As many as 26 Vietnamese movies are set to be screened for free in both Hanoi and Da Nang city from November 10 to November 16 as part of the buildup to celebrate the 22nd version of Vietnam Film Festival.

The Cinema Department, under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, will therefore co-ordinate efforts alongside the National Cinema Centre, Da Nang city’s Department of Culture and Sports, and other relevant agencies in order to hold a film week in preparation for the upcoming national festival.

A range of outstanding movies from the Vietnamese film industry will be introduced throughout the week, including ‘Bang chung vo hinh’, known as ‘Invisible Evidence’ in English, ‘Rom’, and ‘Tiec trang mau’, known as ‘Blood Moon Party’ in English.

The 22nd Vietnam Film Festival is scheduled to take place in the central province of Thua Thien – Hue from November 18 to November 20 and will be held in a virtual form for the first time.

A total of 128 films competing across 42 categories will vie for prizes in the festival, including 26 feature films, 56 documentaries, 15 science films, and 31 cartoons.

According to the schedule, an exhibition running with the theme of “Thua Thien – Hue - destination of film makers”, an “Ao dai”, the national long dress, performance show, and an online exchange programme with artists is set to be arranged in the framework of the festival.

Vietnam’s top player Nam triumphs at tennis tournament in Egypt

The top tennis player of Vietnam Ly Hoang Nam won 2-0 against Hady Habib of Lebanon in the men’s singles final of the M15 Sharm El Sheikh tournament in Egypt.

Habib is ranked 654th in men’s tennis ATP Rankings, 232 places higher than Nam. The Lebanese had defeated Nam not so long ago.

With this victory, Nam received a prize worth 2,160 USD and 10 more points in the ATP Rankings.

The tennis tourney was held from October 25 to 31 in Egypt, part of the ITF Men’s World Tennis Tour.

This is the first time that Nam has qualified for the finals of a professional tournament since coming second at the M25 Tay Ninh in October 2019./.

NA leader extends congratulations to new Speaker of Germany Parliament

National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue on October 31 sent a letter of congratulations to Bärbel Bas over her election as Speaker of the German Parliament.

In the letter, Hue expressed his delight at the strong growth of the strategic partnership between Vietnam and Germany as well as the relationship between the two legislative bodies over the past time.

The Vietnam-Germany relationship has been nurtured by many generations of leaders and people of the two countries, laying a firm foundation for the development of the sound traditional ties, he stated.

The Vietnamese top legislator expressed his hope to work with the German parliament speaker to continue promoting the strategic partnership between the two countries as well as collaboration between the two legislative bodies in a deeper, more effective and sustainable directions in the interest of people of both countries as well as peace, stability and prosperity in the region and the world./.

RoK tourism agency in Vietnam releases MV encouraging COVID-19 frontline workers

The Korean Tourism Organisation (KTO) in Vietnam has released a special music video dedicated to frontline workers in Vietnam’s COVID-19 fight.

The MV entitled ‘Way back home’ was based on a famous song of the same name by RoK singer Shaun and the Vietnamese lyrics were composed by songwriter Chau Dang Khoa.

The song was performed by 12 artists and bands of Vietnam, including Ho Ngoc Ha, Dong Nhi and Ong Cao Thang, Uni5 and Lip B.

The video features the implementation of the 2021 Korea Love Box campaign with the message 'Give love, give strength', which presents gifts to medical workers at some Vietnamese hospitals; and the medical workers' efforts to take care of patients at COVID-19 treatment hospitals./.

PM Pham Minh Chinh meets First Minister of Scotland

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon right after landing at Prestwick Airport on October 31 morning (local time).

The Government leader is staying in the UK to attend the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) and pay a working visit to the country.

Talking to the host, PM Chinh affirmed that Vietnam treasures and wishes to enhance the effective and substantive cooperation with the UK and its regions, including Scotland.

Highly valuing the potential of Vietnam - Scotland relations, he called on Scotland to share experience, help with human resources training, grant scholarships for Vietnamese students, and send experts to assist the Southeast Asian country.

He also asked Sturgeon to facilitate Vietnamese goods’ access to the Scottish market, assuring that Vietnam encourages and creates favourable conditions for British businesses, including those from Scotland, to expand investment in important sectors of the Vietnamese economy.

Welcoming PM Chinh and the Vietnamese delegation to the COP26 held in Scotland, First Minister Sturgeon expressed her belief that Vietnam will contribute to the success of this event. She also hailed the country’s significant contributions to common efforts in climate change response.

She voiced her support for PM Chinh’s proposals, noting that Scotland is ready to share its experience and cooperate with Vietnam in developing inshore wind power.

The official added she hopes for stronger ties in human resources development and welcomes Vietnamese students to Scotland.

At the meeting, the two sides agreed on the necessity of cooperation in ensuring equal access to vaccine sources in the COVID-19 fight.

PM Chinh proposed Scotland to assist Vietnam in vaccine supply and essential medical supplies.

He also took this occasion to invite the First Minister and enterprises of Scotland to visit and explore investment opportunities in Vietnam./.

Vietnam racks up four gold medals at Asian Youth Online Chess Championship

Vietnam’s chess team wrapped up their campaign at the 2021 Asian Youth Online Chess Championship in style smashing four gold medals in various Boys and Girls age groups to settle for second place overall, just behind the Indian delegation.

The Boys section that concluded on October 31 saw Vietnam sweep three of the six titles in total thanks to Tran Duc Duy (U8), Nguyen Quang Minh (U10) and Nguyen Huynh Minh Thien (U18).

Duc Duy scored eight wins out of nine games to take the top honour. He finished level with Danis Kuandykuly (Kazakhstan) on eight points but was ruled as the champion due to having more wins.

Quang Minh was even invincible with eight wins and one draw, beating the Iranian runner-up Barad Yeganegi by half a point.

Minh Thien also finished supreme on eight points following an unbeaten run of seven wins and two draws, 1.5 points above second-placed Alireza Bosagh Zadeh (Iran).

The remaining three gold medals of the Boys division went to India (U14, U16) and China (U12).

Earlier, Vietnam clinched their opening gold in the Girls section as Nguyen Linh Dan took top spot in the U14 competition with 7.5 points (seven wins, one draw, one loss). Her teammate Nguyen Le Cam Hien sealed a silver in the same category following six wins and three draws.

Overall, the Vietnamese team stood second in the medal table with four golds and one silver medal, while India topped the Asian championship with a collection of four golds, four silvers and seven bronzes. Kazakhstan came in third place with two golds and three silvers.

The 2021 Asian Youth Online Chess Championship featured the under-8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18 tournaments which were played online from October 21-24 for the Girls and from October 28-31 for the Boys.

Expert claims Hanoi plan to introduce congestion charge ‘infeasible’

The Hanoi Department of Transport’s plan to charge a toll for cars that enter the city centre would be infeasible, claims Nguyen Van Thanh, former chairman of the Vietnam Automobile Transportation Association.

Under the plan which is expected to be submitted to the municipal people’s committee, the department will set up 87 toll booths on belt roads for the fee collection from 2025. The booths will operate from 5 am to 9 pm every day.   

According to Thanh, the toll is necessary for Hanoi to help ease traffic congestion, but currently, the city’s public transport can only meet 20 percent of travel demand. The rate should be at least 40-50 percent before the fee collection is imposed.

So, besides bus system development, Hanoi needs to finish metro projects, Thanh added.

“Only when public transport is ensured, should private vehicles be restricted from going into the city centre. At present, just two metro projects in Hanoi are being conducted, the Cat Linh-Ha Dong and Nhon-Hanoi Station lines. It is unworkable for the city to start charging cars entering central areas from 2025,” he noted.

Nguyen Xuan Thuy, former director of the Transport Publishing House, cities which have more than one million people need to develop metro projects, meanwhile, Hanoi and HCM City have up to more than 10 million people but have built only 1-2 metro lines until now.

“Hanoi congestion toll was discussed 4-5 years ago and it was opposed by experts,” Thanh said.

Bui Danh Lien, Chairman of the Hanoi Transport Association, recommended that Hanoi should carefully consider the establishment of 87 toll booths. For instance, the fee collection should be connected to online banking or credit and debit cards, instead of using manual methods which can cause traffic jams.

The city should focus on metro and bus system development by 2030 before imposing the fees. It is important for the city to build parking lots so that people can park and ride on public transport.

Programme pays tribute to frontline forces in COVID-19 fight

“Vietnam – Khat vong binh yen” (Vietnam – Desire for peace) programme was held on October 31 night to honour the contributions and sacrifice by collectives, individuals, especially those working on the frontline such as medical workers and Trade Union officials, in the country’s COVID-19 fight.

The programme was held with joint efforts of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL), the Ministry of Health, and the Vietnam Television.

Addressing the event, head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Mass Mobilisation Bui Thi Minh Hoai underscored that the programme provides a chance to affirm the sound leadership and directions of the Party and State and highlight efforts of the whole political system and people of Vietnam in pushing back the pandemic.

