band 365 made their name in the local industry after their music video (MV), called Bống Bống Bang Bang, has become the first MV to reach 500 million views on YouTube. 

The MV is about young men in love, based on a Vietnamese fairy tale. Bống Bống Bang Bang was first written for children by Only C, one of Hà Nội’s leading music producers, but was later remixed and released for adult audiences in June 2016. 

On the MV, the four members of 365 perform the modern folk song in traditional costumes, impressing audiences, both young and old.

The song won the Best MV of the Year at the 2017 Cống Hiến (Devotion) Award presented by Vietnam News Agency’s Thể Thao & Văn Hóa (Sports & Culture) newspaper, after beating MVs from pop idols Đông Nhi and Hồ Ngọc Hà. 

“We wanted to sing in a different way than other young singers. So, we decided to sing Bống Bống Bống Bang, a folk song, instead of a pop or dance number,” said lead singer and head of 365 Issac, at the Cống Hiến Award’s prize presentation ceremony in 2017. 

Issac is now a solo singer. His band, 365, broke up in late 2016 after six years together. Other members of the band are working in movies and theatre. 

Bống Bống Bang Bang was used in the blockbuster Tấm Cám-Chuyện Chưa Kể (Tấm Cám-The Untold Story), directed by Ngô Thanh Vân, one of the country’s few female film directors and producers.

The 90-minute film is based on a fairy tale, Tấm Cám, best known as the Vietnamese version of Cinderella. 

The story tells the life of an orphan girl named Tấm, who is beautiful and hard-working, and has a kind word for people and animals around her. She lives with her stepmother and half-sister named Cám, who always finds a way to harm her. After facing challenges, Tấm finally marries the King and lives happily.

Producer Vân, who was also the manager of 365, invested more than VNĐ20 billion (nearly U$900,000) in filming.

Tấm Cám-Chuyện Chưa Kể earned more than VNĐ21 billion ($910,000) in ticket sales in the first three days of its release in 2016. It was released in 37 cinema complexes in Hà Nội, HCM City and provinces, earning more than VNĐ70 billion ($3.1 million) in ticket sales.

Hà Nội free-range chickens thrive on herbal diet 

The Hà Nội Agricultural Extension Centre has helped local farmers learn how to best use herbs to feed free-range chickens.

This model helps reduce food costs and antibiotic residue, increase the percentage of clean meat, contribute to environmental protection and create safe products for consumers, agricultural experts agreed at a recent seminar held in the city.

Organised by the city's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and Ứng Hòa District People's Committee, the seminar 'Use of probiotics and herbs in livestock breeding and aquaculture production' aimed to encourage the development of biologically safe livestock and aquaculture.

Vũ Thị Hương, Director of the city Agricultural Extension Centre said: “Since 2019, the centre has successfully implemented the model of using herbs in raising free-range chickens, reaching the target of 50,000 chickens per year.” 

According to agricultural experts, the model meant free-range chickens are very healthy and their weight increases quickly, while breeders’ working days reduced and profit 10 to 15 per cent higher than in the traditional farming method.

Sixty-one farmer households in Thạch Thất, Quốc Oai, Chương Mỹ and Mỹ Đức districts and Sơn Tây Township developed this chicken-farming model with an investment of nearly VNĐ3 billion (US$130,400) from July to December of 2020.

Bùi Văn Tín, living at Đồng Chằm Village, Đông Xuân Commune, Quốc Oai District said: "By participating in this model, we are supported with a sum of money, and taught livestock care-techniques by the centre’s staff.

“Agricultural extension staff also closely follow the chicken-raising process of these households, and take us to visit typical models in neighbouring localities to learn and exchange experiences."

Nguyễn Văn Hải, in Hòa Thạch Commune, Quốc Oai District said: “Breeders start using the domestically-made herb, labelled Livotas (a mix of various kinds of herbs), with water when the baby chicken is 15-20 days old.

"Chickens are fed the mix  once a day and continuously during the rearing process."

After three and a half months old, the chickens weigh from 1.1-1.2 kg per hen and1.5 - 1.7kg per rooster.

"Raising chickens according to this model helps my family reduce the cost of using veterinary drugs and the mortality rate of chickens," Hải said.

“Chickens are released in the natural environment, so the meat is firm, and the selling price is higher than that of chickens raised by industrial methods."

