Five people have died and two others were seriously injured in a motorbike collision which occurred in the northern province of Phu Tho on Tuesday evening.

Five people have died and two others seriously injured in a motorbike collision which occurred in the northern province of Phu Tho on September 21. 

Speaking with Dantri/Dtinews on the morning of September 22, chairman of Cam Khe District's Minh Tan Commune, Nguyen Hong Son, said that the tragic accident occured at about 11 pm on Tuesday when a group of seven men on four motorbikes collided while driving at high speed.

"Initial investigations showed that the men are all local residents who were going out to celebrate the Full-Moon Festival," the official said. "They drove at high speed and collided from the opposite direction. Five died on the spot and two others had been rushed to hospital in critical conditions."

Authorities are further investigating the accident.

Italy offers 796,000 more vaccine doses to Vietnam

The Italian Government on September 21 announced its decision to provide an additional 796,000 AstraZeneca vaccine doses for Vietnam via the COVAX Facility mechanism to help the country cope with COVID-19 pandemic.

Accordingly, the total doses of vaccine that Italy donated to Vietnam has amounted to over 1.6 million, making Vietnam one of largest vaccine recipient of the European country worldwide. Italy is also one of the European Union members to offer the biggest assistance to Vietnam via the mechanism.

The move demonstrates the Italian Government and people’s solidarity with Vietnam during the difficult period and is vivid evidence to the bilateral long-standing friendship and strategic partnership which was established in January 2013.

It is also the result of active campaigning process at all levels, especially at high level, including Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s letter to Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi as well as efforts by the Government’s working group in charge of vaccine diplomacy, ministries, agencies and representative Vietnamese agencies in Italy in recent times.

Earlier on September 14, Vietnam received 812,060 vaccine doses from Italy to step up its vaccination drive./

HCM City to allow employees with green cards to return to work at state-owned companies

State-owned companies in HCM City will be allowed to reopen in October with employees who have been granted green cards and with no more than 50 per cent of their staff in the office.

The city plans to increase the number to 100 per cent of the staff with green cards by mid-January next year.

From October 1 to 31, state-owned agencies will arrange for staff with COVID green cards to work in the office, with the remaining staff working from home.

Any state agency that needs a higher number of staff to work in the office must seek approval from the city government. 

All members of the armed forces and staff at state-owned health and medical care facilities involved in frontline forces must continue pandemic prevention and control work. However, employees living in locked-down areas or very high-risk (red zone) areas must continue to work from home.

From November 1 to January 15, two-thirds of the total number of employees with green cards can work in state offices. After January 15, all employees with green cards will be able to work directly in offices. 

Phan Văn Mãi, chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee, said that State agencies must follow pandemic prevention measures according to the guidelines of the Health Ministry, as well as criteria for pandemic prevention in the workplace. 

The management board of the HCM City Export Processing Zones and Industrial Parks Authority on Monday piloted a programme to allow enterprises to resume operation in export processing zones and industrial parks in District 7 and Củ Chi District, considered “safe” districts.

The enterprises must ensure that only employees granted COVID green cards are allowed to work. They must reside in areas classified as green zones as announced by agencies. Safe green zones are those with no cases detected within the last seven days. Employees must also show a negative test result before resuming work.

A COVID green card will be issued to individuals who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with a vaccine licensed by the Ministry of Health. The employee must have had the second dose at least 14 days prior to resuming work. 

A green card will also be issued to people who have recovered from a COVID-19 infection certified by a medical authority. If they were in home quarantine, they must take an antibody test as prescribed by the health sector to determine if their level of antibody protection is sufficient.

Once the green cards are issued, the employee will have a QR code on a mobile app called “HCM City Health”. 

As of September 19, the city had administered more than 8.7 million doses. More than 6.7 million people have received the first dose and nearly 2 million people have received two doses. 

The rate of first-shot coverage for adults aged 18 and above has reached nearly 95 per cent, and the fully vaccinated rate more than 20 per cent. The city has set a target to vaccinate all adults aged 18 and above by the end of the year.

The city has imposed various levels of social distancing restrictions since late May. On August 23, the city ordered people to “stay where they are” except for emergencies.

The country’s pandemic epicentre has recorded more than 341,000 infections since late April when the fourth wave began.

Vietnam's engagement in peacekeeping operations receives UN's high evaluation: Official

The United Nations (UN) highly valued Vietnam's high sense of responsibility and the professionalism of Vietnamese officers in peacekeeping operations, and wished that Vietnam will continue to maintain and increase its forces in UN peacekeeping missions, according to Deputy Minister of National Defence Hoang Xuan Chien.

Speaking to a Vietnam News Agency correspondent in New York right after his meetings with UN officials on the sidelines of the opening of the UN General Assembly’s 76th session on September 21, Chien said that over the past more than seven years, Vietnam has deployed three units and more than 50 officers to UN peacekeeping operations at its headquarters and missions.

Vietnamese peacekeeping officers received good assessment for their performance, with more than 31 percent rated as excellent, especially women officers, he said.