Along with honouring the sacrifice, initiatives and creativity as well as the determination of people involving in the fight, the programme also affirmed the role that the Trade Union has played in supporting businesses and the Government at all levels in COVID-19 prevention and control and economic development, said Hoai.

For his part, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam said that the COVID-19 outbreak in Ho Chi Minh City had caused severe overload of the city medical system with a workload ten times compared to the normal situation. All forces have been mobilised to extinguish the pandemic, he noted.

The Deputy PM underlined that variants of SARS-CoV-2 are developing in an unpredictable manner, therefore, all people should raise their awareness of the pandemic and strictly implement the Ministry of Health’s 5K message. The Government is working hard to get all people aging from 18 years old fully vaccinated against COVID-91, he said.

In order to encourage all people to promote solidarity and mutual support to overcome all difficulties and contribute to the victory over COVID-19, completing the “dual targets” given by the Party and State, the VGCL has launched the “Melodies in the frontline” song composing contest and another for video clips on “Unforgettable moments”.

Three second, six third and 12 consolidate prizes, along with five thematic prizes were presented to winners of the “Melodies in the frontline” competition. The prize-wining works were performed during the programme.

Meanwhile, the “Unforgettable moments” contest honoured 16 outstanding individuals and five collectives.

At the programme, representatives from the Party, State and the organising board also presented rewards to Trade Union officials and medical workes who have made great contributions to COVID-19 prevention and control activities so far./.

Binh Duong starts COVID-19 vaccination drive for children

Southern Binh Duong province, a major industrial hub hit hard by the recent COVID-19 outbreaks, began vaccinating children aged 12 - 17 against the disease on October 31, hoping to reopen local schools soon.

There are about 180,000 people in the age group entitled to the vaccination in Binh Duong, using 360,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine allocated by the Ministry of Health.

Those aged 15 - 17 will receive the shots first and the younger later, according to the provincial Department of Health.

It noted the vaccination drive for children uses the Comirnaty vaccine produced by Pfizer-BioNTech, and that this vaccine is safe for children.

Director of the provincial Department of Education and Training Nguyen Thi Nhat Hang said all preparations for the vaccination drive have been completed so as to ensure absolute safety for students.

So far, 2.3 million people in Binh Duong have got at least one shot of COVID-19 vaccine, equivalent to 96 percent of those aged 18 and above. Among them, nearly 1.6 million people, or 70 percent, have been fully vaccinated.

Meanwhile, the central city of Da Nang is scheduled to kick off the vaccination for children aged 15 - 17 on November 2./.

Vietnam calls on Mali to promote national reconciliation

Vietnam called on all concerned parties in conflict-torn Mali to accelerate efforts towards national reconciliation through dialogue during a UN Security Council (UNSC) meeting on October 30 (Vietnam time).

The meeting on the situation in Mali was briefed by El‑Ghassim Wane, Special Representative of the Secretary‑General and Head of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).

In his speech, Counsellor Phan Ho The Nam, political coordinator of the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to the UN, expressed his deep concerns over challenges in security, development and humanitarian Mali is facing.

He urged the concerned parties to redouble efforts to promote national reconciliation, exercise restraint and resolve differences through dialogue, and to back MINUSMA’s operation.

The Vietnamese diplomat also called on the international community to continue supporting the people in that country, particularly in addressing humanitarian challenges./. 

Tour plans to entice visitors back to ancient capital

Several places of historical and scenic interests in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue, home to the ancient capital of Hue, will be connected in a tour aiming to attract domestic tourists back to the province in the post-pandemic period.

To prepare for the launch of the “Hue Green Tourism” tour, the province's tourism association has collaborated with the information centre for tourism promotion and the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre to examine local tourist attractions.

The tour is expected to revive the provincial tourism sector that has been severely affected by the pandemic by building a new safe “travel bubble” model to help the sector resume a stable state in the “new normal”.

Under a “travel bubble” tour, visitors will mostly take part in outdoor activities and only have close contact with members of their package tour.

The province's tourism association will coordinate with tourism businesses in Hanoi to pilot the “Hue Green Tourism” tour, which will be first targeted at domestic tourists next month.

The participants must have either two vaccine shots against COVID-19 for over 14 days or a negative PCR test within 72 hours (for people under 18). They are also required to strictly abide by pandemic prevention measures and have a Disease Control Card to scan QR codes at every visited site.

The tour will receive international tourists with vaccine passports and arriving by charter flights from December when the provincial tourism sector opens its door to the world as approved by the Prime Minister.

The sites surveyed by the Hue Tourism Association are those with significant historical value that are attractive to tourists such as the Thanh Toan tile-roofed bridge, Tomb of Emperor Gia Long, Hue Imperial Citadel, Tam Giang Lagoon, and Huyen Khong Pagoda./.

Hanoi helps pandemic-hit people with over 3 trillion VND

So far, Hanoi authorities have help those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic with more than 3.086 trillion VND (about 134.6 million USD), with over 2.69 trillion VND coming from the State budget.

Besides, localities in the capital have provided financial assistance to eight groups of beneficiaries with its specific policies.

As for the groups of the poor, near-poor, and needy, authorities have completed the provision of assistance totally more than 282 billion VND to the over 282,000 recipients.

Municipal and local authorities are still mobilising donations from various sources to help those in need./.

Calendar of Vietnamese festivals welcomes New Year 2022

If you hope to discover the culture and customs of a country like Vietnam, it’s best to visit it during festivals and holidays. These special days also inspire the creation of unique calendars deeply imbued with national identity. Once such calendar depicting the festivals held in different parts of the country has been released.

The “Vietnamese Festivals” calendar is a collection of sketches that capture the festive, brilliant atmosphere of festivals around the country.

Vietnam is a multicultural country with 54 ethnic minority groups, each with their own unique festivals and celebrations.

Every page of the calendar shows a different festival of each locality or ethnic minority group in Vietnam.

Details of festivals are accurately represented, and brief information on the festivals is provided to offer a better understanding of what they celebrate.

Amid the appearance of many digital calendars, traditional calendars remain as a cultural and spiritual value of the Vietnamese people./. 

Birth centenary of late NA leader, establishment of Tu Son city announced

A ceremony was held in northern Bac Ninh province on October 31 to mark the 100th birth anniversary of Le Quang Dao, late Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) and Vice Chairman of the State Council, and the establishment of Tu Son city.

Le Quang Dao, real name Nguyen Duc Nguyen, was born on August 8, 1921 in Dinh Bang commune, now Dinh Bang ward of Tu Son city (Bac Ninh province).

He was elected Chairman of the NA and Vice Chairman of the State Council at the 8th-tenure parliament (1987 - 1992) - the first parliamentary tenure of the Doi moi (Renewal) period. He was appointed as Secretary of the Party delegation of the Vietnam Fatherland Front in 1993 and President of the Presidium of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee in 1994.

Highlighting the late leader’s revolutionary career and contributions, NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue stressed that with 78 years of age and more than 60 years of revolutionary activities, Dao devoted his entire life to the revolution of the Party and people.

He was a typical example for President Ho Chi Minh’s thought on the great solidarity and also a moral and talented leader of the Party, State, and people, according to Hue.

Marking the foundation of Tu Son city, Chairman Hue said Tu Son town of Bac Ninh province has been developing strongly in multiple aspects in recent years.

To create an impulse for the development of both Tu Son and Bac Ninh so that this province can become a centrally run city in the near future, the NA Standing Committee issued a resolution on the establishment of Tu Son city in Bac Ninh province on September 22 this year.

At the ceremony, the NA leader presented the resolution, which took effect on November 1, to local officials./.

Greetings to Algeria on Revolution Day

State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc has sent his greetings to his Algerian counterpart Abdelmadjid Tebboune on the occasion of the 67th anniversary of the Revolution Day of the African country (November 1).

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh did the same to his counterpart Aimene Benabderrahmane, and National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue sent his greetings to Salah Goudjil, speaker of the upper house of parliament, and Ibrahim Boughali, speaker of the People's National Assembly.

Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son has also sent his greetings to his Algerian counterpart Ramtane Lamamra.

Vietnam and the African country established bilateral diplomatic relations in 1962. Political, economic and cultural ties, among others, between the two countries have since been developing well./.

Int’l cooperation helps boost empowerment for female Vietnamese filmmakers

The UNESCO, Canadian and Swiss Embassies in Vietnam have held the webinar “IN HER VOICE”, discussing measures to promote gender equality and supporting female filmmakers in Vietnam.

The event aimed to analyse and discuss the opportunities and challenges of female filmmakers in the film industry; and share stories about the journeys to attend international film festivals, access to cinema support funds, and priority prizes for female filmmakers.

IN HER VOICE is part of the “E-MOTIONS project: Mobilising film professionals for regional cooperation” which is being conducted by UNESCO and cooperative partners, with the support from the Trust Fund of Japan. The project aims to enhance the capacity and empowerment of filmmakers, as well as organise activities to connect domestic filmmakers with their peers in the region.

Christian Manhart, UNESCO Representative in Vietnam, emphasised that the webinar is a great encouragement for filmmakers as the organizers listened to their opinions and introduce job opportunities to them./.

