A brocade fashion show themed “The Eternal Flow” will take place on December 30 at the World Expo 2020 Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The programme, which aims to feature the overall picture of a colourful Vietnam with cultural characteristics stretching across the country, will be implemented by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the People's Committee of the Central Highlands province of Dak Nong.

The organizers said the programme will contribute to promoting the cultural value of traditional brocade weaving, introduce products of ethnic minorities in Vietnam, and bring these products to international markets, towards building a national brand in the brocade-based garment and culture industry.

Through activities such as traditional art performance, displaying and introducing handicraft products as well as dishes and culinary arts, international friends will have the opportunity to know more about Vietnam with achievements in economy, society, science and technology, helping to promote trade, tourism and investment in the coming years.

In the framework of the expo, each country will organize a national day. Vietnam's Day will be held on December 30 with events to promote the country in many fields.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is coordinating with relevant ministries, sectors and units to plan activities such as a ceremony to raise the Vietnamese flag, a parade to show the national flag, a film week, a painting exhibition, and a programme to provide information about Vietnam’s foreign policy, economy, investment, trade and tourism./.

Thu Duc City Hospital director arrested over alleged graft

Ministry of Public Security investigators on November 7 detained Nguyen Minh Quan, director of Thu Duc City Hospital in HCMC, for allegedly violating regulations on tenders in medical equipment procurement.

Nguyen Van Loi, director of Nguyen Tam Production Service Trading Co. Ltd., faces the same charge, the local media reported.

The duo are alleged to have violated the Bidding Law in the process of procuring medical equipment at the Thu Duc City Hospital, leading to heavy losses for the State.

Their houses and workplaces were also searched on the same day.

Ministry of Public Security investigators are expanding the investigation into the case.

Nguyen Minh Quan has been serving as director and Party secretary of Thu Duc City Hospital since 2007.

Two years after he took up the post of director in 2007, the third-grade hospital was upgraded into a second-grade one. In 2015, it was the only district-level hospital in the country to be recognized by the Ministry of Health a first-grade hospital. A year later, the hospital was one of the 10 leading hospitals in HCMC in terms of quality of treatment and patients’ satisfaction. 

Govt urges all adults in southern Vietnam be vaccinated this week

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam on November 7 told the Ministry of Health to allocate Covid-19 vaccines to southern provinces, including those in the Central Highlands, so that all adults there can get their first vaccine shot within five days.

According to a Government Office statement on the deputy prime minister’s request, the Ministry of Health must also ensure sufficient vaccines for the second shot for people who got the first dose and children aged between 12 and 17 in these provinces.

The Ministries of Health and National Defense will arrange vaccination teams for these provinces as soon as possible, the local media reported.

Deputy PM Dam also assigned the Ministry of Health to ensure antivirals for Covid-19 patients to prevent severe illness and death.

On November 3, the national steering committee for Covid-19 infection prevention and control also asked the ministry to ensure enough vaccines for the Mekong Delta and the Central Highlands.

The move was made after many southern localities had upgraded their pandemic transmission risk levels due to a surge in new Covid-19 cases and clusters.

At a regular Cabinet meeting on November 6, Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long said Vietnam had secured 195 million vaccine doses and 124 million doses had been shipped to the country.

Nearly 95% of adults 18 and older in 19 southern provinces have received the first dose and more than 50% have been fully inoculated.

Railway sector to sell train tickets for Tet holiday soon

Vietnam Railway Corporation has just announced that train tickets for the Tet Lunar New Year holiday period will go on sale from November 15.

The trains for Tet are slated to run from January 20 to February 13, 2022.  

The tickets will include trains SE1/2, SE3/4, SE5/6 and SE7/8 on the North-South route linking Hanoi and HCM City. 

Passengers will enjoy a discount of 10% on the first ten days of ticket sales. Those buying train tickets before January 1, 2022 will be offered a 30 percent reduction on Value-Added Tax. 

People can buy tickets directly at train stations or agencies of Vietnam Railway, hotlines 19000109, 19001520 or online at dsvn.vn, vetauonline.vn, vetau.com.vn as well as mobile apps.

Trains will strictly follow Covid-19 protocols. Based on the pandemic situation, the firm would arrange more trains to serve travel demand for the Tet holiday period.

Priority will be given to passengers who are in the armed forces or those who work at industrial and export processing zones as well as those who reserved their tickets in 2021.

‘Banh mi’ strong rival of burger: France’s Le Monde

It is simple, relatively balanced, inexpensive and, above all, tasty, ‘banh mi’, a Vietnamese-style sandwich, is a strong rival of the American burger, France’s daily newspaper Le Monde told its readers in a gastronomy column published last week.

It is based on a simple base that you immediately want to bite into: a baguette cut in half, copiously garnished with pieces of cooked meat, garnished with condiments, raw vegetables and sprinkled with fresh cilantro, described the column entitled “Can the ‘banh mi’ replace the burger?”

The ‘banh mi’ is a sandwich with variable geometry that offers multiple possibilities, it said. The most traditional recipes include preparations made from pork belly (sometimes grilled, sometimes dried or steamed), lemongrass chicken or minced pork meatballs.

The most elaborate, also called "dac biet" (house specialty), offers a range of flavors ranging from ‘cha lua’ (Vietnamese pork sausage) to paté, rolled pork belly, Le Monde continued, adding that the significant amount of vegetables it contains, including carrots, cucumbers, make its nutritional value relatively acceptable.

The trajectory of the ‘banh mi’ is fascinating that it tells the richness and the character of Vietnamese cuisine which, through the diaspora scattered all over the world, in New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Nice or Marseille, has never stopped reinventing itself, the newspaper noted./.

Lawmakers continue discussing socio-economic affairs, pandemic fight

The National Assembly continues to spend the whole day of November 9 discussing the implementation of the 2021 socio-economic development plan and a draft plan for 2022, as well as reports on COVID-19 prevention and control, the implementation of the State budget in 2021, State budget estimate and central budget allocation plan for 2022, and the 2022-2024 finance-budget plan.

The discussion is broadcast live on Radio the Voice of Vietnam, Vietnam Television, and National Assembly Televivion.

These issues were scrutinised on November 8 during the ongoing second plenary session of the 15th National Assembly.

Most of the opinions raised at the working day approved the Government’s reports and assessment reports of NA Committees.

The lawmakers pointed out major tasks and solutions to spur socio-economic development in 2022, regional economic growth, maritime economic development and trade, among others.

They touched upon solutions to remove difficulties facing people and businesses due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and ensure social welfare, job generation and the public’s health.

The deputies also debated State budget collection and the increase of budget allocation to cities and provinces severely affected by the pandemic./.

Governments, society ought to finance universities for qualifying students

Usually, a college campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls, student centers or dining halls, and park-like settings. Therefore, the government and society ought to finance universities which prepare and qualify students for work in the economy.

Deputy Director of the Vietnam National University Development Fund Associate Professor Nguyen Dinh Tu in Ho Chi Minh City said that in the past time, about VND 300 billion was given to the fund by many businesses and localities for investment in facilities and equipment.