“On average, I earn a profit of VNĐ50-60 million/1,000 chickens.”

Many households have successfully developed this model, such as Phùng Văn Tuấn's family (raising 6,000 - 10,000 chickens) in Kim Sơn Commune and Nguyễn Thị Hương's family (2,000 - 4,000 chickens) in Trung Sơn Trầm Ward, Sơn Tây Township.

Vũ Thị Hương said: “This model brings remarkable efficiency and opens up new directions in animal husbandry, ensures food safety, limits the abuse of antibiotics in livestock breeding.

"It contributes to environmental protection and creates safe products for consumers.”

The centre has proposed the city Department of Agriculture and Rural Development deploy this model throughout the city and urged local authorities to support farmers to build brands and create a chain of sustainable links in livestock production to stabilise consumption.

This would mean farmers can develop poultry farming on a large scale, increase profits and create safe products for consumers.

Public reluctant to go to hospitals because of Covid-19

Many ill people in Danang are arriving at hospital too late due to fears of Covid-19.

Danang Hospital has received many people in critical condition in the past week because they were brought to the hospital too late.

A 66-year-old woman from Lien Chieu District had diabetes and heart failure. She felt tired and had a dull pain but didn't want to go to the hospital so she treated herself at home. Only when it was hard to breathe that she was admitted to the hospital. But at this point, she was in critical condition and had a heart attack. Despite the doctors' effort, she died later.

A 57-year-old man was also admitted to Danang Hospital when he had a respiratory arrest. He had diabetes, high blood pressure and heart failure but didn't want to go to the hospital. His family brought him to the hospital when he fainted. He was diagnosed with pneumonia. The doctors tried to save him but it was too late.

Dr Ha Son Binh from Danang Hospital said many patients had chronic illnesses but went to the hospital too late so the doctors couldn't save them. They were reluctant to go because of the Covid-19 pandemic and would rather treat themselves at home.

"People with chronic diseases must notify their family members and go to the hospital when having abnormal symptoms. They should go for regular check-ups to avoid unwanted complications," Binh said.

Binh said Danang Hospital regulated patients very carefully to avoid a local outbreak. The patients have to fill in medical declaration forms, have body their temperature checked and asked to keep a distance from other patients. Patients with symptoms are brought to another area immediately for tests.

Before they are admitted, in-patients will be tested for Covid-19 and will be taken care of by the nurses as visits are not allowed. In cases where family members need to take care of the patients, they must also be tested for Covid-19.

Northern region to face heavy rain

The northern region of Vietnam has been forecasted to experience heavy rain until June 11, the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting reported.

According to the centre, the rain would happen in northern localities, with rainfall of 100-200 mm or even 250 mm in some areas. Strong wind, thunder, lightning and hail would also occur during the rain. Mountainous areas would see flash floods and landslides. 

The cool weather would last until the end of June 11 with an average temperature of 31-33 degrees centigrade. From June 13, the northern region would continue facing hot days.

The northern central provinces of Thanh Hoa and Nghe An would have rain by late June 8 and then face the hot weather afterwards.

Meanwhile, central localities from Ha Tinh to Binh Thuan would witness the hot weather until the middle of June.

Vietnam attends Special ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers' Meeting

Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son on June 7 led a delegation to attend the Special ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Chongqing city on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations (1991-2021).

This is the first in-person meeting at the foreign ministerial level held by ASEAN since the COVID-19 outbreak.

During the meeting, ASEAN Foreign Ministers and Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi reaffirmed the high commitment of both sides to attaching importance to and making joint efforts to promote the growing strategic partnership between ASEAN and China, on the basis of mutual benefits, respect and understanding, thus contributing to peace, stability and prosperous development in the region and the world.

They acknowledged that through active exchanges and meetings at all levels and effective coordination at regional dialogues and cooperation mechanisms led by ASEAN, political trust is consolidated and neighbourhood relations are nurtured. Economic cooperation has witnessed very dynamic developments. Two-way trade has increased by 80 times in the past three decades, making China and ASEAN the biggest trading partner of each other.

ASEAN Foreign Ministers considered the ASEAN-China partnership as one of the bloc's most dynamic, substantive and effective relations, and appreciated China's timely and effective cooperation in difficult and challenging times, especially in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

For China, Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi stressed that ASEAN has always been a high priority in China's foreign policy. China consistently attaches importance to the friendly neighborliness and win-win cooperation with ASEAN, and wishes to lift the bilateral strategic partnership to a new height, he said, adding that his country also supports ASEAN's central role in the regional architecture.