Chien said that in the time to come, Vietnam will continue to maintain its presence in peacekeeping missions, including the Level-2 Field Hospitals No.3, while preparing Level-2 Field Hospitals No.4 to replace the No.3 when its term ends.

Meanwhile, Vietnam is also making preparations in personnel, organisation and equipment for an engineering force for a suitable UN peacekeeping mission following the UN requests, he said, adding that Vietnam is ready to receive examination teams from the UN for pre-launch check.

Vietnam has paid great attention to ensure an adequate ratio of women officers in peacekeeping operations at 15-21 percent, he underlined, adding that Vietnam will strive to further increase the ratio to meet the requirements of reality./.

Hungary presents COVID-19 vaccine, medical supply to Vietnam

The Hungarian Government has presented Vietnam with 100,000 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine and 100,000 antigen test kits to support the Southeast Asian country in its battle against COVID-19.

Deputy State Secretary of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary István Joó presented the token of the vaccine and medical supplies to Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Thi Bich Thao during a ceremony held on September 21.

The goods are set to arrive in Hanoi on September 23 morning.

At the handover ceremony, the Hungarian official affirmed that the European country always views Vietnam as an important partner in its foreign policy and hopes to further strengthen the comprehensive partnership with Vietnam, voicing his belief that Vietnam will soon bring the pandemic under control.

In reply, Ambassador Thao expressed her gratitude to the Hungarian Government and people for their valuable and timely support for Vietnam, hailing it as a proof of the long-standing and sustainable friendship nurtured by generations of the two countries in the past 70 years.

She underlined that the Vietnamese Government considers Hungary a major partner in Europe and hopes to promote the comprehensive partnership in an effective manner so as to lift the relations to a higher level.

Also on September 21, the Hungarian government announced to sell to Vietnam 400,000 doses of redundant AstraZeneca vaccine, on a non-profit basis.

Relevant agencies of the two nations are working on procedures to promptly transport the vaccine batch to Vietnam./.

HCM City to allow fully vaccinated tourists to revive travel industry

People in HCM City will be allowed to travel if they have received a second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine at least two weeks earlier or were infected and recovered from the disease.

The city Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control has listed this among safety requirements for tourists to allow tourism businesses to resume operations.

They apply to accommodation establishments, tour operators and outdoor tourist attractions though only in areas deemed to be at low risk of COVID infection.

The businesses need to meet all 10 safety criteria issued by authorities, and failure to meet even one will result in closure.

They must provide hand disinfection products and a convenient hand-washing place with clean water and soap for both staff and tourists.

All surfaces touched by people should be disinfected and cleaned at least once a day.

Tourist attractions with outdoor activities can only operate at 30 per cent capacity.

Staff coming into direct contact with tourists and outsiders (such as tour guides, ticket staff and drivers) must have had both vaccine shots at least two weeks prior to resumption of work or a certificate of recovery from COVID, and have to be tested once every three days.

Unvaccinated staff can only work online.

All employees and tourists must strictly follow the Ministry of Health’s 5K safety message: khẩu trang (face mask), khử khuẩn (disinfection), khoảng cách (distance), không tụ tập (no gathering), and khai báo y tế (health declaration).

Tourists aged above 18 must furnish documents showing they were fully vaccinated at least two weeks before arrival or have recovered from COVID.

People below 18 need a negative COVID rapid test obtained within 48 hours before arrival. 

The Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control will review and finalise the criteria based on the pandemic status.

The criteria are expected to help gradually revive the tourism market after a long hiatus due to the pandemic, starting with city tours before expanding to inter-provincial ones.

The city has recently trialled tours to Cần Giờ and Củ Chi districts.

Boom of antigen testing in HCMC, Vietnam’s Covid-19 hotspot

Many medical facilities in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam's current Covid-19 hotspot, have offered antigetesting as many people have taken heed of rapid antigen diagnostic test after receiving vaccine jabs or catching the disease during the fourth wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

Dweller Tran Thi Kim Cuc in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 7 was wondering whether she has antigen for SARS-CoV-2 after being inoculated with Covid-19 vaccine shots; therefore, she went to a medical facility for antigen tests where informed the price of antigen test of VND450,000 while shipper Nguyen Van Ut Em in Binh Tan District required a negative test before returning to work after he has caught Covid-19.

The test can help him to have a Covid Green card. With a Covid green card, he is eligible for delivery work again.

HCMC-based Cho Ray Hospital is carrying out antigen testing for the treatment of Covid-19 patients and meet residents’ demands. Dr. Tran Thanh Vinh, Head of Department of Biochemistry, Cho Ray Hospital, said that this method is applicable to a group of people who need testing to know if their bodies have antibodies and if so, how much will be achieved.

After vaccination, doctors will rely on that result to re-evaluate the body's ability in responding to the vaccine. In addition, this method is also applicable to a group of patients who a doctor requires to have tested as a doctor suspects them to catch Covid-19, the results will support the diagnosis.