Local tourist attractions becoming popular among Hanoians

As Hanoi, together with other localities nationwide, is gradually returning to the new normal, the municipal tourism sector is also reactivating itself with a relatively large number of Hanoians drawn to local destinations - an encouraging sign for its recovery.

The lingering fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has made it compulsory for the imposition of movement restrictions to contain the coronavirus transmission, which has greatly affected people’s spiritual life.

Given this, as soon as Hanoi lifted social distancing rules and eased curbs on socio-economic activities in late September, travel demand has risen sharply. While tourism activities nationwide have yet to fully recover, on-site travel is becoming a major trend and proving to be an effective solution.

Except for museums and parks, other tourist sites in Hanoi haven’t been reopened. While people are still reluctant to visit those places of interest, many have chosen to spend their weekends at resorts and homestay facilities in the suburbs of the capital city.

This trend is attributable to the fact that after months of arduous staying at home due to the coronavirus resurgence, people are in great need of relaxation in an open space, fresh air, and close to nature. It is also suitable to the current context, when it is unable to put the pandemic under a complete control, as travellers can have their own space, thus helping reduce contact among different tourist groups.

Nguyen Van Quan, Managing Director of the Tan Da Spa Resort in Van Hoa commune of Ba Vi district, said right after Hanoi halted social distancing and hotels and other accommodation facilities were permitted to operate at their 50-percent capacity, the number of people booking rooms at resort and homestay sites in the suburbs has begun to bounce back.

Going on holiday after the social distancing period is now a choice of many Hanoians, he went on, noting that resorts and homestay sites along Thang Long Avenue which are in close proximity to the downtown are currently a magnet to tourists.

Quang added the Tan Da Spa Resort is always half full in every weekend, and that the site only serves fully vaccinated visitors coming from “green zones” so as to ensure pandemic safety.

A manager of The Moonlight, a homestay establishment in Minh Phu commune of Soc Son district, said the district is home to hundreds of homestay facilities, most of which are fully booked on weekends, and it is also the case for The Moonlight.

A large number of people have also chosen similar sites in the outlying districts of Ba Vi, Son Tay, Thach That, and Dong Anh as their leisure destinations.

Tourism authorities, associations, clubs, and companies in Hanoi are promoting the building of safety tours, with priority given to local places to serve residents in the capital city.

On October 23, the Hanoitourist travel company launched a walking tour enabling visitors to explore the unique historical and architectural values of structures built in the French time, including the Vietnam National Museum of History, Hanoi Opera House, and Bac Bo Phu (now the Government Guest House), in the city.

Hanoitourist Director Phung Quang Thang said tour prices have been discounted strongly to stimulate local travel demand, adding that more tours in the new normal will be developed by his company.

Many other travel businesses are also eager to launch tours of places of interest in the capital to attract Hanoians.

Authorities are planning to recover tourism in four phases, firstly focusing on local visitors. The city will reopen several “green” (free of COVID-19) tourist sites that have qualified infrastructure and unique tourism products on a trial basis, encourage sports, leisure, and homestay tourism in Ba Vi, Son Tay, and Soc Son; and permit travel companies to open short caravan tours in “green” places.

After that, Hanoi will coordinate with some localities that have brought the pandemic under control to resume inter-provincial travel.

The return to the new normal is giving much hope to the tourism sector to meet people’s travel demand and shore up the pandemic-hit industry./.

Law on Vietnam Coast Guard – ‘sharp tool’ in law enforcement at sea

Over the two years of enforcement, the Law on the Vietnam Coast Guard has proved to be a “sharp tool” for implementing law at sea.
 
The law, officially taking effect on July 1, 2019, consists of eight chapters with 41 articles. It regulates the position, functions, tasks, authority, organisation, and activities of the Vietnam Coast Guard; benefits and policies for the force; and responsibilities of relevant agencies, organisations, and individuals.

Over the last two years, the law has helped improve all-level authorities, sectors, and people’s awareness and legal consciousness about the state management over the country’s seas and islands by law, along with the force’s position, role, functions, and tasks.

Based on the law’s stipulations on the force’s apparatus, personnel, and equipment, active and effective moves have been made to build an elite, lean, and strong Vietnam Coast Guard, thus better performing its tasks in the new context.

Thanks to the enforcement of the law, the force’s coordination with military units and relevant agencies of ministries, sectors, and localities in safeguarding the maritime sovereignty and enforcing law at sea has been carried out more strictly and also fruitfully.

The Vietnam Coast Guard has enhanced relations with law enforcement forces of other ASEAN countries, as well as the countries whose sea areas are adjacent to Vietnam’s, in conformity with the Party and State’s viewpoints on defence diplomacy and national safeguarding.

In the time ahead, the Vietnam Coast Guard High Command is pushing ahead with information dissemination to help people gain a better understanding of the law-based state management overseas and islands while encouraging the people to join the force in protecting national sovereignty and interest at sea and maintaining security, order, and safety for the country’s sacred maritime and insular areas./. 

ICI Vietnam Festival: Rendezvous point for overseas Vietnamese filmmakers

The annual ICI Vietnam Festival, the fourth of its kind, recently took place in Paris, introducing films by young overseas Vietnamese directors to the public.

This is the fourth time the annual event has been held, to showcase movies from professional and amateur overseas Vietnamese filmmakers.

Fifteen short films were screened at the Le Grand Action theatre over three days, giving the audience an insight into the diversity of Vietnam’s creativity and the unique aspects of the convergence between Vietnamese culture and others worldwide.

Films were diverse in content and production, with rich storylines reflecting normal life and fictitious worlds as well as the psychological progression of the Vietnamese people in communities across the world.

Audiences were also able to interact with the directors and filmmakers and share their feelings about the films.

Held for the first time in 2018 as an initiative of the Association of Vietnamese in France, the ICI Vietnam Festival aims to uphold the creativity of young overseas Vietnamese in a wide range of fields, from film, music, contemporary arts, and literature to football and cuisine.

Other events were also organised, including a cuisine festival in June, while a talk with Pulitzer Prize winner Nguyen Thanh Viet is scheduled for November.

Ho Chi Minh City recovers domestic travel with closed tours

Ho Chi Minh City’s tourism sector has reopened after months of social distancing and travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

After the success of intra-city and intra-province tours, inter-province tours are now being offered on the “bubble tourism” model and are receiving a positive response from tourists.

On October 21, more than 100 people, including frontline pandemic workers and Ho Chi Minh City officials, joined a pilot closed tour to Cu Chi-Tay Ninh operated by the Saigontourist company.

The tour, which left HCM City at 5:30 am and arrived in Cu Chi district at 7 am, included an incense offering at the Sai Gon-Cho Lon-Gia Dinh Revolution Memorial Complex, a visit to Ben Duoc temple, which was built to commemorate soldiers and civilians who sacrificed their lives during the anti-American and French resistance wars, and a visit to the Ben Duoc tunnel relic site.

The tourists, most of them from the North, visited the open-air market and enjoyed local specialties such as peanuts and cassava with coconut cream.

After Cu Chi, they continued their tour to Tay Ninh where they ascended Ba Den Mountain by cable car, visited Linh Son Tien Thach pagoda, admired a statue of the Lady Buddha, the tallest bronze Buddha statue in Vietnam, at the top of Ba Den mountain,  and gazed down at Dau Tieng lake, the largest artificial lake in Southeast Asia.

Dr. Nguyen Quang Minh of Lai Chau province’s Health Department, which supported Ho Chi Minh City for 3 months during the COVID-19 fight, said this was an unforgettable experience for him.

"This is the first time I’ve visited Cu Chi and Tay Ninh. The landscape is splendid and the air is so fresh. We hope everything will soon go back to normal, so visitors can feel free to visit those beautiful places," said Minh.

Dr. Hoang Ngoc Cuong from Military Hospital 175, said, "I think this model is perfect. It enables visitors to revisit the site of the revolution and enjoy some splendid scenery."

After this pilot tour, Saigontourist plans to open more tours designed for individuals and families with a package-tour price starting at US$43. The tours must strictly follow all pandemic regulations, and all participants must be fully vaccinated and test negative for the coronavirus.

Mr. Tran Quoc Bao, Deputy Director of Saigontourist, said the tours follow the “bubble tourism” model, which means most of the activities are outdoors at ecotourism destinations in Cu Chi and Tay Ninh.

"Between now and the Lunar New Year, we’ll closely monitor the provinces and cities that are reopening after COVID-19, and will open tours to provinces that have successfully contained the pandemic. We expect these tours to get a strong response after such a long period of travel restrictions," said Bao.

National football tournaments to return in November

Several national football tournaments are due to come back in November following a six-month hiatus caused by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF).

In line with the schedule moving forward, the Vietnamese Women's Football Championship is set to begin on November 13 and will feature the participation of five teams, with all games taking place at a concentrated venue.

Competitors will vie in a one-round robin format as opposed to playing games over two legs as in previous years.

The qualifying round of the national U21 championship will therefore start on November 26.