Of VND300 billion, approximately VND200 billion was used for construction of universities while hundreds of billion Vietnam dong was poured into building student dormitories and the remaining was for the purchase of devices, laboratories.

Professor Tran Thanh Van and his wife Professor Le Kim Ngoc are sponsors of scientific and educational events in the country. In 1993, the Meeting Vietnam science conference was introduced thanks to the professor and his wife’s passion for science and a deep love for Vietnam.

Since then, 15 the scientific conferences “Rencontres du Vietnam” (Meeting Vietnam) have been organized in Vietnam, attracting thousands of world-renowned scientists including Nobel laureates to the Southeast Asian country to attend and do teaching profession.

Under the auspices of the Meeting Vietnam program, the couple also set up and granted the Vallet scholarships every year to poor students and those who’ve performed well in their studies. So far, more than 30,000 scholarships with nearly VND400 billion (US$17,586,954 ) awarded to over 30,000 Vietnamese students nationwide. The program’s biggest success is that it has collaborated with French professors to train more than 1,500 teachers according to the method "La main à la pate".

Five years ago, under the auspices of late businessman Pham Van Ben, an owner of Co May Private Enterprise in the Mekong Delta Province of Dong Thap, Co May student dormitory was built at nearly VND40 billion aiming to provide good accommodation for poor students to help them overcome their shelter difficulties. Around 600 students who have been granted scholarships annually are residing in the Co May dormitory gratis.

Dr. Tran Dinh Ly, Vice President of Ho Chi Minh City University of Agriculture and Forestry, said that universities and their investors need to work with Vietnamese great benefactors to ensure that donations or money will be given to students transparently. On the other hand, in order to attract funding, it is certain that the goals of the parties must be ensured. Moreover, universities must maintain and build their reputation.

In developed countries, public universities, as well as private universities, have received a lot of donations and huge funding, some schools have received tens of billions of dollars for the national interest. However, sponsorship and donation are available at public universities while donors have rarely given money to private universities which are owned by businesses and operated as a business, said the professor.

According to current regulations, experts said, there are provisions on tax exemption and reduction for grants, donations and donations to education, which overlap and are unclear. Therefore, in addition to the effort to improve the quality and reputation of universities, the system of legal documents also needs to be clear and transparent to facilitate individuals and sponsors for universities.

Singapore eases border measures for some countries, including Vietnam

Travellers arriving from Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines are among those who will see more relaxed border measures from November 11, the authorities in Singapore announced on November 8.

Passengers from these countries will be allowed to present a negative, professionally administered antigen rapid test (ART) taken within two days prior to departure for Singapore. It is an alternative to the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction tests currently required.

The Government also announced that 23 countries previously deemed by Singapore to be of the highest risk of COVID-19 infections, including Laos and India, will have more border restrictions relaxed, the Straits Times reported.

From November 11, travellers from these countries will be allowed to serve a 10-day stay-home notice (SHN) at home or at a hotel of their choice. They are currently required to do so at an SHN dedicated facility.

Singapore will also add three new vaccinated travel lanes (VTLs), with Malaysia, Sweden and Finland, and increase the daily quota to 6,000 travellers in total from Nov 29. The current daily quota is 4,000 travellers.

Passengers entering Singapore under the VTL scheme do not have to serve a stay-home notice. Instead, they will be required to test negative for COVID-19 two days prior to departure for Singapore, as well as upon arrival in Singapore./.

Universities launch undergraduate degree program in AI

Many higher educational institutions in Ho Chi Minh City have launched an undergraduate degree program in artificial intelligence (AI). 

Member universities of the Vietnam National University in Ho Chi Minh City, including the University of Technology, University of Information Technology, An Giang University, University of Economics and Law and International University, have made many proposals for artificial intelligence (AI) training programs.

The proposed AI training majors at the aforementioned schools include Computer Science of the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology with two majors in Applied Artificial Intelligence and Image Processing and Computer Vision with 128 credits.

The University of Information Technology has a major in Artificial Intelligence (127 credits) while An Giang University launches Artificial Intelligence with 139 credits. Students can major in Artificial Intelligence in Economics, Business, and Management of the University of Economics and Law…

Prior, the University of Natural Sciences spent the first 50 quotas for pilot training in Artificial Intelligence in 2021.

Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians Organisation set up

The National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee announced resolutions on the establishment of the Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians Organisation, the Young Parliamentarians Group and the Group of Female NA Deputies.

Standing Vice Chairman of the NA Tran Thanh Man is Chairman of the Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians Organisation, which consists of 45 friendship parliamentarians groups with countries.

Nguyen Thuy Anh, Chairwoman of the NA Committee for Social Affairs, is head of the Group of Female NA Deputies while Nguyen Anh Tuan, First Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee, led the Young Parliamentarians Group.

Addressing the ceremony, NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue said the National Assembly of Vietnam has established relations with about 180 countries around the world and is a member of many regional and international multilateral parliamentary organisations and mechanisms, adding that the NA's external affairs are closely linked with those of the Party and State and people-to-people diplomacy.

The Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians Organisation and 45 friendship parliamentarians groups play an important role in promoting cooperation between the National Assembly of Vietnam and parliaments of other countries, establishing the position of the Vietnamese legislature in the world parliamentary diplomacy. They help promote the friendship and cooperation as well as enhancing understanding and trust between Vietnam and other countries, he said.

Regarding the Young Parliamentarians Group and the Group of Female NA Deputies, Hue said these groups are forums for female and young NA deputies to exchange and share experience in NA activities, especially in areas related to gender equality and policies for young people./.

Free community training classes on shadow puppetry to be launched online

The May Day Ensemble under the Mekongaholics (Study Group on Vietnam-ASEAN Best Practices on Community Culture) has coordinated with the Goethe Institute in HCMC to launch free community training classes on shadow puppetry, starting on November 20.

Participants can joins a Zoom meeting at a scheduled time to take part in the online class at 2 pm-4 pm on Saturday every week from November 20-December 25; or contact with the May Day Ensemble at the Address no. 3A Lam Son Street in Tan Binh District’s Ward 2 in HCMC.

The program aims to create a playing field for shadow play lovers and connect practitioners in the Southern region. It also provides basic knowledge about this kind of art and instruction on making a hand puppet from eco-friendly materials.

Mekongaholics (Study Group on Vietnam-ASEAN Best Practices on Community Culture) is a social enterprise project focusing on community culture mobilization through interdisciplinary collaborations between professional and advisory members in various fields of interest. Vietnam-ASEAN Heritage Network is a hub for people interested in shared values through best practices on community culture for sustainable development and social progress. Its theatre team is proudly part of ASEAN Puppet Exchange community.

Vietnam welcome back key defender ahead of World Cup qualifier against Japan

Key defender Tran Dinh Trong, who had suffered a long-term injury, was back to training on November 8, which is good news for home fans as Vietnam prepare to face Japan in the final round of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers in two days’ time.