Lots of medical facilities in the southern metropolis are offering antigen tests for dwellers’ demand. For instance, Hong Duc General Hospital has provided testing service with Cobas Roche c6000 in 60 minutes at the cost of VND450,000 excluding quick screening test.

The hospital collects VND1.2 million a person or VND600,000 a person for groups of 50-60 people for taking samples for testing at home. Elsewhere in the city, Hoan My Saigon General Clinic accepted to conduct antigen testing services for people who have had Covid-19 after 7-15 days and people who received Covid-19 vaccine after 14-28 days. Specifically, the fee for antigen tests at the clinic is VND475,000 a person and the fee of VND1,367,000 at people’s houses.

Doctor Truong Huu Khanh, advisor to the Department of Neurological Infections, Children's Hospital 1, said that people should not undergo antibody tests because it can cause waste but should wait for the health sector’s guidance.

Regarding the antibody test for return to work or re-evaluation of a person’s response to the vaccine, Dr. Nguyen Van Vinh Chau, Deputy Director of the Health Department of Ho Chi Minh City, said that antibody testing is extremely complicated. The commercially available tests are generic antibody tests; while the antibody that protects against infection is a neutralizing antibody that directly blocks the spike protein on the virus.

PCR and antigen tests are the most common but they work differently. While antigen tests look for proteins on the surface of the virus to ascertain the presence of the pathogen, PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests are engineered to seek genetic material called RNA that instructs the virus to make these proteins.

Both tests also require a swab from the back of your nose or throat as a sample and cannot determine whether you are contagious if positive but that’s where the similarities end.

Dak Lak student attends online classes at makeshift tent

An elderly couple in a remote district in the central highlands province of Dak Lak have erected a tent on a hilltop for their grandson to study online during the Covid-19 prevention social distancing.

The four-square-metre classroom was set up for 10-year-old Trieu Van Tai who lives with his grandparents in Dak Ngo Commune after being abandoned by his mother. His grandfather, Trieu Sinh Huong, had to spend a lot of time searching for a place with a phone signal so that his grandson could study online.

"I finally got a phone signal when I reached this hilltop," he said. "It lies just about a kilometre from my house but there was no road so it took lots of time to get here."

The grandparents put up a small tent from wooden pieces and bought a mobile phone at VND2.1 million (USD 91) for Tai to start studying from September 20. He visits the tent five days a week to attend online classes which last three hours a day.

"The mobile phone is now the most valuable asset in our home," the grandfather said. "Although we are very poor, we will try our best to give our grandson a better life."  

Tran Van Thuy, a teacher at Doan Thi Diem Primary School where Trieu Van Tai is studying said that Dak Ngo Commune was a remote mountainous area which is home to the Dao ethnic minority group. Many families here live in poor conditions without electricity.

Deputy Headmaster of Doan Thi Diem Primary School, Nong Van Thuy, said that the school has over 430 students and 194 of them lacked a device for studying online and 171 others don't have stable internet connections for online studying.

"Based on the current situation in our localities, we’re dividing the students into several groups," he said. "Grade 1 and 2 pupils will study through television while Grade 3, 4, 5 will attend online classes. For the students who don't have devices or internet connections, teachers will come to their houses to give printing lessons and exercises for them to study at home."

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on September 12 launched a programme to provide computers and telecommunications services for students and pupils with difficult circumstances, especially those living in areas hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The programme aims to source 1 million computers, and ensure mobile service coverage at all 283 points without mobile internet connection in localities that are applying social distancing regulations, and 1,910 other places nationwide.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Education and Training, as of September 12, online teaching and learning has been deployed in 26 out of 63 provinces and cities across the country. The total number of students joining online studying is estimated at 7.35 million, of which 1.5 million do not have computers.

Da Nang ensures COVID-19 vaccination for OVs, foreigners

Da Nang has been giving COVID-19 vaccinations for foreigners and overseas Vietnamese living in the central city to ensure they are injected at least one dose, said an official on September 21.

Director of the municipal Department of Foreign Affairs Huynh Duc Truong said over 4,800 foreigners and overseas Vietnamese with different nationalities living in the city.

According to the official, many of them, including those work at foreign consulates general, industrial parks, and non-governmental organisations, among others, have received their first jabs.

As of August 30, the department’s hotlines received 180 calls, emails, and texts from foreigners, mostly asking for assistance in purchasing food, necessities, and medicines; in travelling to vaccination sites; and in making appointments related to health checkups and visa extension, among others. Prompt support has been delivered to them./. 

National Museum of History transforms itself with digital technology application

The National Museum of History has introduced several new virtual shows to attract visitors in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The museum has applied digital technology in preserving and promoting cultural heritage for many years, said Dr. Nguyen Van Doan - Director of the National Museum of History. The purpose is to build a digital database  for Vietnamese cultural heritage (E-Heritage) and it has obtained many positive results.

One of the latest shows is a 3D virtual interactive display of national treasures which the museum developed in collaboration with Vietsotfpro Company since 2020.

In addition, the National Museum of History Volunteer Club has researched and built an online tour of the museum to meet the needs of visitors during the time of social distancing.