The Foreign Ministers of ASEAN and China shared many important development orientations for the bilateral relationship, in which they agreed to give high priority to promoting cooperation in controlling COVID-19 and promoting post-pandemic recovery.

The Chinese side affirmed that it will continue to speed up the supply of COVID-19 vaccines to ASEAN countries, and support the grouping to improve its vaccine research, development, production and distribution capacity. China will also actively cooperate with ASEAN to boost recovery through the implementation of the ASEAN Overall Recovery Framework, facilitate trade and investment, effectively utilise the ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA), and soon put the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement into effect. The two sides will continue to expand cooperation for sustainable development in the spirit of their cooperation theme in 2021.

ASEAN and China agreed to closely coordinate in implementing activities to mark 30 years of the bilateral partnership between the two sides, as well as preparing best results for the ASEAN-China commemorative summit later this year.

On regional and international issues of shared concern, the conference affirmed that the maintenance of an environment of peace, security and stability in the region, including in the East Sea, is the common interest and benefit of ASEAN and China. The ministers welcomed the 19th ASEAN-China Senior Official Meeting (SOM) on implementing the Declaration of the Conducts of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) which took place ahead of the ministerial meeting.

They pledged to continue fully and effectively implement the DOC, resume negotiations on building a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in line with international law and the 1982 UN Convention of the Law of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS).

On the Myanmar situation, China welcomed the outcome of the ASEAN leaders’ meeting on April 24, supporting the role of ASEAN in promoting dialogue and mediation and helping Myanmar seek a solution to stabilise the situation.

Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son affirmed that the achievements obtained over the past 30 years have proved the sustainable, reliable and mutually beneficial partnership between ASEAN and China. He stressed that Vietnam will actively work with ASEAN member countries and China to strengthen political dialogue; improve mutual understanding, trust and respect; and promote comprehensive cooperation, making the bilateral relationship a model of stable and sustainable partnership between neighbouring countries.

Regarding the world and regional situation, the Vietnamese minister emphasised the importance of efforts by ASEAN and China to maintain an environment of peace, security, stability and rule of law in the region, through responsible acts, cooperation with goodwill, self-restraint, and peaceful settlement of disputes and differences. He affirmed that Vietnam will continue to work with ASEAN countries and China to fully and effectively implement the DOC and build an effective and efficient COC in accordance with international law and the UNCLOS 1982.

According to Son, as members of the ASEAN Community, ASEAN countries will continue to support Myanmar to find a long-term solution to stabilise the situation, ensure safety, and normalise people's lives. He said he hopes that China would actively back this effort of ASEAN./.

Organisations, individuals involved in IUU fishing to be punished strictly

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on June 7 sent a document to the Chairpersons of the People's Committees of coastal provinces and cities on strictly handling organisations and individuals that let fishing vessels violate foreign waters for illegal fishing.

Provinces and cities have to complete the installation of vessel monitoring systems (VMS) on fishing vessels as regulated, and strictly punish vessels that do not equip, or maintain operation of VMSs or disable or remove them during operation at sea. Those supplying low-quality systems will also be handled strictly.

It is necessary to allocate people on duty around the clock to monitor the journey, and timely detect and address illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in foreign waters.

The ministry also stressed the importance of disseminating regulations on IUU fishing prevention to ship owners, captains and fishermen.

It said that in the first months of 2021, some Vietnamese fishing vessels and fishermen still violated foreign waters, affecting the image and reputation of Vietnam, especially the country’s efforts to remove the European Commission (EC)’s “yellow card”.

In October 2017, Vietnam received a “yellow card” warning for illegal seafood exploitation by the EC, which has seriously hit seafood exports to the European market.

The EC also said that they will not withdraw the yellow card if Vietnam has not solved the problem of fishing in foreign waters./.

OVs in Russia make donations for vaccine fund at home

The Vietnamese Embassy in Russia on June 7 launched a programme to raise funds for Vietnam's national COVID-19 vaccine fund in response to the call of the President, the Prime Minister, the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Addressing the event, Ambassador Dang Minh Khoi briefed participants on the COVID-19 situation in the homeland, affirming that Vietnam is determined to prevent and repel the pandemic as soon as possible in parallel with promoting socio-economic development.

