According to the Ministry of Health’s guidelines, people must wear face masks in public places.

The Ministry yesterday issued guidelines for the use of masks to prevent the Covid-19 epidemic in public places. Accordingly, the Ministry of Health affirmed that wearing face masks in public places - an individual preventive measure - will help to reduce the spread of the Covid-19 epidemic in the community, protecting people's health, especially people in high-risk groups such as people with underlying diseases, the elderly, immunocompromised people, and obese people.

According to the guidelines, a public place is understood as a place that serves many people in closed spaces such as theaters, cinemas, discos, and restaurants, or places with open spaces such as stadiums, parks, bus stations, and piers.

On that basis, wearing face masks is mandatory for people with symptoms of acute respiratory infection, people with or suspected of having Covid-19; all subjects (except children under 5 years old) when going to a public place in an area that has been declared an epidemic level 3 (high risk) or level 4 (very high risk).

Along with that, the Ministry of Health also stipulated wearing masks in specific places such as medical facilities, medical isolation places, and accommodations where someone is in medical isolation or is under medical observation and supervision. Moreover, the Ministry’s regulation is applicable to people using public transport, drivers, people serving on public transport, service staff, managers, and workers at train stations, bus stations, and docks when in direct contact with passengers.

Service staff, managers and workers at trade centers, supermarkets, and wholesale markets ought to don face masks when in direct contact with customers. People must wear face masks at places with closed spaces, and poorly ventilated namely bars, discos, karaoke, massage and beauty service establishments, gyms, bodybuilding establishments, and food and drink service establishments served on-site.

33 people survive as passenger bus plunges into canal at midnight

Thirty-three people on board a passenger bus luckily survived after the bus plunged into a canal under construction in Ninh Thuan province, southern Vietnam, early on September 8. 
      
The passenger bus has been severely damaged after being retrieved from the canal. The accident happened at 00.30 when the bus was travelling from Khanh Hoa province to Binh Thuan province, said survivors.  

When the bus approached National Highway No1 section 1,542km+935.9 in Go San village, Bac Phong commune of Thuan Bac district, Ninh Thuan province, it suddenly plunged off the road into the canal nearby.

On receiving the news, relevant forces were deployed to the scene to take 33 people on board the passenger bus to Ninh Thuan Provincial General Hospital for medical checkups and treatment.At around 4:00 a.m. they completed the rescue work.

Among the injured receiving medical care at the hospital, two are suffering from serious injuries, others are having minor injuries.

Local authorities arrived at the hospital to inquire into the health of the injured passengers.

Investigations into the cause of the accident are underway.

Widespread downpours to hit northern, central Vietnam

Localities in the northern and central regions will experience heavy rains and strong winds on September 8-9, meteorologists have said.

According to the National Hydro-meteorological Forecasting Centre, the widespread rains will last through September 11, and flooding and landslides are expected to hit mountainous and low-lying areas.

The heavy rains will cause temperatures to drop by 4-6 degrees from current levels to 24-28 degrees Celsius in Hanoi and 17-21 degrees Celsius in the mountainous town of Sa Pa in Lao Cai province.

The Standing Office of the Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control on September 7 sent a document to cities and provinces, asking them to brace for the natural disasters.

They should keep a close watch on weather forecasting, provide updates for local authorities and residents, and monitor the areas prone to flooding and landslides to evacuate people to safer places, according to the document.

They were also asked to take measures to protect crops, aquatic farms and production facilities, prepare personnel and equipment to deal with emerging issues, and step up the communication work to raise public awareness of preventive measures.

Da Nang: anti-State propagandist arrested

Police in the central city of Da Nang have detained and launched legal proceeding against Bui Tuan Lam, born in 1984 and residing in Hai Chau district, for the charge of “making, storing, spreading information, materials, items for the purpose of opposing the State of Socialist Republic of Vietnam” under Article 117 of the Criminal Code.

According to Colonel Nguyen Duc Dung from the municipal Department of Public Security, initial investigation showed that Lam is a member of a number of organisations, groups, associations and exile reactionary organisations against the Party and State of Vietnam .