The online tour, held on September 12, was a combination of narration with various digital technologies which help bring new perspectives and experiences. It attracted nearly 100 participants. 

In particular, the museum's History Classroom programme and the History Lover's Club are being gradually converted to an online form, via the Zoom application. Up to now, the museum has organized hundreds of free history classes for more than 5,000 students, including Vietnamese children living abroad.

Based on the experience and success of the above programmes, the museum's director Dr. Nguyen Van Doan affirmed that in the coming time, the museum will continue to design more shows using digital technology to meet the growing demand of the public./.

Thai Binh province signs MOU on planning work in 2021-2030

The People’s Committee of the northern province of Thai Binh on September 21 signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Vuon Thoi Dai Vietnam (Times Garden Vietnam) JSC on cooperation in planning work for the province in the 2021 - 2030 period, with a vision to 2050.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Khac Than highlighted the significance of the event, saying that the cooperation is expected to help the province meet planning goals in alignment with the vision and development strategy set by the local authorities.

Thai Binh province has been working hard to realise planning tasks and objectives stated in the Resolution of the 20th provincial Party Congress, he said.

A steering committee for implementing planning tasks of the locality, and a working team led by Chairmen of People's Committees of districts and Thai Binh city to direct relevant tasks were established, he said.

Than suggested Times Garden Vietnam JSC and consulting units arrange high-quality human resources to ensure the schedule of planning work.

He requested that the planning should closely follow the development orientation stated in the 20th provincial Party Congress’s Resolution, adding that the units should also help the locality determine and formulate development plans for important sectors such as infrastructure development, tourism, trade and services, especially in Con Vanh area.

On the occasion, a consultant consortium of several domestic institutes also signed a cooperation agreement with Roland Berger and Surbana International Consultant Vietnam Co., Ltd on providing consultation services related to planning work for Thai Binh./. 

HCM city sets up telephone exchange number for people who need first vaccine shot 

HCM City’s Department of Information and Communication has set up a telephone exchange number for residents who have yet to receive their first COVID-19 vaccine shot.

Adults aged 18 and above in HCM City who have not received their first shot can send an SMS message to 8066 with the description “MUI1 FullName BirthYear District”. For instance, a message can be sent as “MUI1 NguyenVanA 1960 BinhChanh” to 8066.

Lists of registered residents will be sent to People’s Committees in districts and Thủ Đức City.

HCM City is focusing on vaccinating all adults, with or without permanent residency.

The city originally aimed to have all people aged 18 and above to have their first shot by September 15 and second shots by the end of the year, but some people have still not received their first shot. 

The city’s Department of Health recently asked districts and Thủ Đức City to tally up and send to the department lists of the number of adults who have not received their first shot.

HCM City, with an adult population of 7.2 million, has given more than 6.8 million adults aged 18 and over their first vaccine shot, and 2.1 million aged 18 and over their second shot.

The city is preparing to gradually reopen its economy while staying safe from the pandemic. It will implement a COVID-19 green card system to identify vaccinated residents who will be allowed to engage in certain activities depending on how many shots they have received.

The city is Việt Nam’s COVID-19 epicentre, with 341,000 positive cases found. 

NA Standing Committee looks into settlement of complaints

The National Assembly Standing Committee reviewed a report on answers to voters’ suggestions, the results of citizen reception, and the settlement of citizens’ complaints and denunciations sent to the legislature in August during its ongoing third session in Hanoi on September 21.

Speaking at the event, Chairman of the NA Standing Committee’s Ombudsman Committee Duong Thanh Binh said the committee received 334 suggestions from 32 delegations of NA deputies in centrally-run cities and provinces following the NA’s first session, which were sent to competent agencies. So far, all 807 voters’ suggestions sent to the 14th NA’s 11th meeting have been dealt with, equivalent to 100 percent.

Binh added that NA deputy delegations actively inspected and directed pandemic prevention and control work, monitored the provision of support for residents, workers and employers who met difficulties caused by the pandemic in localities.

Such proved the public trust in the leadership and directions of the Party and NA, the management of the Government, the Prime Minister, local authorities at all levels, common consensus by people from walks of life in the fight against the pandemic and socio-economic development, he said.

Participants basically agreed with the Ombudsman Committee’s report. Several opinions proposed the NA agencies organs and delegations of deputies further strengthen the supervision over the settlement of complaints and denunciations.

NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue suggested the Ombudsman Committee continue reviewing the settlement of complaints, denunciations and reception to citizens via NA agencies.

The NA Standing Committee assigned the Ombudsman Committee to acquire feedback at the event. Other NA agencies were also required to work with competent agencies to deal with complex and prolonged complaint and denunciation cases./. 

Soldiers make lanterns for kids during pandemic

This year’s Mid-Autumn Festival takes place in the context of the country still adopting drastic measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, especially in Ho Chi Minh City, the largest hotspot. There are no activities in the city to celebrate the festival as usual, but many children here still have joy when they received lanterns made by soldiers. 