According to the diplomat, Vietnam is applying the principle of "5K plus vaccine”, and prioritising resources to have enough vaccines for people.

He thanked satff of Vietnamese agencies and the Vietnamese community in Russia for their efforts and contributions to the fight against COVID-19 in the homeland, expressing his belief that the fund will receive more donations in the coming time.

According to Do Xuan Hoang, President of the Vietnamese Association in Russia, the organisation will carry out another programme with a website to raise funds./.

Vietnam attends EAS Ambassadors' virtual meeting

Ambassador Nguyen Hai Bang, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to ASEAN, attended the East Asia Summit (EAS) Ambassadors' Meeting in Jakarta (EAMJ) in 2021 which took place virtually on June 7.

This is the first meeting of EAS ambassadors in Brunei's ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2021. The meeting aims to assess cooperation within the EAS framework, and discuss global national and regional situation as well as preparation for ministerial-level and high-level EAS meetings in August and October.

The meeting acknowledged positive results of cooperation activities to implement action lines in the Manila Plan of Action in 2018-2022.

Participants from EAS member countries shared experiences and efforts in preventing the COVID-19 pandemic, while affirming their commitment to cooperate, support and promote COVID-19 vaccination worldwide.

Participants discussed and gave assessments of international and regional situations, including the Myanmar situation, the denuclearisation on the Korean peninsula and the East Sea issue.

Representatives of ASEAN’s partner countries affirmed their support for ASEAN and its central role in solving regional issues, contributing to maintaining regional peace, stability and security.

Regarding negotiations on a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), participants want ASEAN and China to build an effective and substantive COC in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS).

They also emphasised the importance of self-restraint, non-militarisation, peaceful settlement of disputes on the basis of international law and the 1982 UNCLOS.

Established in 2005, the EAS comprises 18 member countries, including 10 ASEAN countries and eight ASEAN’s partner countries (Australia, China, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Russia and the US). The EAMJ 2021 was carried out on the basis of the EAS Declaration in 2015 with the aim of monitoring and promoting the implementation of decisions of the EAS’s member countries cooperation activities in the framework of the Manila Plan of Action./.

Cai luong artists release MVs praising people involved in COVID-19 fight

Artists from the Ho Chi Minh City-based Tran Huu Trang Cai Luong Theatre have released two music videos (MV) on YouTube featuring the Vietnamese spirit in fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic.

The MVs, Niem Tin (Belief) and Chung Con La Chien Si (We’re Fighters), feature songs about the challenges that doctors, nurses, health workers, and soldiers face during the fight.

They include messages to encourage and praise the solidarity and bravery of the people during the pandemic.

“The MVs contain our love and gratitude to the brave people who are working day and night to take care of and protect the community,” said scriptwriter Hoang Song Viet, producer of the two MVs.

The Ho Chi Minh City Artists’ Association is working with cai luong reformed drama) theatres to produce and release a series of MVs targeting the Vietnamese Government, armymen, doctors and people working together during the pandemic.

The MVs will include songs and images about the five measures issued by the Ministry of Health to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and ensure health and safety.

The '5K' message focuses on Khau trang (face mask) – Khu khuan (disinfection) – Khoang cach (distance) – Khong tu tap (no gathering) – Khai bao y te (health declaration).

The association will also shoot and release two new cải lương plays praising doctors and nurses in the COVID-19 fight.

The plays feature People’s Artist and theatre director Tran Ngoc Giau and young talents from cai luong troupes in the city.

"Theatre artists have faced difficulties in offering live shows amid the pandemic. However, they will meet and share their art with people on YouTube,” Giau said.

People’s Artist Quoc Hung released the MV Anh Se Ve Nhung Khong Phai Hom Nay (I’ll Return Home, But Not Today), a production about Vietnamese medical workers during the pandemic, on YouTube on May 27.

It has been covered and released by many young singers on YouTube and TikTok.

A cover of the song by Dat G and Du Uyen had nearly 60,000 views on YouTube one day after its release on June 3./.

Flights transporting COVID-19 vaccines given priority

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has sent a document to the Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation (VATM), the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), and airlines requesting the facilitation of flights transporting COVID-19 vaccines.

The CAAV said that with the Government’s policy of encouraging the importation of vaccines, the number of flights bringing vaccines to or through Vietnam will increase in the time ahead.