Sharing with reporters, the Hanoi FC’s defender said that he had completely recovered from the injury and was ready to play in the match against visitors Japan.

Trong has been coach Park Hang-seo’s top choice for his three-man defensive line in various tournaments, however, the serious injury forced the defender to miss Vietnam’s clash against the Japanese team in the quarter-finals at the 2019 Asian Cup.

This time, he will have chance to help Vietnam hunt for their first ever scores in the last round of the World Cup Qualifiers against the top continental opponents.

“Personally, the whole team and I are excited and ready for the upcoming match. Japan is a very strong team, and we are preparing measures to face them both mentally and tactically ,” Trong said.

In Group B, Japan are not in good standing (fourth place with six points) that force them to play with utmost caution and determination against hosts Vietnam, who sit at the bottom without any points after four games.

Trong said as the Japanese team are cope with more pressure from fans and media, this could be an advantage for the Vietnamese team in the upcoming match.

However, he was cautious about the threat from many Japanese stars who are playing for big clubs in Europe.

“Everyone knows that Japan have many famous players playing in Europe. They are all especially dangerous, including Liverpool striker Takumi Minamino. All Japanese players can bring danger to the Vietnamese team,” said Trong.

Also at the training session yesterday afternoon, the Vietnamese team welcomed the presence of young goalkeeper Quan Van Chuan from the Vietnam U23 team. Chuan was promoted to participate in training with his senior teammates so as to continue to be an option in the plan to prepare for the upcoming AFF Suzuki Cup 2020.

Previously, after the end of the 2022 AFC U23 Asian Cup Qualifiers, there were 9 players participating in training with seniors, including goalkeeper Nguyen Van Toan, defenders Bui Hoang Viet Anh, Nguyen Thanh Binh and Nham Manh Dung, midfielders Le Van Xuan, Ly Cong Hoang Anh and Le Van Do, and strikers Tran Van Dat and recently Ho Thanh Minh.

The addition of Van Chuan will help the Vietnamese team strengthen their squad as top choice keeper Van Lam is recovering from an injury, while Van Toan also needs a solution to treat his shoulder inflammation definitively although Toan can still compete.

Vietnamese charity in Czech Republic supports the disadvantaged

A get-together was held by a Vietnamese charitable organisation in Prague, the Czech Republic, on November 7 (local time).

Head of the organisation Nguyen Thi Dung said after eight years, the charity has had more than 370 members and become a trustworthy destination that connects donors and sponsors in the Czech Republic with overseas Vietnamese and disadvantaged people at home.

Since COVID-19 broke out in the Czech Republic in particular and Europe at large in early 2020, the charity has carried out its activities to support the Vietnamese community and people at the European nation.

Its members made and presented face masks to centres for children with disabilities and medical workers, and raised fund for bereaved families of COVID-19 victims.

In addition, the organisation launched various activities in line with the Vietnamese tradition of ‘the haves helping the have-nots’ to support Vietnamese and Czech families victimised by natural disasters in Morava region of the Czech Republic and Thua Thien-Hue of Vietnam, as well as offer aid for the disabled and orphaned.

It has to date raised more than 550 million VND (24,300 USD).

Speaking at the get-together, Vietnamese Ambassador to the Czech Republic Thai Xuan Dung appreciated efforts made by the charity over the recent past.

He hoped that the organisation will arrange more activities to uphold tradition of Vietnamese people to help those are in distress surmount difficulties, and contribute to promoting the images and role of the Vietnamese community in the country./.

Vietnam calls for full observance of int’l humanitarian law in Ethiopia

Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN, has called on concerned parties to fully observe the international humanitarian law to prevent hunger in Ethiopia.

Quy made the call at the UN Security Council (UNSC)'s meeting on November 8, which was attended by UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Rosemary Dicarlo and the African Union High Representative for the Horn of Africa region, Olusegun Obasanjo.

He expressed his deep concern over the deteriorating situation in Ethiopia, especially continued fighting and increased hostilities in and around the Tigray, Amhara and Afar regions over the weekend.

The Vietnamese representative urged all parties to immediately end hostilities and promote comprehensive dialogue, paving the way for a sustainable ceasefire.

Escalating hostilities threaten to worsen the humanitarian situation in Ethiopia, where millions of people need urgent assistance, 400,000 of who are living in famine-like conditions, the Vietnamese diplomat stated, calling for the full observance of the international humanitarian law, creation of favourable conditions for humanitarian access, restoration of public services, and enforcement of measures to protect civilians, infrastructure and aid workers.

As the current conflict in the African country stems from deep-rooted political, historic and ethnic issues, the concerned parties must put interests of people first, stop fighting, hold dialogue and start an Ethiopia-led political process, Quy continued. All efforts should be directed towards a comprehensive solution for stability and development in Ethiopia in line with the basic principles of international law and the UN Charter, he added.

Against such backdrop, Vietnam called on the concerned parties to refrain from any actions that further complicate the situation and respect the principle of non-interference in other states’ internal affairs and settlement of disputes via peaceful measures, he said.

Quy voiced support for the role of the African Union High Representative for the Horn of Africa, and the timely and constructive efforts made by the international community, neighbouring countries and regional organisations to assist Ethiopia in dealing with hardships./.

HCM City seeks cooperation with Germany’s Frankfurt in urban development

Ho Chi Minh City hopes for cooperation with Germany’s Frankfurt city, especially in the exchange of experience in social issues, in urban construction and development, Secretary of the HCM City Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen told visiting Mayor Peter Feldmann on November 8.

Nen thanked the German Government and people for their aid to Vietnam and HCM City in particular in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

HCM City has carried out an array of activities to boost the Vietnam-German relations, especially in investment and trade, he said, adding that the southern metropolis is working to ensure economic development and social stability and control the pandemic at the same time.

For his part, Feldmann said he hopes that HCM City and Frankfurt will step up collaboration in trade and delegation exchange in the time ahead.

He suggested HCM City roll out joint projects with Frankfurt and Leipzig city, which has reached a partnership with HCM City, in such areas as aviation, waterway transportation, and IT./.

Samsung Hope School initiated construction in Lang Son

Samsung Vietnam has started construction of the Samsung Hope School project at Trung Cap village, Mai Pha commune, northern border province of Lang Son.

This is the fourth school in the chain of Samsung Hope School in Vietnam, after Bac Ninh, Thai Nguyen and Bac Giang.

The project was implemented after the memorandum of understanding signing ceremony between Samsung Vietnam, the Department of Foreign Affairs of Lang Son province and Korea Food for the Hungry International (KFHI) took place on July 31, 2021.

Samsung Hope School in Lang Son will be built on an area of 7,409sq.m including a two-storey classroom building, a welfare building, a multi-purpose building, football field and outdoor play areas. The expenditure for renovation, construction of facilities, procurement of equipment and project implementation management cost is more than 8 billion VND sponsored by Samsung Vietnam.