After hours of joining local anti-pandemic efforts, officers and soldiers from Division 5, Military Zone 7 have been focusing on making colourful lanterns as Mid-Autumn Festival gifts for children.

In addition to beautiful patterns, the soldiers have also painted their own images on the lanterns. All of the kids are excited and interested in the fancy new lanterns.

Officers and soldiers from Division 5, Military Zone 7, have actively worked with local authorities and sponsors to make nearly 2,000 lanterns for local children.

The warm sentiments of the soldiers are also a meaningful gift to the children./.

Hanoi hospital given support to treat critically-ill COVID-19 patient

Early last month, Hà Nội’s Thanh Nhàn Hospital for the first time used Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) to treat a critically ill COVID-19 patient.

The patient, Hoàng Văn Ngọc, 48, from Hoàng Mai District, was placed on ECMO for two weeks after all other forms of heart and lung support failed. Ngọc recovered from COVID-19 and was discharged from the hospital a few days ago.

“His recovery is a source of happiness not only for himself but also Thanh Nhàn Hospital’s health workers, particularly those who directly provided him with whole-hearted medical treatment and care,” said vice director of the hospital Nguyễn Thị Lan Hương.

Hương said that Ngọc’s recovery was a motivation for the hospital’s medical workers in treating COVID-19 patients.

When using ECMO to treat Ngọc, Thanh Nhàn Hospital’s doctors received professional support from their colleagues at leading hospitals including the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases and Bạch Mai Hospital, Hương said.

“When Ngọc was placed on ECMO, health workers were at his bedside almost all the time, closely caring for his breathing and monitoring his blood,” she said.

ECMO works by temporarily drawing blood from the body to allow artificial oxygenation of the red blood cells and removal of carbon dioxide with a machine.

Doctor Lê Văn Dẫn, who directly provided Ngọc treatment, said that the patient was transferred to Thanh Nhàn Hospital on August 3.

“He is young, does not have any underlying health conditions but his COVID-19 development turned critical very fast,” Dẫn said, adding that medical techniques like dialysis and a high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) failed.

“As Ngọc quickly suffered respiratory failure with serious lung damage, we decided to use ECMO for him on the night of August 8 as the last hope to save him,” said Dẫn who is deputy head of Thanh Nhàn Hospital’s Intensive Care Department.

“It took more than three hours to place the ECMO on him. However, after that, the oxygen concentration in his blood was low and kept decreasing,” he said, adding that medical workers had to stay next to him all the time to adjust the machine and ensure sufficient oxygen supply.

“Three days later, Ngọc’s condition started improving with increasing oxygen concentration,” Dẫn said.

“Despite Ngọc’s improved health indicators, doctors worried as his lung injuries were already in the stage of solidified lesions and fibrosis.”

“We continued to use the ECMO and adsorption systems with aggressive therapeutic measures. Gradually, the patient's condition showed signs of improvement with improved oxygen index and more stable blood pressure. We had to gradually reduce sedation to assess the patient's consciousness and movement of his hands and feet,” Dẫn said. 

“This was the time we could see the patient's chance of survival," doctor Dẫn said.

Ngọc said that recovering from COVID-19 was like being born for the second time.

“I could not remember clearly how I was taken to Thanh Nhàn Hospital. At that time, I could hardly breathe. It was like someone was holding my nose tightly,” he said.

All he could do at that time was to try to inhale deeply as per doctors' instructions.

“I told myself to keep trying, following doctors or I would die,” he said, adding that at some moments, he was unable to get any oxygen.

“When I felt I could not go on anymore, I gave up. I was lying quietly, motionless, but in my mind, I thought about my death,” Ngọc remembered.

As soon as Ngọc fell into a coma, he was provided intensive care and placed on ECMO.

“When I woke up after the coma, I was so happy to see everything and people around as if I started a new life,” Ngọc said.

A few days later, he said that he still had difficulties breathing and he had to practise daily with support from medical workers.

His health condition started to improve. He felt much better with his breathing becoming regular.

Ngọc tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 with a very high viral load after spending 12 days in a concentrated quarantine area in Thanh Trì District.

Ngọc was taken to Đống Đa District Hospital for COVID-19 treatment. After only two days at the hospital, he was transferred to Thanh Nhàn Hospital as he had strong reactions to SARS-CoV-2 with breathing difficulty, respiratory failure and lung consolidation. His computerised tomography (CT) scan results at that time showed that 80 per cent of his lungs were damaged. Before getting COVID-19, Ngọc reportedly had no underlying medical problems. 

Vice President presents gifts to frontliners in Tien Giang

Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan visited and presented gifts to frontliners in the fight against COVID-19 in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang on September 21.

In Cai Lay township, Xuan hailed frontliners for their determination in the effort. She asked the provincial authorities to offer timely support and commendation to individuals and organisations for their contributions in the work.

She also asked the province to ensure social welfare for residents, come up with specific plans to restore key industries and offer incentives to firms in the new normal.