Elsewhere, the major futsal tournament HDBank National Futsal Championship jointly organised by the VFF and the Voice of Vietnam (VOV) will also take place in November.

Similarly, youth football tournaments for the U9, U11, U13, and U19 age groups will still be held in the remaining months of the year despite the COVID-19 pandemic situation.

‘One Million Trees Plantation’ project resumes after COVID-19

The 'One Million Trees Plantation' project, delayed by COVID-19, has resumed in the Phước Trường communal house park. It is the fourth park in Đà Nẵng that has had trees planted in, to provide a ‘green’ shadow for the community and to reduce air pollution.

The project, which was raised by the community, businesses and organisations for plantation at public parks in Hà Nội, Đà Nẵng and HCM City since 2019, was delayed for months due to social distancing regulations and lockdown. 

GreenViet hopes that more green gardens will be built in the three cities with funding from communities, local people and businesses, to help clear air pollution in the three most crowded cities.

It said funds for the ‘One Million Trees Plantation’ project was donated from an UpRace community challenge, organised by Tech giant VNG.

Each kilometre from the race’s attendees will fetch donations of at least VNĐ1,000 from sponsoring companies in raising funds for NGOs, Newborns Vietnam, Operation Smile Vietnam, Saigon Children’s Charity, and GreenViet. More than VNĐ9 billion (US$387,000) has been raised so far. 

Đà Nẵng has planned total funds of US$4.4 million for conservation, forest protection and afforestation as well as establishing new reserves on 43,722ha by 2030.

The European Union (EU) has agreed to fund a biodiversity protection and environmental sustainability project in Đà Nẵng from 2020-23, with total funding of 650,000 euros.

GreenViet said the ‘One Million Trees Plantation’ project will be completed in 2030.

Norway hands over offshore wind report to VN

On the 50th anniversary of Vietnamese and Norwegian diplomatic relations, a 70-page Norwegian report on offshore wind production in Việt Nam was presented to officials on Thursday afternoon.

It provides an overview of the entire supply chain for Việt Nam’s offshore wind industry. 

Norwegian Ambassador to Việt Nam, Grete Løchen, and Commercial Counsellor, Arne-Kjetil Lian, handed over the 'Việt Nam Supply Chain Study Report' to Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade, Nguyễn Hồng Diên in Hà Nội.

The report, compiled by Equinor, a Norwegian broad energy company and member of the Norwegian Energy Partners, provides an overview of the entire supply chain for Việt Nam’s offshore wind industry. It includes key players, current status, advantages and remaining gaps in the market, as well as recommendations on what Việt Nam can prioritise to stimulate the growth of strong, local supply chains to create skilled jobs and export to other offshore wind markets.

The report also highlights opportunities that offshore wind brings to Vietnamese suppliers, and where other Norwegian and foreign companies can collaborate with Vietnamese partners. Through further international cooperation to build offshore wind projects, power can be generated at lower costs, making renewable energy affordable for all.

Speaking at the event, Diên thanked the Ambassador for the gift and affirmed that the report was extremely useful.

He said that it would support the ministry in developing a roadmap and policies to fit with the offshore wind power development plan in Việt Nam. 

“I am very happy to hand this report over to Minister Diên today,” Norwegian Ambassador to Việt Nam Grete Løchen said.

She added that this was particularly meaningful in the context of the 50th anniversary of Norway-Việt Nam diplomatic relations this year.

The two countries had enjoyed a good relationship in numerous areas and renewable energy is a new potential one, she said.

With its long-established expertise and advanced technologies, Norwegian companies would be willing to share knowledge and skills with Vietnamese partners to help achieve common goals in climate change and sustainable development, she said.

VN-Denmark co-operation

Also on Thursday, Kim Højlund Christensen, Ambassador of Denmark to Việt Nam, and Đặng Hoàng An, Deputy Minister for Industry and Trade, signed a new agreement to kick off the Energy Partnership Programme between Denmark and Việt Nam for the 2021-25 period.

This is the third phase of a long-term government-to-government co-operation in the energy sector established between the two countries that began in 2013.

The programme will be co-implemented by the Danish Energy Agency and the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade with a grant of DKK60.3 million (approximately US$10 million) for technical assistance provided by Denmark.

Under the programme, Danish and Vietnamese partners will continue collaborating on energy sector planning, integration of renewable in the power system, and improved energy efficiency in the industrial sector. Offshore wind development will continue to be a focus area in the programme. 

The Danish Energy Agency will assist Việt Nam’s Electricity and Renewable Energy Authority in realising its huge potential for offshore wind by putting in place conducive regulatory and policy measures for offshore energy deployment.

At the signing ceremony, Danish Ambassador Kim Højlund Christensen said the programme would inherit the solid foundation of the government-to-government partnership built in previous phases and continue strengthening and expanding the achievements gained so far.

With more than 50 years of experience transforming the Danish energy sector from fossil fuels to renewable energy, Denmark would be happy to share with Việt Nam solutions, know-how and best practices.

Deputy Minister An said the energy partnership between Việt Nam and Denmark had yielded fruitful results and tangible benefits for both countries.

The programme was a good opportunity for Việt Nam to access Danish experts and experiences with strategic energy development policies that are crucial for a sustainable transition of the energy sector, he said.

Việt Nam women team aims for the World Cup dream despite 'group of death'

Despite facing Asia’s giants Japan and Korea in the group stage of the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup, Việt Nam national women team manager Mai Đức Chung is determined to lead the team to their World Cup dream for the first time in history.

On Thursday, the AFC Women’s Asian Cup draw pitted Mai Đức Chung’s team with Japan, Korea and Myanmar in Group C of the 2022 competition.

According to FIFA ranking, while defending champion Japan ranks 13th and 3rd in Asia, South Korea is in the top five strongest teams in the region. Myanmar, the remaining team in the group, is also considered a tough opponent with the ranking of 46th in world football.

Compared to Việt Nam's rival Thailand who face Australia, Philippines and Indonesia, Chung said that his team is facing much more difficult opponents, but will do everything they can to qualify.

“The goal of the team is to win a place at the World Cup,” Chung said.

"Every match will be like a final for Việt Nam. Football is also unpredictable, if the whole team plays well, there will be chances of good results.

“The match against Myanmar is very important, we must win that match and score as many goals as possible to have a chance to go through the next round as one of the best third-placed teams.

“When playing against Japan and Korea, we also need to focus on reducing the number of goals conceded because they are very strong teams in Asia.

“Japan is a team that continuously attends the World Cup and South Korea also has a chance to attend this competition. Their levels are outstanding and we have to know our place and do our best."

Discussing preparations for the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup, Chung, 71, added: “The Vietnamese Women's Football Championship, scheduled to take place in mid-November, is essential for the players.

“The coaching board will watch them closely and select players with the best performances. The next player list will not be the same as the qualifiers.

“To maximise the result, we will review and consider calling additional players for the central defender and full-back positions.

“As soon as the championship ends, I will ask VFF for a national team gathering on November 28. I want the team to have an international practice environment outside of Việt Nam, which is expected at the end of December this year.

“We must be well prepared, both mentally and professionally.

“In the group stage, we may not go through the next round directly as one of the two best teams, but fighting for a play-off is the highest priority.”

The AFC Women's Asian Cup will take place next year from January 20 to February 6 in three Indian cities of Mumbai, Navi and Pune.

After the group stage, the six first and second teams from the three groups and the two best third-place teams will advance to the quarter-finals. The five teams with the best results after the tournament will qualify for the 2023 World Cup.

However, because Australia is the host, if they are among the five best teams, the sixth team will win a place to the 2023 World Cup.

In addition to the six slots, Asia also has two inter-regional play-off slots to compete for tickets to the biggest football event. 

Việt Nam captain believes home support will spur on the team

With the return of home supporters, Việt Nam national team captain Quế Ngọc Hải believes there could be surprises in store for both Japan and Saudi Arabia in the next two World Cup qualifying games

Around 12,000 fans will be permitted to cheer on the team at the Mỹ Đình Stadium.

And although that's just 30 per cent of the total capacity, Hải believes having fans inside the stadium could inspire Việt Nam to victory.

“The whole team will promise to always fight our best for the nation to achieve better results,” Hải said.

“The clear goal of Việt Nam is to play well, show the Vietnamese spirit and at least get points against two very strong opponents, Japan and Saudi Arabia.

“I think the fans are waiting for this, especially when the team plays against the top Asian opponents.

“Being able to play at home with supporters is a huge advantage. I would like to thank the fans for always being there, cheering and encouraging the whole team.

“It is important to show what we have got on the field, especially the spirit and attitude of working hard and never giving up.

"The experience we have gained from other matches at this high level really matters a lot so I hope we can do better in the second leg.”

To prepare for the two matches, the national team reunited this week with some major adjustments in the squad.

One of the most important changes is the return of Hoàng Anh Gia Lai’s midfielder Trần Minh Vương after the 26-year-old recovered from a cruciate ligament injury which ruled him out of the last four matches.