It is expected that after being completed in 2022, the school will be the place to implement the "Child Development Programme (CDP)" for about 300 disadvantaged students from primary to junior high school in Lang Son. The CDP not only provides students with learning opportunities suitable for the high-tech industrial age such as informatics, programming, and career experiences, but also bring opportunities to learn special talents, foreign languages such as English, Korean, music, art, physical education.

In addition, students will be able to participate in sexual health training programmes, health checks, and community support activities.

Speaking at the ceremony, Choi Joo Ho – President of Samsung Vietnam said: “Based on the vision of 'Solve for Tomorrow - Enabling people', Samsung has continuously implemented social contribution activities in Vietnam, the Samsung Hope School project is one of Samsung's efforts to accompany the young Vietnamese generation.

"We hope that at Hope School, Lang Son children will develop their potential, nurture their abilities and be able to maximise that potential to become pioneers for positive changes that contribute to the future social development of Vietnam.”

Up to now, about 1,000 students have been studying and developing at Samsung Hope schools. In addition, Samsung also signed a MoU with Dong Nai province and KFHI to implement the fifth Samsung School project in Tam Phuoc ward, Bien Hoa city.

Hope School is one of many key social responsibility projects with the mission of spreading knowledge, sharing vision and creating the future for the young generation of Vietnam. The project hopes to contribute to improving living and learning conditions for students with difficult circumstances and disadvantaged students; thereby contributing to the development of local education, especially primary education and secondary education.

“Solved for Tomorrow – Enabling people” - Samsung’s global philosophy of social contribution will be the foundation for Samsung to make constant efforts in its journey to bring quality educational activities and support for Vietnamese youth to maximise their potential and creativity./.

Underground space planning in Hanoi vital for future expansion: Experts

Hanoi’s population, as of July 2021, reached over 8 million, increasing by almost 200,000 people per year on average.

The capital city continues to grow, and new solutions are needed to manage this expansion. One idea being considered is further utilising underground spaces.

According to figures from the city’s traffic police, there are about 7.6 million vehicles registered in Hanoi, excluding 1.2 million vehicles from other cities and provinces that regularly travel to the city.

The growth rate of spaces for vehicles has not kept pace with this increase in vehicles, leading to an urban infrastructure overload, traffic congestion and air pollution.

One solution is to build an underground traffic system or even entire underground urban areas.

Since 1996, a number of commercial centres and hotels in Hanoi have built two to four levels of basements.

The city has also built a number of underground intersections such as underground tunnels of Kim Lien, Thanh Xuan and Trung Hoa, as well as underground technical infrastructure systems in drainage, electricity and water supply lines.

By the end of 2020, a private housing project in Ba Dinh district on an area of more than 300sq.m will include up to four basements.

Vice President of the Vietnam Urban Development and Planning Association architect Dr Dao Ngoc Nghiem told Kinh Te & Do Thi (Economics and Urban Affairs) newspaper that it is time that underground space became an important consideration in urban development strategy.

Dr Pham Hung Cuong, former head of Architecture and Planning at the Hanoi University of Construction, said: "The development of underground space includes two aspects of public space and public transport system. If done well, it will solve a lot of urban problems.

"However, Hanoi is only in the early stages of developing these two aspects. If there was no planning soon there will be many difficulties. The first problem will be the basements of the high-rise buildings that had been built,” Cuong said.

“By that time, the underground traffic routes will have to go around, which will be costly and controversial. This is the case regarding the C9 underground station near Hoan Kiem Lake," he said.

Therefore, Hanoi needs to focus on underground planning sooner rather than later, to develop a plan that aligns with the whole city.

The planning of underground space is only mentioned, but not expanded upon, under current regulations, such as the Plan of Hanoi construction up to 2030, with a vision to 2050, approved by the Prime Minister in Decision No. 1259/QD TTg, and the Hanoi Transport Planning to 2030 and a vision to 2050 approved by the Prime Minister in 2016.

In addition, there are no recommendations and research results for land use plans for building underground spaces, according to the director of the Hanoi Planning and Architecture Department, Nguyen Truc Anh.

Adjustments in how construction in Hanoi is planned are needed, with proposals on specific locations, areas, and scope of the city’s main underground spaces, as well as planning how to maximise land and urban space, he said.

The Hanoi Construction Planning Institute has just completed an underground space project for the city and submitted it to the municipal People's Committee for approval in the near future.

According to the plan, underground road traffic routes are mainly arranged at intersections, squares, railway and metro stations.

Notably, 79 underground public parking lots will be built in nine inner-city districts. Total construction will cover an area of 107 hectares.

The parking areas will be from three to five level basements, in combination with commercial and service centres.

Underground stations for the urban railway network will be the nucleus of future underground public spaces around a radius of 500m.

There will be 65 underground public spaces with a total area of 2,171 hectares./.

Vietnam reports 7,988 new COVID-19 cases on November 8

An additional 7,988 infections of COVID-19, including 34 imported cases, were recorded in Vietnam on November 8, bringing the nationwide tally to 976,672.

Compared to the previous day, the number of daily cases has increased nationally by 323.

Ho Chi Minh City reported the highest number of infections with 1,316, followed by Dong Nai province with 969, and Binh Duong province with 823.

The capital city of Hanoi logged 111 new cases.

According to the Ministry of Health’s report, 3,390 patients nationwide are in serious conditions, with 306 requiring invasive ventilation and 13 on life support (ECMO).

On the day, the country saw 67 deaths from the disease. The death toll now hits 22,598.

A total of 1,073 recoveries were reported on November 8, taking the total number of patients given the all-clear to 841,475.

More than 90.68 million vaccine doses have been administered to date, with over 29.33 million people having received two doses./.

Vietnam proposes promoting parliaments’ role in green growth

Vietnam proposed carrying forward the role of parliaments in promoting the approach towards green development and growth to serve recovery post COVID-19, at national, regional and global levels, at the COP26 Parliamentary Meeting in Glasgow, the UK, on November 7.

Le Quang Huy, member of the National Assembly Standing Committee and head of the NA’s Committee for Science-Technology and Environment, led a Vietnamese delegation to the event.

The meeting, co-organised by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the British Group of the IPU, brought together about 200 parliamentarians from countries worldwide.

The Vietnamese delegation raised opinions at all three sessions of the meeting, covering the appeal to parliaments to take actions against climate change, finance for climate change response, and losses caused by climate change.

The meeting aimed to promote cooperation and open dialogue among international parliamentarians and inspire delegates to call on national governments to set ambitious plans to meet all the obligations of the Paris Agreement targets. Crucially, they include commitments to strengthening the response to the threat of climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions to limit global temperature rise this century to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, while pursuing concerted efforts to limit any temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

On the sidelines of the meeting, the Vietnamese delegation had meetings with heads of the RoK and UK delegations, during which they affirmed that the Vietnamese legislature backs initiatives of foreign parliaments to cope with climate change./.

Book and Reading Culture Day to be held annually

 

The Prime Minister has issued a decision on the organisation of Vietnam Book and Reading Culture Day annually on a national scale on April 21.