As of September 21, the province had recorded 13,270 infections, 77.8 percent of them recovered and 327 died from the disease. Four out of 11 districts and townships had gone through seven days without local transmissions, reported the provincial Steering Committee on COVID-19 Prevention and Control.

On the occasion, she handed over 5,000 COVID-19 test kits and five houses to the province. The Vietnam Fatherland Front also presented 3 billion VND to Tien Giang and 220 million VND to Cai Lay township in support of the local pandemic fight.

In the morning the same day, the leader also visited and offered gifts to frontliners in the COVID-19 treatment hospital No.2.

Later in the afternoon, she also presented gifts to disadvantaged workers and trade union members in the Dai Thanh fishery company based in the Song Thuan industrial zone in Chau Thanh district./.

Significant role of Vietnamese áo dài honoured in online exhibition

The charming beauty of the Vietnamese áo dài (traditional long dress) has been honoured in an ongoing online exhibition.

Initiated by Thừa Thiên Huế Province’s culture authority, the event is to promote the role of the traditional dress in Vietnamese culture and history, solidifying the “national copyright” of the dress.

World leaders, in Vietnamese traditional dress, pose for a group photo at the APEC Summit in Hà Nội in 2006.
“Our purpose is to spread the love to the traditional dress of every Vietnamese person, encouraging them, men and women, to wear it as much as possible. Once the wearing of áo dài in all aspects becomes popular, we can build up a unique cultural image, therefore we can continue to design relevant tourism products and services,” the director of the provincial culture department, Phan Thanh Hải, told Việt Nam News. 

The exhibition started with a short clip entitled Huế – Chiếc Nôi Áo Dài Việt Nam (Huế – The Cradle of Vietnamese Traditional Dress) featuring valuable images about the dress. It presents an image of President Hồ, in his áo dài, to welcome the Lunar New Year’s Eve together with local people at Hà Nội’s Ngọc Sơn Temple in 1946 – the first celebration after Việt Nam declared independence to become the Democratic Republic of Việt Nam on September 2, 1945.

The image of Nguyễn dynasty’s Emperor Ming Mạng (1791-1841), who issued a decree, asking every subject of Đại Nam (Great Việt, former name of the current Việt Nam) to wear long dress, has been featured in the clip.

Images of other emperors of the Nguyễn dynasty such as Hàm Nghi (1871-1944) and Thành Thái (1879-1954), in their áo dài, can also be seen in the clip.

The dress has been introduced to international friends through the country’s leaders and diplomats.

Viewers can see a group photo of President Nguyễn Minh Triết and other world leaders, in the brocade Vietnamese áo dài, at the APEC Summit in Hà Nội in 2006, or the one depicting Vietnamese Ambassador Phạm Sanh Châu presenting his credentials to King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.  

In addition, the clip also introduces several other images of ordinary people wearing long dress in their daily activities such as in gold workshops or at the market.

The popularity of traditional long dress in modern cultural, tourism and educational events also has been introduced in the clip. 

According to director Hải, the idea for the exhibition started more than a year ago.

“Since the COVID-19 outbreak in Việt Nam at the beginning of last year, we decided that the online concept is safe and suitable in the context of the pandemic,” he told Việt Nam News.

To prepare for the exhibition, the department has called on people and organisations to contribute photos of long dress from their private collections.

So far, thousands of unique photos have been sent to the department.

“The number will increase as we continue to receive photos from individuals and organisations in Việt Nam and abroad,” Hải said.

The exhibition also uses a large number of photos that the department collected earlier for their book Huế – The Cradle of Vietnamese Traditional Dress which was published last October.

After the debut clip, from now until the end of this year, the exhibition will continue to present 14 clips on specific topics such as Áo Dài Trong Dòng Chảy Văn Hóa, Lịch Sử (Traditional Dress in the Flow of Culture and History), Y Phục Hoàng Cung (Royal Costumes), Từ Truyền Thống Đến Quốc Phục (From Traditional Dress to National Dress), and Nghề May Thêu Áo Dài Tại Huế (The Long Dress Making Craft in Huế).

The exhibition is available on the website of the provincial culture department as well as on other popular social network platforms such as Youtube, Facebook, Zalo, Tiktok, and Instagram.  

Hanoi allows resumption of some services from September 21

Hanoi’s authorities have allowed the reopening of some services in the city from 6am on September 21.

Stores providing essential goods and services are allowed to open, along with traditional markets, shopping centres, stores for stationery, textbooks, and other learning equipment, mechanics, electronics, and home appliances and in-door hairdressing salons.

Restaurants and food and drink establishments are permitted to reopen for delivery only and must close before 9pm every day.

Motorbike delivery services, including those using ride-hailing apps will continue to operate from 9am to 10pm but shippers must be vaccinated with at least one dose, make daily health declarations and strictly observe COVID-19 prevention and control regulations.

The social distancing is loosened but the city continues to keep 22 checkpoints at the city’s gateways and 33 other checkpoints at the entrances to other localities to control people leaving and entering the city, especially from high-risk areas.

The city also proposed the Ministry of Transport continue suspending all domestic commercial flights arriving at Noi Bai International Airport as well as railway services transporting passengers to Hanoi.