Việt Nam started training from October 26 with assistant coach Lee Young-jin as Park Hang-seo is working with the U23 team at the 2022 AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualification.

It is expected that after finishing his duty, coach Park will return to work directly at the team to prepare for the next two matches.

In the last home match, Việt Nam played at Mỹ Đình without supporters due to the COVID-19 pandemic and lost to Australia by a single goal.

The national team will face Japan on November 11 and Saudi Arabia on November 16. Both matches will kick off at 7pm. 

Hạ Long Bay event kicks off Quảng Ninh tourism promotion plan

A cultural programme highlighting Hạ Long Bay, one of the New Seven World Wonders of Nature, will be held on Saturday to celebrate a decade since the bay joined the prestigious list.

The programme themed Vịnh Hạ Long – Điểm Hẹn Kỳ Quan Thiên Nhiên Thế Giới (Hạ Long Bay – The World Natural Wonder Destination) is being held to mark the province of Quảng Ninh returning to the "new normal"  after the COVID-19 pandemic has been controlled and the 58th founding anniversary of the province (October 30, 1963 – October 30, 2021).

The outdoor event, which will take place at the Tuần Châu international tourism site in Hạ Long City and is planned to last for 70 minutes, aims to kick off the Quảng Ninh Province's tourism stimulus programme.

It features two parts titled Hạ Long – Điểm Đến của Những Nụ Cười (Hạ Long – Destination of Smiles) and Hạ Long – Kỳ Quan Bừng sáng (Hạ Long – A Shining Wonder).

In addition to various cultural and art activities directed by professional experts and performed by a large number of artists, the programme includes a fashion show of áo dài (Vietnamese traditional dress) staged by local women, promising to offer a vibrant and attractive atmosphere for audiences.

The event which is co-organised by Quảng Ninh Province People's Committee and Tuần Châu Group, aims to promote tourism in Hạ Long Bay and Quảng Ninh Province as a "safe, friendly and attractive" destination and effectively implement the provincial tourism stimulus programme.

After reopening its doors to tourists in November, Quảng Ninh expects to welcome between 1.5 and two million visitors in the fourth quarter of this year.

In 2011, Hạ Long Bay, meaning “descending dragon bay”,  surpassed more than 400 destinations from over 200 countries and territories to be named as one of the New 7 World Wonders of nature by the organisation New Open World.

The bay has been recognised twice by UNESCO as World Natural Heritage sites for its landscape and geographical value. It has a 120km coastline and is approximately 1,553sq.km in size, with 1969 isles. The limestone in the bay has gone through 500 million years of formation in different conditions and environments.

Director of Quảng Ninh Department of Tourism Phạm Ngọc Thủy said from now until the end of 2021, the province plans to organise 50 events and activities to stimulate tourism development.

The provincial People's Committee has also developed a plan to restore and attract tourists in the fourth quarter of 2021 and will soon complete and promulgate a "temporary set of criteria for assessing the safety level in the prevention and control of COVID-19 pandemic for tourism activities".

On that basis, it will urgently establish a safe tourism model, minimising the risk of infection for residents and visitors, according to the authority official.

In order to restart tourism activities, at the end of September, the people's committees of Quảng Ninh Province and Hải Phòng City held a meeting to discuss co-operation in tourism development.

The two sides agreed on various issues including a continuation for tourism cooperation, developing coordination and management regulations on the operation of passenger and tourist transport vehicles on Hạ Long Bay and Lan Hạ Bay, completing a unified plan for the time of passenger transportation ensuring security and order as well as protecting the marine environment.

In October 2021, Quảng Ninh reopened a number of tourism activities within the province, along with ensuring the epidemic prevention and control process. It is also accelerating the vaccination of the second jabs for all local people by November 2021 so that it will pilot a plan to welcome domestic tourists from other provinces and cities in the country that have been in full control of the pandemic.

The province requested the tourism sector authority to quickly study and develop a masterplan to recover tourism until 2022-23. 

Quảng Nam UNESCO sites gear up for post-COVID-19 tourism recovery

Two UNESCO World Heritage sites in Việt Nam are getting ready to begin receiving tourists, again as part of wider a pilot scheme to reintroduce tourism in the wake of the COVID-19 pademic. 

The ancient town of Hội An and Mỹ Sơn Sanctuary will be the first areas in the central province of Quảng Nam to welcome tourists from November. 

Vice-chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, Trần Văn Tân, announced the following businesses in the Old Quarter of Hội An town and Mỹ Sơn Sanctuary will be part of the pilot; Tui Blue Hotel, Vinpearl Resort and Golf Nam Hội An; VinWonders Nam Hội An and Vinpearl Golf Nam Hội An. They will offer closed and combined tours in the first stage of the pilot plan, before hosting international visitors in the second stage by January of 2022.

He said the province will open its doors to all international tourists in the third stage of the plan, after successful implementation of the first two stages.

About 2,000 labourers working at the eight pilot destinations have received one shot of vaccine as of October. Only 146 others have yet to receive vaccines, he added.

The province has ordered 1,600 vaccine doses to ensure that all staff are vaccinated before serving tourists as part of the pilot. 

Only tourists with vaccine passports and negative RT-PCR tests will be eligible to take part in the pilot scheme. 

Earlier this year, the province asked the Government to allow the hosting of international visitors in a ‘safe tourism’ programme via chartered flights.

Quảng Nam Province’s tourism industry has been severely damaged by COVID-19. The province hosted 26,000 tourists in the first nine months of 2021 – just 4.5 per cent of the same period the year before. 

Only 90 businesses, or 10 per cent of total tourism and service enterprises, have survived the pandemic so far, leaving 14,000 workers unemployed at a loss of VNĐ15 trillion (US$652 million) in revenue.

The nearby central city of Đà Nẵng has been gearing up for the post-COVID-19 economic recovery era.

A joint commitment on how to safely restart tourism in the city was signed on Thursday, October 28 by representatives of the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), Vin Group, Sun Group, the Đà Nẵng International terminal investment and operation joint-stock company (AHT), Đà Nẵng Investment Group (DHC) and Đà Nẵng Mikazuki Resorts and Spa of Mikazuki Hotel Group.

Golden bridge in Bà Nà Hills is one of the most popular tourism sites in Đà Nẵng. The central city will offer tours for local and domestic visitors from November. — Photo courtesy of Sun Group
The deal will ensure safe implementation of strict preventive measures when hosting visitors at destinations in Đà Nẵng and combined tour links with Hội An.

Đà Nẵng said 95 per cent of the population in the city has been vaccinated at least one shot, and 15 per cent are now fully vaccinated.

The three localities in the central region that make up a triangle of tourism – Quảng Nam, Đà Nẵng and Thừa Thiên-Huế – have signed an agreement to boost post-COVID-19 tourism in the region.

Canada provides emergency support to female migrant workers

The Government of Canada is providing CAD$50,000 (US$40,350) to support female migrant workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in Bình Dương Province. 

“My thoughts go out to those workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in Bình Dương Province, one of the hardest hit provinces in Việt Nam. Canada stands in solidarity with Việt Nam and is pleased to provide assistance to those in need,” said Ambassador of Canada to Việt Nam, Deborah Paul.

Through the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI), Canada is providing financial support to 1,125 vulnerable female migrant workers including pregnant women and those with small children affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in the province.

Canada’s support will help provide relief packages including food and other essential necessities as well as social and psychological support, for COVID-19 affected female migrant workers.

This year, under CFLI, the embassy of Canada in Việt Nam has provided financial support to local partners to implement projects aimed at empowering women to overcome and to adapt in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The projects included Thái Nguyên University of Information and Communication Technology's “Applying digital technologies to increase the efficiency of online business for women with disabilities in the Red River Delta region of Việt Nam”; the Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation's “Empowering women and girls to prevent human trafficking in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic through access to education, careers and life skills”; the Institute for the Development and Community Health - Light's “Ethnic Minority Women - Champions of Changes -Social and economic empowerment for ethnic minority women in Việt Nam”; among others.

In 2021-2022, CFLI is funding the project “Promoting gender-equality and safe migration for Vietnamese undocumented women migrant workers through inclusive governance and women capacity building” implemented by the Institute for Social Development Studies (ISDS). 

HCM City to inspect pandemic safety measures at restaurants, cafes

The city will work with district authorities to inspect pandemic-prevention compliance at restaurants, cafes and other food and beverage places that have resumed dine-in services.

Speaking at the “People Ask - The City Responds” livestream programme on Friday (Oct 29), Phạm Khánh Phong Lan, head of the HCM City Food Safety Management Board, urged customers to be highly cautious when dining at restaurants, cafes and other food and beverage places.

“They should wear a mask and only remove it for eating and drinking to limit the risk of infection,” she said. 

Lan warned about possible risks of infection at places in District 7 and Thủ Đức City, the only two localities in the city permitted to carry out a ‘pilot’ period of selling alcoholic beverages until November 15 due to their current low-risk status.

“People often fail to comply with preventive measures after drinking alcoholic beverages,” she said. 