Lam regularly joined political opponents to write articles distorting the government and inciting protests and disorder causing activities.

Since 2013, he has regularly used social networks to post stories, videos and livestream with contents distorting the orientations and policies of the Party and State, while encouraging activities against the Party and State. At the same time, Lam also shared articles insulting national leader and the reputation and honour of law enforcement organisations and individuals with the desire and purpose of changing the socialist regime in Vietnam, thus causing anger among the masses.

Despite being educated and warned by the local police and administration many times, Lam still showed non-cooperative and defiant attitude, and did not give up the infringing activities but conducted them more openly and fiercely.

Vietnam attends 44th Int’l Committee of Military Medicine Congress

Vietnam is among the 66 military medical delegations gathering in the Belgian capital city of Brussels for the 44th International Committee of Military Medicine (ICMM) World Congress held from September 5 – 9.

The event marks the ICMM’s 100th anniversary, the celebrations of which were postponed last year because of COVID-19.

This event provides Vietnam with an opportunity to share its experience in the field, said Colonel Nguyen Van Giang, Deputy Director of the Ministry of National Defence’s Department of Military Medicine, who led the Vietnamese delegation.

It is focusing its discussions on the global pressing issues, such as fighting epidemics, particularly COVID-19; future trends in surgery; battlefield emergency care; infection control; nursing; and shock resuscitation, he said.

One of the presentations sparking interest at this year’s event came from Belgium’s Queen Astrid Military Hospital. It introduced the “phage therapy” which uses bacteriophages to treat bacterial infections. It is expected to be an alternative to antibiotics when bacteria develop resistance.

Founded in Brussels in 1921, the ICMM now has 119 military medical units from different countries and territories worldwide.

Vietnam, Brunei FMs co-chair second Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation meeting

Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son and Second Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brunei Darussalam Dato Erywan Pehin Yusof on September 7 co-chaired the second meeting of the Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC-2) between the two countries.

Yusof welcomed Son's September 6-8 trip, saying it is of significance as it is made at the time when Vietnam and Brunei are celebrating the 30th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties (1992-2022) and making efforts in socio-economic recovery post COVID-19.

Son, for his part, stressed that the organisation of the meeting demonstrates the two countries’ resolve to promote the bilateral comprehensive partnership in a more pragmatic, intensive and extensive manner.

The minister congratulated Brunei on important achievements the country reaped in pandemic prevention and control, and external affairs, especially successfully performing its role as Chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2021.

The two ministers shared the view that the bilateral relations have developed remarkably since the first meeting in 2017, and the upgrading of the ties to a comprehensive partnership in 2019 is a hallmark, creating a premise for the relationship to grow further in various spheres.

The two countries have maintained political cooperation and all-level delegation exchange effectively, they said, adding that economic ties have made big strides, surpassing the target of 500 million USD in annual trade revenue set for 2025 by their leaders.

Cooperation in other fields like national defence and security, agriculture, oil and gas, education and people-to-people exchange has also made progress, bringing pragmatic interests to both sides.

The two sides agreed to accelerate the building of an action programme implementing the comprehensive partnership for 2023-2027, arrange visits by leaders, materialise signed agreements, extend the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on agriculture and fishery, and coordinate to cope with traditional and non-traditional security challenges, including trans-national organised crime, cyber crime and terrorism.

They will also step up negotiations of cooperation documents in such areas as the transfer of sentenced persons and crime combat.

The two sides will encourage their businesses to step up connectivity, diversify the supply and trade structure and seek investment opportunities, especially in potential areas like agriculture-fishery, forestry, energy-oil-gas and processing industry, contributing to ensuring food security and production chain.
           
To promote balanced trade, Son suggested Brunei facilitate the penetration of Vietnamese goods, especially rice and agricultural and aquatic products that meet Halal standards, into the market.

The minister expressed his hope that Brunei will soon ratify the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), contributing to creating cooperation opportunities between the two countries.