Sport, cultural and entertainment activities at public areas and business establishments and religious gatherings and celebrations are still banned./. 

NA Standing Committee mulls over draft mobile police law

The National Assembly Standing Committee gave opinions on the draft Law on Mobile Police during its third session in Hanoi on September 21 under the chair of NA Vice Chairman Tran Quang Phuong.

At the event, Deputy Minister of Public Security Le Quoc Hung delivered a report on the bill while Chairman of the NA Committee on National Defence and Security Le Tan Son presented a report examining the bill.

Participants basically agreed with a need to issue the law, and suggested further clarifying the role and position of mobile police force compared to others in the people’s public security sector, thereby highlighting the necessity to issue a law for them more persuasively.

Concluding the event, Phuong said after collecting feedback from the committee, the draft law has met criteria to be submitted to the legislature for the first time during its second meeting.

He asked compiling agencies to acquire relevant feedback, then report to the Government and submit it to the NA in its second meeting as directed by NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue./. 

Dong Nai puts into use largest temporary COVID-19 treatment hospital

The southern province of Dong Nai on September 21 put into operation a 3,000-bed COVID-19 treatment hospital, the largest of its kind in the locality.

The temporary hospital is located in Xuan Hoa commune, Xuan Loc district. On the first day of operation, the hospital received more than 100 COVID-19 patients from Nhon Trach district.

Phan Huy Anh Vu, Director of the provincial Department of Health, said the inauguration of the new hospital has increased the province's treatment capacity to nearly 24,500 beds.

The number of new COVID-19 cases in Dong Nai province has been continuously increasing with an average of 1,000 infections per day. Thus, it is very necessary to prepare more temporary hospitals to treat COVID-19 patients, helping to reduce the pressure on the local health sector, and be ready to cope with a high number of cases, he said.

According to the provincial Department of Health, the province recorded 623 positive cases of SARS-CoV-2 on September 21, bringing the total figure to more than 41,000. Of which, nearly 21,000 patients have been recovered and 388 people have died./.

Vietnam responds to “Clean up the world” campaign

The Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, in collaboration with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, held a national launching ceremony in response to the “Clean up the world” campaign.

The ceremony was concurrently held virtually in Hanoi, the northern provinces of Bac Giang and Thai Binh, and the central provinces of Thanh Hoa and Quang Nam.

The campaign was organised globally for the first time in 1993. It has become one of the annual international environmental events responded by hundreds of millions of people in more than 130 countries around the world.

The campaign aims to call on organisations, businesses, individuals and the entire community to participate in activities to improve and protect the environment; collect, treat, and recycle waste; and refuse to use disposable plastic products and hard-to-degrade plastic bags.

This year, the campaign focuses on conveying messages and raising public awareness of the meaning, role and responsibility of environmental protection in socio-economic development; stepping up activities to promote environmental protection, sustainable development, disaster reduction and climate change adaptation in the “new normal”.

People can respond to the campaign through actions such as sorting, recycling, reusing plastic waste, increasing environmental sanitation, and planting trees./.

Da Nang ensures COVID-19 vaccination for overseas Vietnamese, foreigners

Da Nang has been giving COVID-19 vaccinations for foreigners and overseas Vietnamese living in the central city to ensure they are injected at least one dose, said an official on September 21.

Director of the municipal Department of Foreign Affairs Huynh Duc Truong said over 4,800 foreigners and overseas Vietnamese with different nationalities living in the city.

According to the official, many of them, including those work at foreign consulates general, industrial parks, and non-governmental organisations, among others, have received their first jabs.

As of August 30, the department’s hotlines received 180 calls, emails, and texts from foreigners, mostly asking for assistance in purchasing food, necessities, and medicines; in travelling to vaccination sites; and in making appointments related to health checkups and visa extension, among others. Prompt support was delivered to them./.

Khanh Hoa province prepares to welcome visitors

The central coastal province of Khanh Hoa has issued a plan to welcome visitors in October with priority given to leisure and closed tourism services.

According to the provincial Department of Tourism, the province intends to receive domestic tourists from October 15 and foreign ones from December this year.

Nguyen Thi Le Thanh, Deputy Director of the department, said that the agency had developed tourism promotion programmes to encourage local residents to travel in the province, adding that it would also prioritise attracting tourists from neighbouring provinces, then from such areas as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, southeast and northern provinces.

Visitors must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or have received one shot of COVID-19 vaccine but test negative for the virus, she said.

As for international tourists, they should be given their second shots at least 14 days and no more than 12 months before their entry. For those who have recovered from COVID-19, the time from hospital discharge to their entry date must not exceed 12 months.

The plan will be applied for visitors who have registered to join package tours of travel agencies./.

HCMC considers closing some quarantine facilities, Covid field hospitals

HCMC is considering shutting down some concentrated quarantine facilities and Covid-19 field hospitals as many Covid-19 patients have been treated at home and the recovery rate has been increasing.