Vietnam Book and Reading Culture Day aims to affirm the role and importance of books in improving readers’ knowledge, skills and way of thinking.

The event is expected to encourage and develop the reading movement among the community, contributing to building a learning society.

In addition, the Vietnam Book and Reading Culture Day aims to honour readers, authors, publishers, printers and libraries that make an effort to preserve, collect and promote books as well as organisations and individuals who significantly contribute to the development of a reading culture in the community./. 

Vietnam joins document preparations for APPF-29

Vietnam proposed initiatives and resolutions at an online session on November 8 in preparation for the 29th Annual Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF-29), to be hosted by the Republic of Korea (RoK) in December.

The Vietnamese delegation to the 12-day session is led by Vu Hai Ha, Chairman of the National Assembly’s Committee for External Relations.

Participants are scheduled to look into draft documents regarding political and security issues, the agenda of the Meeting of Women Parliamentarians, cooperation in Asia-Pacific, economic and trade matters, and the joint statement of the APPF-29.

The Vietnamese delegation contributed opinions on the documents in the spirit of the Party’s foreign policy of advancing multilateral diplomacy, promoting the Vietnamese legislature’s position and role at regional and international parliamentary mechanisms, and being willing to cooperate for regional recovery and development, towards an Asia-Pacific region of peace, stability, innovation, cohesiveness and sustainable development.

They proposed two draft resolutions and co-sponsored four others, and give opinions to other resolutions.

Established in 1993, the 27-member APPF aims to enhance dialogues between parliamentarians in the region regarding security, politics, and economic-commercial-cultural cooperation to address regional issues, contributing to maintaining peace, stability, sustainable development and prosperity in the region.

Vietnam has joined the forum since 1995./

Party delegation attends ICAPP’s 20th founding anniversary

A delegation from the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) led by Nguyen Thi Hoang Van, deputy head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations, attended a ceremony held virtually on November 8 to mark the 20th founding anniversary of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP).

Politburo member and standing member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat Vo Van Thuong sent a congratulatory letter to the Conference.

Speaking at the event, Van, member of the ICAPP Standing Committee, appreciated the prestige and influence of the Conference in the political aspect of Asian political parties.

She affirmed that the CPV will continue exerting efforts, together with other political parties in Asia, to contribute to implementing ICAPP’s common goals in the future.

Established in September 2000 in Manila, the Philippines, the ICAPP has become a positive force for mutual understanding among Asian countries and peoples. And now more than 300 political parties in the region with diverse political and ideological backgrounds are eligible to participate in ICAPP activities./.

Vietnam, Indonesia look to boost health, economic, tourism cooperation

The Vietnamese Embassy in Indonesia, in collaboration with the Indonesia-Vietnam Friendship Association, held a webinar on health, economic and tourism cooperation and policy recommendations for the two countries amidst the COVID-19 pandemic on November 8.

Present the event were Indonesian Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno, Governor of Bali province Wayan Koster, Indonesian Ambassador to Vietnam Denny Abdi, First Executive Secretary of the Indonesian Committee for the COVID-19 Response and National Economic Recovery Raden Pardede, Deputy Director General of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Ha Van Sieu, and Chairperson of the Indonesia - Vietnam Friendship Association Budiarsa Sastrawinata, together with nearly 150 delegates from ministries, sectors and businesses of the two countries.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Indonesia Pham Vinh Quang said that both Vietnam and Indonesia are emerging from recent waves of COVID-19 outbreaks, pursuing a strategy of living with COVID-19 and focusing on accelerating post-pandemic economic recovery.

At the 38th and 39th ASEAN Summits in late October, Vietnam, Indonesia and other ASEAN members approved the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework (ACRF) to orient a common strategy to overcome the pandemic.

In this context, the Vietnamese diplomat proposed the two nations intensify cooperation in fighting the pandemic, improve community medical capacity and social welfare, and get ready to respond to future challenges.

For his part, Indonesian Ambassador to Vietnam Denny Abdi reaffirmed that the two countries are strong partners in the fields of economics and development. Vietnam is Indonesia's fourth largest economic partner in ASEAN and its ninth largest export market. The two countries currently account for about 60 percent of ASEAN's population and 45 percent of total GDP of ASEAN.

The two countries still hold much potential for cooperation, especially in fisheries, high technology and digital economy.

Minister Sandiaga Uno proposed the tourism industry should have strategic orientations, and quickly innovate to adapt to uncertain, complex and unclear changes like./.

Online check-in available for flights from Con Dao Airport from Nov.10

The national flag carrier-Vietnam Airlines will deploy online check-in service for passengers on domestic flights departing from Con Dao Airport in Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province, starting from November 10.

This is the ninth domestic airport of the country that Vietnam Airlines provided the convenient service following the airports of Noi Bai, Tan Son Nhat, Da Nang, Cam Ranh, Van Don, Cat Bi, Vinh and Chu Lai.

Passengers can save time at the airport through self-check-in online at the website www.vietnamairlines.com or Vietnam Airlines mobile app in advance from 24 hours to an hour before their departure time. After completing the online check-in process, passengers will receive an online boarding pass.

For the passengers without checked baggage, they can go directly through the security gate instead of entering the airline's check-in counter at the airport.

As for passengers with checked baggage, they have to perform the check-in process at the counter before heading to the security gate after receiving an online boarding pass.

The online check-in helps passengers limit direct contact amid the current complicated Covid-19 pandemic situation.

Currently, Vietnam Airlines exploits flights linking Ho Chi Minh City and Con Dao with the frequency of two round trips a day while flights on Can Tho- Con Dao route has the frequency of one to two round trips daily.

HCMC announces new measures to increase control of Covid-19

Lately, cases of Covid-19 in Ho Chi Minh City tend to increase again. Many districts have seen Covid-19 outbreaks in the community becoming hotspots. Therefore, local administrators have announced to take drastic measures to increase control of the epidemic.

The Department of Health of Ho Chi Minh City set up 10 inspection teams to check the prevention of the Covid-19 epidemic in districts 12, Hoc Mon, Nha Be, Binh Chanh with more positive cases of Covid-19. The health inspectors arrived at the conclusion that most of the cases are workers working in industrial zones and living in rental houses in the area.

After nine new Covid-19 outbreaks were discovered in Hoc Mon District’s Xuan Thoi Thuong and Ba Diem communes, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health has asked relevant agencies to promptly take measures for stamping out the epidemic. By November 7, test results have shown that of 729 people, 81 were positive for SARS-CoV-2. Therefore, the Department of Health coordinated with the Military Medical Department under the Ministry of National Defense to send medical workers of 15 mobile medical stations from Binh Tan District to Hoc Mon District to help their peers control the epidemic soon. In addition, the Department of Health proposed the Rehabilitation Center of the Hue Central Hospital, and the field hospital No. 14 receive severe Covid-19 infected cases.

From October 23 to now, more than 8,000 cases of Covid-19 people have been recorded in District 12. Especially, more than 1,200 cases have been recorded in Hiep Thanh ward alone.