Some restaurant owners told Việt Nam News they had not reopened or only partially reopened because many workers returned to their hometowns and many workers had yet to be vaccinated. 

The city will create favourable conditions for vaccinations for people who return to work in the city. People can contact local authorities where they live or the establishments where they work to register for vaccination, according to Lan.

The city on Thursday allowed restaurants, cafes and other food and beverages places to provide sit-down services under certain conditions.

Alcoholic drinks remain prohibited, except in wedding venues or restaurants at hotels for tourists.

Food and beverage establishments must close at 9pm and serve at only 50 per cent capacity. They must also prepare soap and hand sanitation products for customers. 

Staff must have either received at least one dose of vaccine or recovered from the disease within the last six months. Frequent testing is also required for employees.

The city has announced the level of pandemic risks in all 22 districts based on the number of new infections, vaccination rates and healthcare capacity.

Nine city districts are at level 1 (new normal), 12 at level two (medium risk), and only Bình Tân District is at level three (high risk). 

Vaccinations for children 

Also speaking during the livestream, Nguyễn Hữu Hưng, deputy director of the Department of Health, said the city planned to vaccinate children aged 12 to 17. 

According to the plan students in the age group will get the shots at school. Children who don’t attend school will get the shots at their place of residence. 

Children who are being treated at hospitals will be vaccinated at the hospitals, including children from other provinces.

In response to people’s concerns about vaccinations for children with underlying health conditions, Hưng said that obesity, high blood pressure or cancer were the most common health conditions of children. 

“Parents should take their children with underlying conditions to injection sites where the children will be screened for specific instructions. A hospital transfer certificate will be issued for the child to be vaccinated at the hospital for timely handling of any unexpected incidents,” he noted.

According to Hưng, the brand of vaccine approved for children is Pfizer with the same dose as adults. Clinical trials show the Pfizer vaccine is 90.7 per cent effective against asymptomatic infection in children.

Parents must keep an eye on their children for at least 30 minutes at the injection site for any reactions after injection. Children must be monitored for 28 days, especially in the first three days and around the clock.

“In case of a serious reaction, the child must be taken to the nearest medical facility for timely treatment.” 

After the injection, children should limit vigorous exercise such as running, jumping, playing soccer, and others.

The city on Wednesday began vaccinations for 1,800 students aged 16-17 in Củ Chi District and District 1, becoming the first locality in the country to vaccinate children. 

The Ministry of Health has announced a nationwide campaign to vaccinate children, starting with those aged 16 and 17, in November. 

Number of workers returning to HCM City increases after lockdown lifted

Many workers in neighboring provinces have returned to HCM City after the city lifted lockdown measures.

Mai Ngọc Thuần, deputy chairman of of Bình Tân District Labour Confederation, told Sài Gòn Giải Phóng (Liberated Sài Gòn) newspaper that most of the companies and factories in the district had returned to production and the number of workers returning to work had risen.

According to the district's review, about 80 per cent of workers have returned to companies and factories in the district.

PouYuen Company in Bình Tân District still has about 16,000 employees living in the western provinces who have not come back due to epidemic prevention regulations.

The company expects by the end of October about 13,000 - 14,000 employees in Long An will return to the city.

Nguyễn Văn Lâm, deputy director of the HCM City Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, said labourers returning to their hometowns had received messages inviting them to return to the city. Working conditions must meet safety criteria in production, testing and vaccination.

Earlier this month, over 143,000 workers returned to HCM City for work. 

HCM City health department publishes list of labs doing COVID tests, prices

The HCM City Department of Health has published the list of private and public establishments that do COVID-19 tests with their prices.

It is on its website.

There are 59 health establishments approved by the Ministry of Health to do real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests.

The ministry requires people suspected to have COVID-19 in the community to compulsorily get a RT-PCR test, but for them it is free.

The city also has 169 establishments approved to provide rapid antigen tests.  

The department’s inspectors will keep watch over testing establishments to ensure they do not overcharge.

It has also instructed hospitals to strictly comply with the fee regulations.

Hospitals are also required to choose a suitable test method and conduct pooled tests if needed to both ensure effectiveness and reduce costs for patients.

Rapid antigen tests are required for patients who need surgeries.

Hospitals where staff, patients or patients’ care givers are suspected to have contracted COVID need to do RT-PCR tests.  

Patients with rapidly progressive pneumonia and respiratory failure but seemingly without a cause should have a single RT-PCR test.

Pooled RT-PCR tests should be done for at least 20 per cent of patients and people who take care of them every week. 

SABIC donates water filtration systems to 13 schools in Nghệ An Province

SABIC, a global chemical manufacturer, has donated water filtration systems worth US$20,000, to ensure access to safe drinking water for over 7,300 students in 13 schools in central Nghệ An Province.

In collaboration with the Vietnam Red Cross Society, the company’s initiative helps to improve overall hygiene and access to clean water for students in areas that lack clean drinking water.

“Clean water accessibility remains a critical issue, with many still lacking a supply of safe drinking water,” said Nguyễn Lương Hồng, Chairman of the Nghệ An provincial Red Cross Society. “Natural disasters further cause difficulties to communities with limited infrastructure, contributing towards a heightened risk of disease outbreaks and sickness. Water filtration systems are vital in ensuring the safety of drinking water to the locals through the collaboration with SABIC.”

“All children have the right to equal educational opportunities, as well as clean water and basic sanitation. We are delighted to work alongside schools, like-minded non-profit organisations, and communities on programmes that have a lasting impact. We will continue to work closely with our customers and communities in the region to drive positive change and help shape a brighter tomorrow,” said Vũ Thị Bích Ngọc, General Director of SABIC Viet Nam.

The need for better clean water infrastructure is one of Việt Nam’s ongoing priorities amid the scarcity of safe drinking water. SABIC’s contribution is aligned with the country’s focus on strengthening the management of clean water production, ensuring a safe and uninterrupted water supply.

SABIC has had a long-standing commitment to supporting communities in Việt Nam, closely aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in ensuring inclusive education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all. Earlier this year, SABIC collaborated with the Saigon Children's Society, with a donation of 40 bicycles to children in Tây Ninh and Đồng Nai provinces.

Deeply rooted in the Asia Pacific region, SABIC had supported COVID-19 relief efforts since the start of the pandemic, with a focus on providing essential medical supplies and food packages, impacting over 656,750 people across nine countries.

Land use planning needs to mitigate impacts on environment

National Assembly deputies discussed the draft of plans for national land use for the 2021-2030 period with a vision to 2050 and the 2021-2025 land use plan at the ongoing second session of the 15th legislature on Saturday.

Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Trần Hồng Hà had earlier presented a report on the draft and a verification report by the NA’s Economic Committee at the working session of the NA on Friday afternoon.

Minister Hà said the draft planning and the 2021-2025 land use plan aim to ensure enough land for the country’s socio-economic development strategy, laying a foundation to turn Việt Nam into a high-income developed nation by 2045.

NA deputies said the implementation of the plan creates important resources to boost socio-economic development and agreed with the need to approve the national land use planning for the 2021-2030 period, stressing that it needs to mitigate impacts on the environment.

Deputy Nguyễn Tuấn Anh from southern Long An Province said criteria that are related to the environment needed to follow the country’s development orientation for the next ten years of building a circular green, environmentally friendly economy and promoting the use of science and technology in waste treatment.

It was necessary for the Government to check these criteria towards downsizing the area of dumping stations and allocating land for waste treatment, he said.

The Government should review and adjust land use planning and land use plans to mitigate impacts on the environment and climate change, he said.

Regarding land for hi-tech industrial zone planning, the total area will reach 4,100ha by 2025. This was modest in comparison with the country’s development orientating, he said, proposing the Government adjust the planning to increase the land area for hi-tech parks.

Some deputies proposed paying more attention to the digital foundation in State land management to bring more benefits for both the economy and people, particularly when the country is preparing for socio-economic development recovery post-COVID-19 and safe adaptation to the pandemic.

Deputy Phạm Văn Thịnh from northern Bắc Giang Province said information technology application and digital transformation should be considered as a core solution and decisive factor in implementing land use planning and land use plans in the future.

Digital transformation in land management would help to improve the efficiency of examination and supervision tasks of authorised agencies and accelerate the making of land use planning and land use plans in the future as well as help ensure transparency in land use.

Some deputies suggested clarifying principles and criteria in the conversion of rice plantation land and protective forest land to non-agricultural land.

Deputy Mai Thị Phương Hoa from northern Nam Định Province said the reduction of rice cultivation land would lead to an increase in the number of unemployed workers in rural areas so she proposed to minimise the transfer of rice cultivation land into land for industrial development.

Some deputies said it was essential to publicise information relating to land planning for citizens to get access to prevent shortcomings and ensure transparency in implementing land policies.

Deputy Mai Văn Hải proposed to review land planning for industrial zones to prevent wastefulness. During 2011-20, land areas planned for industrial zones was over 191,000ha but only around 90,000ha of land was used.

Later the same day, Minister Hà explained and clarified some issues of concern.