Over 40% of Covid-19 cases have been treated at home and the number of recoveries has reached 169,200, Tuoi Tre Online newspaper reported.

The municipal healthcare sector planned to return schools requisitioned as quarantine centers to districts.

Intensive care units will be integrated into the field hospitals No. 13, 14 and 16 to admit severe and moderate patients, while field hospitals for mild patients in the Cu Chi and Can Gio districts will be maintained, said a leader of the municipal Department of Health.

Intensive care units in HCMC managed by the Bach Mai Hospital, the Hue Central Hospital and the Viet Duc Hospital will also be maintained.

Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son said the city must restructure the Covid-19 treatment system, especially field hospitals.

In addition, the city will maintain pop-up healthcare stations and call on private clinics to take care of Covid-19 patients at home and at centralized quarantine centers.

Doctor Nguyen Thanh Phong, director of a field hospital established by requisitioning the District 8 Cultural Center, said the hospital is treating some 100 cases, down from the previous 170 cases. The daily new cases have also fallen from 20-25 cases to 10 cases.

The mobilization of forces, especially the army medical force, for the treatment of Covid-19 patients at home has proved effective and reduced the number of patients getting worse. In addition, the number of hospitalized patients has dropped, so medical workers at hospitals can take care of their patients better, thus reducing the number of Covid-19 deaths and raising the number of recoveries, Phong added.

Therefore, some schools, dorms, apartment buildings, cultural houses and parts of hospitals should not be requisitioned any more. Only those with sufficient infrastructure should be maintained.

Field hospitals should also be merged to save operation costs.

Doctor Nguyen Thanh Tam, head of the general planning division of a field hospital in Thu Duc City, said the hospital received some 200-300 patients per day, half of the figure on peak days. As the pandemic remains complicated, some field hospitals should be maintained but those with a small number of patients should be dissolved.

Doctor Pham Thi Thu Van, deputy director of the District 11 Hospital, who is in charge of the field hospital No. 9 in Hoc Mon District, also supported the merger of hospitals, saying facilities should be returned to agencies so they can resume their operations when the city allows the resumption of activities.

According to Doctor Tran Van Khanh, director of Le Van Thinh Hospital, who is in charge of the field hospital No. 3 in Thu Duc City, if the number of Covid-19 patients is over 60% of the hospital’s capacity, it should be retained. They should be closed if the number of patients is lower than 40%.

HCMC has 93 Covid-19 treatment facilities, including 30 field hospitals with some 42,000 beds.

UNESCO’s recommendations concerning protection at Phong Nha - Ke Bang

The UNESCO has sent recommendations on Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park World Heritage to the People’s Committee of the central coastal province of Quang Binh and the Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park Management Board.

The organization has required the province to build a detailed strategic action plan on ensuring the force that will take responsibility for solving 14 invasive alien species in Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park, implement measures to reduce the number increase in tourists in caves the park and not approve and carry out any infrastructure projects located in or near the caves.

The province have to make reports on all large-scale construction and tourism projects that could create effects on the global outstanding values in Phong Nha-Ke Bang.

Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in the central province of Quang Binh is one of the most spectacular wilderness sites in South East Asia and one of the 2 largest limestone regions in the world. It was recognized as a World Heritage site for the second time for its ecological system and biodiversity at the 39th session of the World Heritage Committee in Bonn, Germany in 2015.

The first time was in 2003 for its geological and geomorphologic values. It is home of more than magnificent 300 caves and ranks among the most popular tourist destinations in Vietnam, including the world's largest cave, Son Doong; the world's 3rd largest cave, En cave; and the longest dry cave in Asia, Thien Duong (Paradise) Cave.

Scientists estimate that Phong Nha-Ke Bang and adjacent areas are home to over 1,000 caves. There are more than 600 caves that still remain unrevealed. Artificial intelligence (AI) will be applied to discover caves and digitize the entire cave system for scientific study and tourism development, said the director of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park.

Vietnam's external cultural strategy to promote national image abroad

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has issued the Directive No.25/CT-TTg on strengthening Vietnam's external cultural strategy in order to improve the quality and effectiveness of the country’s external cultural activities.

The directive also aims at the comprehensive development of Vietnamese culture and people, turn culture into an endogenous power and promote the inspiration for the sustainable and prosperous development.

One of the requirements is the enhancement of Vietnam’s presence at international and regional large-scale and prestigious events, such as global expos, Olympic Games, international film festivals, international tourism trade fairs, world’s sport events and book fairs and exhibitions; and boost promotional and communication activities on types of news and social media platforms, exchanges with global media agencies and international film crews.

The directive also asks the implementation of active global integration, the effective use of multilateral cooperation, promotion of the role of external cultural tasks at multilateral forums including UNESCO, ASEAN, ASEM, IFACCA, WIPO.

In addition, the speed up of the development of digital culture, paying attention to the technological and scientific application, the 4th industrial revolution’s achievements, strengthening external activities after the Covid-19 pandemic could be under control are necessary.

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

VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES SEPTEMBER 21

HCM City to implement third relief package worth 7.3 trillion VND