According to District 12 leaders, many of the Covid-19 cases are workers and tenants while Binh Chanh District has had 6,201 cases of Covid-19 from the beginning of October until now following the re-operation of industrial zones in the area. Most of the infected cases are living in communes Vinh Loc A, Pham Van Hai and Le Minh Xuan.

Dr. Nguyen Hoai Nam, Deputy Director of the Health Department of Ho Chi Minh City, said that because workers in densely populated rental houses face the greatest coronavirus risk, it is necessary to have strict epidemic control measures in industrial parks and worker accommodation.

Local governments need to raise their vigilance as well as review those who are not fully vaccinated against Covid-19 and have vaccination plan for them. Last but not least, local administrations must develop a plan for the establishment of mobile medical stations in case that military force withdraws.

Averagely, the southern metropolis records between 900 and 1,000 new Covid-19 cases per day. Currently, hospitals in the area are treating more than 11,000 patients while more than 31,000 Covid-19 people with mild symptoms isolated and treated at home. Worryingly, the number of hospitalizations is higher than the number of recoveries every day.

Through surveillance statistics, there has been a slight rise of new Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations at hospitals in the city in recent two weeks, especially in districts with many industrial zones. Though Ho Chi Minh City has a relatively high vaccine coverage rate, many unvaccinated people from other provinces return to Ho Chi Minh City for studying and work; hence, the risk of disease spread is quite high.

According to Associate Professor Tang Chi Thuong, Director of the Department of Health of Ho Chi Minh City, after more than a month of implementing Directive 18 of the municipal People's Committee on continued prevention and control of the Covid-19 epidemic and gradual recovery of socio-economy, the pandemic is temporarily stable, but there are still potential risks of infection spread.

Activities mark 32nd anniversary of Vietnam-Venezuela diplomatic ties

The Vietnamese Embassy in Venezuela on November 6 held a cultural and culinary gala event at the Simón Bolívar theatre within the framework of the 17th Venezuela International Book Fair (FILVEN 2021) and as part of activities to mark the 32nd anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic ties (December 18).

Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Ambassador Le Viet Duyen affirmed the Vietnamese Government and people’s stance of always supporting and standing side by side with Venezuela in its national building and development.

The diplomat emphasized that the gala is a manifestation of the friendship and solidarity between the two countries through dances and songs about Vietnam performed by Venezuelan artists, together with Vietnam’s traditional dishes cooked by Espacio Vietnam - the first Vietnamese restaurant in Caracas.

An art performance programme followed, including symphonies, and songs about Vietnam performed by artist Ali Primera and Simón Bolívar orchestra, and dance performances, and an “ao dai” (Vietnam’s traditional dress) show. The art programme is a blend of Vietnamese and Venezuelan music, songs, dances, costumes and people.

Within the framework of FILVEN 2021, the Ministry of Culture of Venezuela introduced the book "The process of renewing Vietnam's foreign policy with ASEAN in the 1986 – 2016 period".

Carolus Wimmer, head of the International Relations Committee under the Communist Party of Venezuela, and Chairman of the Venezuela - Vietnam Friendship Association, appreciated Vietnam’s foreign policy in recent years./.

HCMC not yet determine school schedule

On the afternoon of November 8, the Culture and Society Committee under the People's Council of Ho Chi Minh City worked with the city Department of Education and Training on back-to-school time, online teaching, tuition fees at public schools as well as supporting policies for officials, teachers, and staff of non-public schools.

At the meeting, Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training Le Hoai Nam said that at present, it is not possible to determine a specific timeline for allowing HCMC students to return to school.

Currently, the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City has developed several plans for school schedules based on regulations on epidemic levels of the Ministry of Health and the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City. The People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City will decide the precise time when students return to their schools.

Some 917 schools in the city have been used as treatment facilities and vaccination venues for the prevention of the Covid-19 epidemic. Currently, 670 schools have been handed over to school managers, 247 schools have been still used.

Approximately 97.9 percent of secondary students and 99.8 percent of high school students are participating in online classes.

HCMC is piloting direct teaching for 238 students in first, second, sixth, ninth, and twelfth grades at two Thanh An Primary Schools and Thanh An Middle and High School in Thanh An Commune in outlying district Can Gio.

As of November 8, 110 primary school students and 128 secondary school students take on-campus learning reaching a rate of 97.31 percent. Every week, Can Gio District People's Committee re-evaluates direct learning and has a plan to handle arising situations.

The Can Gio District People's Committee said that in the first week of direct teaching implementation, no positive cases were detected. However, in the second week of school, a sixth-grader was found positive, so all students in this class switched to online learning.

Domestic arrivals to Phu Quoc surge again

Deputy Chairman of the People’s Committee of Phu Quoc City Pham Van Nghiep this morning said that the number of local visitors to the pearl island of Phu Quoc has recently surged again.

Currently, the tourism destination welcomes around 300 to 400 arrivals from Rach Gia City and Ha Tien City by the high-speed boat Superdong with a frequency of three boats a day.

According to Mr. Nghiep, numerous tourists have flocked to Phu Quoc as the province’s guidelines on safe adaptation to the Covid-19 pandemic were loosened.

The visitors from localities with the Covid-19 risk assessment of level 1, level 2 and level 3, who desire to travel to Phu Quoc Island, are only required to get fully vaccinated against Covid-19 after 14 days or recovered from the disease within six months without testing.

As for the air route, Director of Phu Quoc International Airport Nguyen Minh Dong informed that from the beginning of November until now, the airport has received an average of seven or eight flights along with around 2,000 tourists from Hanoi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City every day.
Bamboo Airways, Vietnam Airlines and VietjetAir are the three airlines exploiting the domestic routes.

Similar to the waterway, the passengers traveling by air must perform medical declaration, show Covid-19 vaccination record cards with two doses of vaccine or certificates of the recovered patient from the disease within six months, have temperature checked before their journey.

In order to ensure the safety of the pandemic prevention and control, all passenger transport means are allowed to serve a maximum of 50 percent of the capacity, and passengers must strictly comply with the 5K regulations and keep their distance during their journey.

Regarding the international tourists, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, relevant ministries and agencies are expected to have the final work with leaders of Kien Giang Province and Phu Quoc City to come into agreed contents for the pilot plan of applying the vaccine passport for six months, and to check the accommodations and entertainment facilities which are eligible to implement the pilot plan.

Up to now, Phu Quoc City has completed the second dose vaccination for adults aged 18 years and older. Currently, the locality is implementing vaccination for schooled people aged 12 years to 17 years.

NA deputies suggest greater attention to ethnic minority-inhabited, mountainous areas

Greater attention should be paid to ethnic minority-inhabited and mountainous areas while designing socio-economic development plans in the future to ensure no one is left behind, many deputies to the 15th National Assembly (NA) have suggested.

It is necessary to choose urgent projects in the areas to focus investment on, they said during the NA discussion on November 8, the second stage of the 15th NA's second session.