In order to ensure the effective operations of these flights, airlines must adopt signals that help air traffic service operators better identify flights carrying vaccines.

The ACV has been urged to create the most favourable conditions in terms of infrastructure for these flights, while the VATM is required to direct air traffic service facilities to establish landing priority for these flights, to shorten the transportation time and ensure the quality of vaccines./.

Vice President visits anti-pandemic forces in An Giang

Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan on June 7 visited COVID-19 prevention and control forces in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang.

The Vice President underlined the need for officers and soldiers engaging in preventing and controlling COVID-19 in border areas in general and the provincial Border Guard in particular to implement drastic measures in order to prevent the disease from entering the locality.

She demanded the provincial Border Guard tighten border management, maintain its readiness in fighting the pandemic, and thoroughly prevent illegal border crossings.

Xuan also asked for the building of an all-people defence posture so that each citizen is a “soldier” in the fight against COVID-19.

She directed border guard posts and border authorities in An Giang to be proactive and flexible in border guard diplomacy, and to work closely with the border guard forces of neighbouring countries to contain the spread of the disease via borders.

The Vice President took the occasion to present An Giang with five ventilators and other medical supplies worth 2 billion VND (87,000 USD). She also gave gifts to 20 policy beneficiary and poor households and 10 students living in difficult circumstances in Tri Ton border district./.

Logo design contest for “Vietnam International Photography Festival” launched

The Department of Fine Arts, Photography and Exhibition at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on June 7 launched a logo design contest for the “Vietnam International Photography Festival”.

The contest is part of a project to build a brand for Vietnamese photography in the 2020-2030 period, approved by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2020.

The selected logo will be used in communications efforts to promote the festival, which will be held every two years in the locality hosting the “National Tourism Year”.

The contest is also to promote the development of the photography sector, contributing to introducing Vietnamese culture, landscapes, people, and tourism, and enhancing international exchanges in other fields through photography.

It is open to individuals and organisations inside and outside the country.

Entries must have their own character, creativity, and cultural integration, and be in line with the goal of promoting the photography sector’s national brand in the international market.

Applicants can send a maximum of five entries in A4 size to the photography department at the Department of Fine Arts, Photography and Exhibition, at 38 Cao Ba Quat Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi, until July 31.

An awards ceremony is expected to be held in October./.

Vietnamese Embassy in Singapore raising funds for COVID-19 fight at home

The Vietnamese Embassy in Singapore has called on all of its staff as well as Vietnamese organisations, businesses, and expatriates in the city state to assist COVID-19 prevention and control efforts in Vietnam.

Speaking at a recent fundraising event, Vietnamese Ambassador Le Cong Dung said the meaningful donations demonstrate donors’ care and attention towards their home country, contributing to easing the difficulties and driving back the pandemic.

The embassy raised more than 150,000 SGD (113,200 USD) in the first three days after launching the first round of fundraising on June 4.

As of 12pm on June 7, Vietnam recorded 8,883 cases of COVID-19, according to the Ministry of Health.

The country is projected to need 150 million doses of vaccine to inoculate about 75 million people at an estimated cost of 25.2 trillion VND (1.09 billion USD)./.

PM orders accelerating work towards domestic vaccine production

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has urged scientists and representatives of vaccine research and production units to step up research and technological transfer for the domestic production of vaccine against COVID-19 as early as possible.   

During a working session in Hanoi on June 7 with domestic scientists and representatives of vaccine research and production units, the PM emphasised that Vietnam must have enough COVID-19 vaccines to inoculate 75 million population this year. 

However, access to vaccine supply in the world faces difficulties, hence the strategic importance of domestic production, which must be done, he said. 

PM Chinh stressed that sectors and units must consider COVID-19 vaccine a social product rather than a commercial product.

On behalf of Party and State leaders, the PM expressed thanks to people from walks of life, scientists, all-level administrations and sectors for their concerted efforts over the past time contributing to effectively fighting the pandemic and maintaining economic growth, particularly donations to the national COVID-19 vaccine fund.

According to the Health Ministry, two domestic vaccine producers are engaging in the research of COVID-19 vaccine with combined production capacity of 30-40 million doses each year. Two others are negotiating with foreign partners to transfer technology with a capacity of 200-300 million doses annually./.

Source: VNA/VNS/VOV/VIR/SGT/Nhan Dan/Hanoitimes