He said land planning must be one step ahead and would serve as the foundation to guide spatial plans and orientations.

The minister said it was essential to identify "three boundaries" and "four areas" in land use planning. 

The boundaries include "strict boundary" for protection and conservation such as special-use forest land, protective forests, rice cultivation land, lakes, ponds, and historical sites; boundary for development limitation such as areas of natural forests, corridors for protection of water sources, and wetlands; and development promotion boundary for conversion of purposes for economic and social development.

The “four areas” include the area for strict protection and conservation; the stable area with the restricted conversion of land use purpose; the area allowed to change land use purpose with specific conditions; and the area allowed to change land use purpose to guide space for other plannings. 

The land-use plans were designed with the goal of allocating land to sectors and localities in accordance with socio-economic development needs, while simultaneously ensuring national defence-security and environmental protection, and climate change adaptation.

The land allocation must also meet the demand for infrastructure development, industrialisation, and urbanisation, while protecting ecologies and maintaining 3.5 million hectares of rice fields, according to the minister. 

Hanoians help disadvantaged survive COVID-19

Hà Nội has lifted most of the strict coronavirus prevention regulations and is establishing a state known as "new normal". But the two and a half months that safety rules were implemented are hard to forget.

The capital's residents have found different ways to support seasonal workers and people living in difficult situations during the strict social distancing and even after that.

Many people and organisations in the capital have called for donations, prepared meals and shared medicines and essential items with those who needed them most, including charity “ẤM” (Warmth), which has been helping vulnerable groups by supplying meals and essential goods for poor and homeless people in the capital.

During the recent social distancing, nearly all social activities were suspended and people were only allowed to go out to buy food and other essential items. A lot of migrant workers, labourers, scrap dealers and vendors lost their jobs.

For these seasonal workers, most of whom live paycheck to paycheck, being out of work left them high and dry. While for some the biggest discomfort was not being able to leave their homes whenever they wanted, others struggled with more basic needs such as having enough food to eat.

Acknowledging their vulnerabilities, ẤM helped provide about 10,000 meal portions, each worth VNĐ25,000-30,000, to the homeless and people living in difficulties in Hà Nội.

Hoàng Thảo, the ẤM project initiator, said the group called for donations from the community and worked with non-governmental organisations like the Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation to identify people that needed help. The food was cooked at a certified food establishment, then delivered to the needy through a network of volunteers.

“Our project received a lot of support from the community, from those who are well-off and students who donated their savings for us to buy food and fruit, or simply volunteered to help prepare the meals,” Thảo said.

“To me and everyone working on the project, that’s the best illustration of humanity, and we are trying our best to share with people living in difficult circumstances so they know that they are still being cared for, loved and supported a lot. Together we will overcome everything.”

Vũ Trung Anh, a member of the group, said he felt regretful in cases of homeless old people who were still facing miserable conditions even after social distancing.

"There is an old woman who we are now trying to help who was abandoned by her children and had to live in streets," Anh said. 

"During the quarantine time, we provided her meals every day. After that, one of her sons came to take her home for care but was also very poor and could not support her for long. Recently she became sick and is being treated in hospital, so we are trying to cover all her fees."

He said that despite the city nearly returning to normal, the group had to limit the number of volunteers, so sometimes not as much charity work was done as before.

Fortunately, the number of homeless people in the city has now decreased so the group can increase the quality of donated goods. The group also plans to provide shelter and seek jobs for them so that they can support themselves, according to the volunteer.

Collective efforts

Hà Nội's Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs says that there are about 106,000 migrant workers living in the city without registering their temporary residence with the authorities.

This prevents them from getting financial support from the city authorities and the Government since proof of residency is  required for them to be eligible for aid.

Aware of this situation, participants at the Development Incubator Fellowship, funded by Oxfam and the People’s Participation Working Group, have supported migrant workers by giving them money or relief packages containing food, medicines and essential items, each worth VNĐ1 million.

 “They actually picked up the phone, called the migrant workers they knew through previous social projects and asked them about their situation,” said Vũ Văn Toàn, the project coordinator.

“Collecting and verifying information was the first thing we did, and it played a very important role in our activities. It ensured that we supported the right people and really met their needs."

The money and gift packages were sent to 157 migrant workers with letters of encouragement, phone numbers of doctors, and addresses of locations that provide free medicines.

“What we give is not as important as how we give. When supporting people, we need to pay attention to actually calling them, talking to them to enhance connections emotionally, not just financially," Toàn said.

"We want the connection, companionship and support from these activities to help remove the distance between people despite social distancing, so the pandemic will not divide us but unite us.”

Từ Thanh Thúy, 20, a second-year university student also participated in charitable activities. She gave food to out-of-work and homeless people in the streets that didn't have the means to ask for help.

“I thought of the scrap dealers, who, no matter how much they earn during the day, still have to pay rent,” she told the Urbanist Hanoi online newspaper.

“But in the middle of the pandemic, they couldn’t earn much, so I decided to help them. Because they are the ones that don’t know what social media is; some don’t even have a mobile phone.”

Second-year university student Từ Thanh Thúy prepares food bags to give to the disadvantaged in Hà Nội. Photo courtesy of Từ Thanh Thúy
Thúy and three friends started their charity at the beginning of August. They called for donations from friends to buy food, then prepared bags of dried food which consisted of rice, fish sauce, salt, canned fish, shredded pork, peanuts, sometimes vegetables, and hand them out.

 “One time I gave food to an old man in Ô Chợ Dừa Ward, and he exclaimed: ‘Oh, you’ve got rice and eggs, how lucky I am! I’ve been hungry for days, I only need rice now. Can you give me more rice? You don’t have to give me vegetables. Rice and eggs are good enough for me,’” Thúy said.

“I felt so sorry for him, I said: ‘No problem, please take the vegetables.’ But he insisted on not taking it, and kept asking for more rice."

Vietnamese, Korean artists unite for “Way Back Home” for COVID-19 fight

A music video titled “Way Back Home” produced by the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) in Vietnam debuted on October 30 aiming to showcase both love and gratitude to frontline workers during the ongoing COVID-19 fight in both countries. 
 
The song has been composed by singer Shaun of the Republic of Korea (RoK) who was also involved in the creation of the music video. It has been performed by Korean artists Shaun and Han Sara and 12 Vietnamese artists such as Ho Ngoc Ha, Dong Nhi, Bui Anh Tuan, and Song Luan.

The artwork makes up part of the "2021 Korea Love Box” programme conducted by the KTO in Vietnam from early October.

Earlier, the KTO in Vietnam, in collaboration with the Vietnam Red Cross Society, presented a total of 1,000 gifts worth over VND1 billion on October 12 to six hospitals in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Ly Son island reports first domestic infection in latest outbreak

A 14-year-old student in Quang Ngai Province’s Ly Son District has been infected with Covid-19 after coming into close contact with a person who returned from HCMC, becoming the first locally-infected patient on the island district during the latest coronavirus wave.

According to the local authorities, the 9th grader came into close contact with the person who returned from HCMC on October 16 and tested positive for the coronavirus after self-quarantining at home.

Aside from this student, 66 other people were in direct contact with the person from HCMC.

The island district then locked down two areas linked to the patient and is tracking all indirect contacts. Locals were asked to follow anti-Covid measures strictly. Schools also switched from in-person to online learning, while kindergartens were temporarily closed.

Further, the island district suggested the provincial government adjust the island’s anti-Covid regulations. According to the suggestion, Ly Son citizens returning home from HCMC and the southern provinces, where the coronavirus is still raging, should quarantine in the mainland before going to the island. Earlier, Ly Son citizens going home were only required to show certificates of a negative test result taken within the last 72 hours.

During the outbreak in August last year, Ly Son reported one Covid case, a local resident of the island. The case was linked to an infection cluster in the province’s Binh Son District.

Ly Son is a popular tourist island off the central province of Quang Ngai. Over the past two years, local tourism, the island’s spearhead economic sector, came to a standstill due to the pandemic. Since the fourth wave of infections hit Vietnam in late April, the island has closed its doors to tourists from other provinces and cities.

HCMC-Can Tho rail route to create breakthrough for inter-regional development

Can Tho express railway project, which the Municipal Management Authority for Urban Railways (MAUR) has just been assigned to build the pre-feasibility study report of the construction, is considered as a key traffic project prioritized to implement in the 2021-2025 period as the high-speed rail route will contribute to immediately solving the problems related to logistics costs for Vietnamese agricultural products- one of the export strengths and the foundation for the country's economy development.

Ho Chi Minh City - Can Tho express railway project will create a breakthrough for inter-regional development.
The goods and passengers transportation in the Mekong Delta is mainly performed by road, only a part of waterways and aviation. However, the rate of newly- built roads in the region is very low compared to many places.

The lack of large volume transport means made the high logistics costs for the Vietnamese agricultural and aquatic products.

With an important role of the Southern region's economic hub, Ho Chi Minh City is hugely affected by the above-mentioned limitation.

According to the Ministry of Transport, waterway goods transport in Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta only serves for slow shipping goods such as rice, fertilizer, building materials, gasoline. As for fresh goods such as seafood and fruits, they are only performed by refrigerator trucks.