Deputy Nguyen Thi Xuan of Dak Lak province said that the Government should allocate more resources in 2022 and following years to make breakthroughs in socio-economic development in the areas. This will help narrow down the development gaps among regions, while strengthening the people-based defence and security in strategic areas, she held.

Meanwhile, deputy Doan Thi Hao of Thai Nguyen province noted that local residents in many areas of strategic important are still facing grave difficulties in their daily life. She proposed that in the socio-economic development plan for 2022, the NA and Government should increase investment in socio-economic development in those areas, including support from the State budget, and speed up the disbursement of public investment.

According to Hao, it is crucial to identify critical projects in those areas and give them priority in investment. She cited as example projects to deal with the shortage of land for housing and farming, and fundamental infrastructure system serving production and daily activities of people from ethnic minority groups and mountainous areas.

At the same time, Pham Trong Nghia, a deputy of Lang Son province asked the NA to consider special policies and solutions for ethnic groups and mountainous areas, and combine them with general policies on ethnic minority and mountainous affairs during the making of socio-economic plans for 2022 as well as the national economic restructuring scheme in the 2021-2025 period./.

Hanoi: Over 1.2 million labourers receive COVID-19 support from unemployment insurance fund

Over 1.2 million labourers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in Hanoi have received financial support from the municipal unemployment insurance fund, reaching 74.3 percent of the total employees eligible for the support.

Hanoi’s social security agency also announced a reduction in contributions of employers to the city’s unemployment insurance fund for 84,384 units with an initial amount of more than 367 billion VND.

According to Vice Director of the Hanoi’s social security agency Vu Duc Thuat, the city’s insurance offices are working hard to quickly approve records and accelerate payments for labourers.

Apart from delivering support to employees, Hanoi’s social security agency has also paid attention to popularizing Resolution No.116/NQ-CP of the Government through the mass media, radio stations of communes, wards and towns, and social networks so that employers and labourers know about their benefits and relevant procedures, he said./. 

Vietnamese literature seminar held at 17th Venezuela Int’l Book Fair

The Embassy of Vietnam in Venezuela has hosted a seminar on Vietnamese literature both virtually and in-person within the framework of the 17th Venezuela International Book Fair (FILVEN 2021).

Speaking at the November 6 event, Director of the Vietnamese Institute of Literature Prof. Dr. Nguyen Dang Diep gave a brief overview of Vietnamese literature’s main stages, from old to modern times.

He said that as the country entered the “Doi Moi” (Renewal) period in 1986, Vietnamese literature has become part of the global cultural flow, exposed to influences from modern and post-modern cultures while preserving the traditional identity.

Vietnamese literature has also been influenced by patriotism and humanitarianism throughout its history, he added.

President of the Vietnamese Writers’ Association Nguyen Quang Thieu, for his part, shared his unforgettable memories about Venezuela, a peace-loving country, and its people who have provided unconditional support for Vietnam in its struggle for independence.

Though Venezuela is going through many difficulties induced by an embargo, the country's organisation of the international book fair shows that “no force can extinguish knowledge and beauty,” he said.

He continued that books contain human wisdom and the beauty of cultures, along with people’s beautiful dreams that will not be subdued by any power.

Thieu invited Venezuelan writers and poets to Vietnam to boost exchanges and mutual understanding between the two countries in literature.

Running through November 14, the FILVEN 2021 is viewed as the most outstanding cultural event of Venezuela this year with more than 800 in-person and online activities.

Vietnam is attending the event as a guest country of honour at the invitation of Venuezuelan President Nicolás Maduro./.

Football tournament of Vietnamese community in Japan on the horizon

A draw for a football tournament of the Vietnamese people residing in Japan’s Kanto region in 2021 (FAVIJA Kanto Cup) was held in Tokyo on November 7.

It is the largest culture-sport event of the Vietnamese community in Japan at large and Kanto in particular this year, as the COVID-19 situations in the region improved within the past month.

The annual tournament is organised by the football association of Vietnamese people in Japan (FAVIJA) under the auspices of the Embassy of Vietnam in Japan.

It will see the participation of 80 teams divided in 16 groups. Each team will have seven players.

Do Hai Khoi, Director of FONEHOUSE, a sponsor of the tourney, said the event offers a chance for firms to meet and share experience so as to surmount difficulties.

In addition, the event will promote the images of Vietnamese people to Japanese friends, thereby fostering the two countries’ cultural exchanges.

FAVIJA President Do Quang Ba, who is also head of the organising board, said safety for the event is a top priority amid COVID-19 risks. All players must be fully vaccinated, with the second shot being injected at least 14 days before the tourney, or test negative for COVID-19.

The preliminary will begin on November 21 and the final round and closing ceremony are slated for December 19 in Saitama prefecture./.

Mother language training courses help promote Vietnamese culture abroad

One hundred and fifty teachers from 10 countries and territories in the Asian – Australia region have successfully completed a Vietnamese language training course hosted by the Foreign Ministry's State Commission for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs (COVA).

In his speech at the closing ceremony on November 7, Director of the COVA's Department of Information and Culture Dinh Hoang Linh said the course is the first in the framework of a programme on training overseas Vietnamese teachers in teaching the Vietnamese language in 2021.

During nearly one month of the course, trainees were equipped with pedagogical skills, formal and professional Vietnamese teaching methods, and more knowledge about Vietnamese culture and history. They were also provided with teaching materials from experienced lecturers at Vietnamese universities.

Previously on November 6, the second course of this kind for Vietnamese teachers in Europe and North America kicked off virtually, with the participation of nearly oversea 130 teachers from Austria, Poland, Belarus, Belgium, the US, Canada and Germany.

Addressing the event, Ambassador Luong Thanh Nghi, Deputy Chairman of COVA affirmed that the committee always pays attention to the teaching and learning of the Vietnamese language in Vietnamese communities abroad.

This is an important task to help overseas Vietnamese communities preserve the cultural identity and traditions, contributing to popularizing the Vietnamese language and culture abroad.

Professional training courses in teaching Vietnamese language for overseas teachers is an annual activity conducted by the committee since 2013. So far, nearly 400 teachers have completed both face-to-face and online training courses.

According to Nguyen Van Son, a Vietnamese language teacher in the Czech Republic, Vietnamese association in the Czech have actively maintained the popularization of Vietnamese language to children with the support of the Vietnamese Embassy and volunteer teachers.

He expressed his hope that the Vietnamese Party and Government will pay more attention to promoting the teaching and learning of the Vietnamese language abroad.

On the occasion, a seminar was held to discuss measures and share experience to promote teaching and learning the Vietnamese language abroad and remove difficulties in implementing the programme./.

HCM City tackles a surge in COVID-19 cases

Ho Chi Minh City, the largest coronavirus hotspot in Vietnam, is epxeirencing a surge in coronavirus infections, especially in District 10, and Can Gio and Nha Be districts.

The city has raised COVID-19 alert levels from ‘orange’ to ‘amber’ in Nha Be and Can Gio districts and from ‘green’ to orange’ in District 10 following rises in infection numbers in the areas.

The entire city is in level 2 of the four alert level set out by the Ministry of Health.

Both Nha Be and Can Gio districts have been categorised at high risk areas new infections were recorded in local industrial parks, said Nguyen Hoai Nam, deputy head of the Municipal Department of Health.

Meanwhile, a Grade 6 student at Thanh An Secondary School in Can Gio district was found to have tested positive for COVID-19. The latest infection was detected just two weeks after the school was granted permission to reopen to students.

To halt the spread of the virus, Nam said the city is conducting random COVID-19 testing in high risk areas, including industrial parks, traditional markets, bus stations, supermarkets, social welfare establishments, and restaurants, aimed at early detecting and separating from the wider community.

In addition, Nam said there is a plan in place if the pandemic resurges. The city is set to establish approximately 550 mobile medical stations to help take care of F0 cases at home.

HCM City had seen a sharp decline in new coronavirus infections from more than 15,000 to less than 1,000 daily. However, the daily caseload has arisen to more than 1,000 over the past few days, hitting 1,316 on November 8.

The city has so far recorded 439,940 new cases, or almost half of the country’s total, since the virus recurred in late April.

Vietnam to launch COVID-19 booster shot plan later this year

The Ministry of Health has planned to vaccinate people with a COVID-19 booster jab, starting later this year, said Minister Nguyen Thanh Long.

Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long says a COVID-19 booster jab plan will begin later this year.
The vaccination coverage is increasing considerably and given current vaccine availability Vietnam is set to begin a third jab plan later this year, Long told the National Assembly on November 8.

According to Long, Vietnam has so far secured approximately 125 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from different sources. More than 90 million doses have been administered, with 84% of people aged 18 and above receiving their first dose and over 40% receiving their second dose.

Vietnam is one of the three countries in the world with the fastest injection rate in terms of daily and weekly doses, said Minister Long, adding that it ranks second only to Indonesia in Southeast Asia.

He said Vietnam is conducting human clinical trials of three COVID-19 vaccines, of which two vaccines are entering the third and last phase. It has also signed contracts on technology transfer with countries around the world to gradually secure vaccines for domestic use in the long run.

He revealed that the Ministry of Health is finalizing a comprehensive COVID-19 prevention and control plan that also focuses on enhancing medical capacity at the grassroots level to deal with future epidemic emergencies.

COVID-19: Hanoi yet to allow home quarantine for F0, F1 cases

Hanoi has yet to implement an isolation plan for F1 and F0 cases at home despite a surge in coronavirus infections in the community these days, according to Khong Minh Tuan, deputy director of the Hanoi Center for Disease Control (CDC).

The capital has recorded a total of 5,104 COVID-19 cases, including 2,017 community cases during the fourth wave of infections, since the resurgence of the virus in late April. Last week alone saw the capital document an average of 90 new infections each day, the majority of which were community transmissions.

Several experts suggested that the capital should make a plan to isolate F1 cases (in direct contact with F0 cases) and treat asymptomatic and mild F0 cases at home.

However, Tuan said municipal authorities have yet to endorse such a plan, reasoning that the city still has enough capacity to treat F0 cases at hospitals and isolate F1 in concentrated facilities.

He expressed his concern about the feasibility of the plan as Hanoi is a large city with a high population density.

When the number of F0 cases increases to a certain extent, Tuan said, the city will establish mobile medical stations to treat asymptomatic F0 cases instead of taking them to hospitals.

According to the official, Hanoi also plans to establish a total of 508 mobile medical stations, with 20 of them to be located at industrial parks and in manufacturing areas.

HCMC has no red zone: Health agency leader

Because of a mistake in the population calculation resulting in the announcement of red zone in outlying district Nha Be’s Phuoc Kien Commune, said Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health Nguyen Hoai Nam, affirming that in fact, the southern metropolis has no red zone.

 He made the statement at a periodic press brief on November 8 about the Covid-19 pandemic in HCMC. According to him, Phuoc Kien Commune ranks at level 3 or orange zone (high-risk zone).

Also at the meeting, Mr. Nam said the city People’s Committee announced a citywide level 2 Covid-19 alert.
Specifically, of 22 districts, 13 ones reaching level 1 (Low level of Covid- 19) while seven localities at level 2 (Moderate level of Covid-19) including districts 3, 10, 12, Binh Tan, Binh Thanh, Binh Chanh and Hoc Mon. Nha Be and Can Gio districts are at level 3 (High level of Covid-19).

For 312 wards, communes, and towns, 197 are ranked at level 1, 102 at level 2, and 13 at level 3.
When it comes to ranking Can Gio district as orange zone whereas before this district has ranked level 1, the Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health said that in the past, Can Gio recorded 15 cases per day on average. But from November 1 to 6, the district’s rate of positive cases of Covid-19 shot up with an average of 20 cases a day or even up to 46 cases some days.

Dr. Nguyen Hoai Nam pointed out the travel of workers in Long Hau Industrial Park as the culprit of locally-transmitted cases. Many workers in Ly Nhon commune working in Long Hau Industrial Park in the Mekong Delta Province of Long An bordering Nha Be District have suspected coronavirus disease; however, they were let return to their shelters because the park has no separate isolation area leading to community transmission.

To control cases of Covid-19 in Can Gio, Nha Be, Hoc Mon, District 12 and districts tending to rise, Dr. Nguyen Hoai Nam said the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health sent four teams of delegators to the above localities to check and assess the level of the epidemic on November 7.

Simultaneously, according to the current plan, the city health sector is monitoring to detect infected people early to prevent the epidemic spread. The health sector also plans to conduct random Covid-19 tests at airports, supermarkets, railway stations and bus stands, and business establishments.

Deputy Head of Ho Chi Minh City's Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control Pham Duc Hai announced as of November 7, the city had a total of 439,196 Covid-19 cases.

Worse, some districts have seen a spike of new Covid-19 cases lately. Currently, some 11,527 patients are being treated. Of 11,527 patients, 656 are children under 16 years old, 255 critically ill patients on ventilators, 11 patients supported with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).

953 patients were admitted to hospitals citywide and 533 patients were discharged from hospitals on November 7 and 35 people succumbed to the virus taking the total number of deaths to 16,936 this year.

New Chairman of National Water Resource Council named

Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh has been assigned as new Chairman of the National Water Resource Council (NWRC).
Le will be assisted by Minister of National Resources and Environment Tran Hong Ha, Vice Chairman of the Council which is responsible for assisting Prime Minister in making decisions on:

(i) Strategies and policies on national water resources,

(ii) Major river basin plans,

(iii) Plans for major-basin diversions,

(iv) Projects for protection, exploitation and utilization of water resources and projects for flood control and overcoming the adverse effects caused by water where such projects require Cabinet approval,

(v) Management, protection, exploitation and utilization of international water sources and settlement of disputes,

(vi) Resolution of conflicts regarding water resources between ministries, branches, between ministries, and localities./.

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