Road freight has actually played a significant role in regional economic development, accounting for over 70 percent of the whole region's transportation needs and always overloaded.

According to the latest updated data from the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Vietnam's logistics costs account for about 20 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) while global GDP’s average reaches about 10 percent. Of which, transportation costs account for nearly 60 percent of the total logistics costs. Therefore, mass transport development in the Mekong Delta will contribute to reducing logistics costs and increasing competitiveness for Vietnamese goods.

Professor Ha Ngoc Truong, Vice Chairman of the HCMC Port and Bridge Association, who is one of the experts involved in the study of the above project, said that the Ho Chi Minh City - Can Tho express railway project is designed with its maximum speed of 200 kilometers an hour and 120 kilometers per hour for passenger and cargo transports respectively. With the speed, people in the Mekong Delta region can arrive in Ho Chi Minh City to work and return home on the same day, contributing to reducing population concentration in the city.

The investment capital of around US$10 billion, including US$5 billion of the railway construction cost is one of the biggest obstacles to implement the project.

With the approved design, the 135-kilometer-long rail route will run parallelly to the right of the HCMC-Trung Luong-My Thuan-Can Tho Expressway, traveling through four localities of Ho Chi Minh City, Long An, Tien Giang and Can Tho.

Many experts highly appreciated the importance of this project because it is not only a key transport route along with the formation of urban centers and passenger terminals along the rail route but also a driving force to promote socio-economic development of the Mekong Delta.

Businesses supported to effectively exploit science-technology development fund
 
The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Science and Technology has issued Plan No.1481 about instruction and support for businesses to establish and use their science-technology development fund during their digital transformation process from 2021-2025.

Enterprises mentioned in Plan 1481 are those sited in HCMC and set up according to regulations in the Business Law. They are allowed to deduct no more than 10 percent of their revenues assessed for business income tax in this period to establish their science-technology development fund in order to carry out scientific-technological activities.

This fund is supposed to finance such activities as scientific-technological activities to serve the digital transformation process, training programs, the building and maintenance of quality control systems, information infrastructure construction.

Conducting scientific research activities to make new products or services as well as upgrading technologies for digital transformation of businesses will receive a finance support of up to 30 percent from the city budget for this matter.

The Technology and Technology Market Management Division under the HCMC Science and Technology Department is responsible for cooperating with related state agencies to implement the content of this Plan for a term of one year from 2021 to 2025.

State offices in HCMC cautiously welcoming citizens for administrative services
 
Entering the ‘new normal status’ phase after the 4th Covid-19 outbreak, all state offices in Ho Chi Minh City are practicing necessary pandemic prevention methods when welcoming visitors and people coming for administrative procedures to ensure medical safety for both citizens and staff. Meanwhile, online administrative services are still promoted for convenience sake.

Cao Tuyet Lan from Linh Trung Ward of Thu Duc City in HCMC came to her ward’s People’s Committee to certify copies of some personal documents. At the entrance, she was instructed to follow necessary medical steps like QR code scanning, temperature checking, and medical declaring. She then submitted her documents and moved to an airy area waiting for the results.

 “Now it takes a few more minutes for required medical steps, but I understand it is for our own sake, so I happily follow them”, said Ms. Lan.

This is a typical scene happening in all state offices in HCMC from the beginning of this October, when citizens were welcomed for administrative procedures after the social distance period. Chairman of Linh Trung Ward People’s Committee Tran Quoc Hung shared that on average his office has 200 visitors each day for administrative procedures (mostly related to social security policies, personal document certifying, accommodation and land procedures), 3-4 times as high as the time before the outbreak.

Chairwoman of Ward 10 People’s Committee (in Phu Nhuan District) Tran Thi Hue informed that since the demands for administrative procedures related to social security and copy certifying of residents grow, her office has to mobilize all staff to answer the needs. There are officers assigned to deliver detailed medical instruction for visitors from the entrance. Certain businesses even ask for certifying hundreds of documents a time, so her office has a special section to receive them and return when they are finished.

Some state offices with a small surface area like the People’s Committee of Co Giang Ward in District 1 has to use their front yard as a temporary waiting area for citizens, who will then take turn to go into the office one by one to finish their administrative procedure. All results will be returned the next day. Around two-thirds of the office staff are designated to perform pandemic prevention measures in neighborhoods, carry out the vaccination process, and deliver social security packages to those in need.

HCMC People’s Committee has asked all state offices sited in the city to follow three stages when resuming their operation, with the first one beginning from October 1-31, the second from November 1, 2021 to January 15, 2022, and the third after January 15, 2022.

It also encourages citizens to use online public services more and only come directly to state offices for urgent work. Those coming to these offices need to possess either a Covid-19 green card or negative Covid-19 test result with a yellow card.

District 7 People’s Committee reported that since the beginning of this October, it has received over 400 documents online, 300 of which have been successfully processed. Vice Chairman of District 7 People’s Committee Le Van Thanh said that his district has already integrated administrative reform into the Operation Center for Pandemic Control and Economic Recovery of District 7 to increase the performance of online document processing.

Particularly, all 195 level-3 administrative procedures have been upgraded to level 4, and citizens can submit as well as receiving results via post without the need to directly visit state offices. The Center forms links between the District People’s Committee, the land registration office, the tax office, and the People’s Committee of all wards so that the localities can monitor document handling progresses.

Online administrative procedures are wholeheartedly promoted among state offices and organizations in HCMC. Many localities have sped up the implementation of IT to acquire necessary tools for document receiving processing and upgrading the levels of administrative procedures. Citizens and businesses can also use the face recognition technique to register for administrative procedures and track the progress of their documents.

Director of the HCMC Department of Information and Communications Lam Dinh Thang shared that all state offices in HCMC should accelerate the use of IT in administrative reform, especially in online level-3 and level-4 administrative procedures in order to minimize direct contact and increase the work performance.

HCMC People’s Committee has just issued a dispatch asking related agencies in 21 districts and Thu Duc City to update and adjust the list of special and urgent administrative procedures in each field allowed to deliver results directly, including registration for nationality, birth certificate, death certificate, and marriage certificate (juridical sector), registration for security methods, changes in land use, ownership of houses and related assets (natural resources, environment, and public property management sector).

The localities are allowed to add more procedures into this list according to their specific situations.

HCMC sports optimistic with young talented athletes

Considered as the cradle of many generations of talented athletes, Ho Chi Minh City has recently presented many prominent young faces in many sports, such as athletics, gymnastics, and chess.

In the last days of October, Vietnamese sports received good news with the gold medal of chess player Nguyen Linh Dan at the 2021 Asian Youth Championship. Especially, she was the only Vietnamese female player to win a gold medal at the tournament when competing in the Rapid Chess Championship for the U14 age group.

Starting to play chess at five years old, Nguyen Linh Dan has achieved the champion of Southeast Asia at the age of 8, third place in the international rapid chess championship, and silver medal in the U12 category of the Asian Youth Standard Chess Championship in 2019. They are convincing proof of the talent of this petite but extremely intelligent girl. Of course, she is still young and needs more time to reach the level of a top chess player. However, with her brilliant performance at domestic and international chess tournaments, the born-in-2007 female chess player is recognized to have made remarkable advances and is expected to become a medal earner of HCMC sports.

Looking at the achievements of young athletes in recent years, it is easy to realize a promising future of the HCMC athletics team. Remarkable faces include Pham Quynh Giang, 19, in the high jump, and Do Thanh Phap, 19, in weightlifting. Coach Nguyen Duy Bang, the holder of the national high jump record, has had high expectations of Pham Quynh Giang since she was discovered and trained professionally. She has shown more and more the nature of a brave and aspirational athlete. With her talent, she has made her way to the national team and gradually gained a reputation in the regional arena. She won a silver medal in the 2019 ASEAN Schools Games, a bronze medal in the 2019 ASEAN Youth Games, and a gold medal in the 2020 Vietnam Junior Championship.

Meanwhile, Do Thanh Phap broke the national weightlifting record in 2018 and won gold medals at the Vietnam Junior Championship in 2019 and 2020. Mr. Trinh Duc Thanh, Head of the HCMC Athletics, said that “Thanh Phap has a good shape and athletic qualities, as well as the spirit of training and determination to compete. Therefore, his achievements in the future are hopeful.”

During the period of building the force of young athletes, Pham Nguyen Hoang Phuong, 17, in the 57kg category, and Vo Thanh Hieu, 16, in the 51-54kg category, are notable names in Pencak silat of HCMC. The two athletes were selected from the city-level tournaments. Currently, Hoang Phuong and Thanh Hieu are in the national youth Pencak silat team.

Many big names of HCMC’s athletics, chess, and Pencak silat still prove their positions at many arenas. Young athletes - the descendants – have not missed the opportunities to prove themselves. The youth and desire to contribute have created new vitality for sports in HCMC. To contribute young talents for the city’s sports, selecting and training athletes have always been focused to ensure a high-quality descendant force.

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