The Brunei minister highly valued Vietnam’s potential and experience in agriculture, aquaculture and construction, and asked Vietnam to share its experience and encourage businesses of the two countries to cooperate in these fields.

The two ministers also consented to step up cooperation in education and people-to-people exchange between the two countries and within the framework of ASEAN, diversify tourism activities, and encourage carriers to consider opening more direct air routes, and promote cooperation between universities.

They agreed to continue closely cooperating with each other, promoting ASEAN's common principles and stances on relations with partners, as well as in the Myanmar and East Sea issues; step up the implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and closely coordinate in negotiations on an effective and efficient Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in accordance with international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

At the end of the event, the two ministers signed the minutes of the meeting and agreed to hold the 3rd meeting in Vietnam at an appropriate time.

Vietnam takes bold action to tackle plastic waste

Vietnam has rolled out multiple programmes to tackle plastic waste in the context of the region emerging as a “hot spot” for plastic pollution.

Statistics from the World Economic Forum (WEF) reveal that every year, the world produces more than 400 million tonnes of plastics, of which 75-199 million tonnes are currently found in oceans.

The amount could triple in the next two decades if no actions are taken.

A study published by the WEF in 2021 showed that among the 10 countries that discharge the most plastics into the ocean, five are in ASEAN.

Apart changes in plastic use, Vietnam has put into use many initiatives towards a circular economy.  

Most recently, Plastic People has been the only Vietnamese innovator in the Top 5 of the Plastic Waste to Value Southeast Asia Challenge to tackle plastic waste mismanagement in the region.

The challenge was jointly launched by The Incubation Network, in partnership with the Global Plastic Action Partnership, UpLink by theWEF, and the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, aiming to accelerate innovative solutions that are focused on plastic recycling and upcycling in Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.

The top five innovators will be participating in the tailored development programme over the course of five months.

UNESCO pledges support for Thua Thien-Hue to preserve cultural heritage sites

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) will accompany the central province of Thua Thien - Hue in the conservation and promotion of traditional cultural heritage values, Director-General Audrey Azoulay said on September 7.

She made the commitment at a working session with Nguyen Van Phuong, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee.

Visiting the Complex of Hue Monuments for the first time, Azoulay appreciated the efforts made by Thua Thien - Hue province and the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre over the years to preserve and promote the country’s tangible and intangible heritage values.

While emphasising that the Complex of Hue Monuments is the first World Cultural Heritage site in Vietnam to be honoured after joining UNESCO, Azoulay called for the restoration, promotion and preservation of Hue’s heritage sites.

Palau aims to enhance cooperation with Vietnam

President of the Republic of Palau Surangel Whipps Jr. was very impressed by Vietnam’s economic development and wanted to cooperate with the Southeast Asian nation in construction, infrastructure development, tourism, human resources and fisheries, Minister of Human Resources, Culture, Tourism and Development Ngirabelas Tmetuchl said during a meeting with Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Vu Hong Nam in Tokyo on September 7.

The working session also saw the participation of Minister of Public Infrastructure and Industries Charles Obichang and a number of parliamentarians from Palau.

The meeting was expected to open up many opportunities for the two countries to enhance their relations, Tmetuchl said.

To strengthen economic and trade ties, Tmetuchl said priorities should be given to encouraging and supporting businesses of the two countries to promote bilateral economic and trade activities, conduct market research, and seek investment opportunities.

He said Palau wanted to open a direct air route between the two nations to facilitate tourism development.

Regarding human resource development, Tmetuchl noted that the majority of guest workers in Palau come from the Philippines, Bangladesh and China, and Palau wanted to receive Vietnamese workers, especially in the fields of construction, infrastructure and fishing.

For his part, Nam said the two countries need to further discuss and exchange measures to build a comprehensive cooperation agreement or a memorandum of understanding, to ramp up collaboration in politics, trade and human resources.

Vallet scholarships granted to more than 120 students in Nghe An

The scientific and educational organisation “Meeting Vietnam” presented 126 Vallet scholarships worth 1.9 billion VND (80,750 USD) in total to outstanding students in the central province of Nghe An on September 7.

Established in 2001, the organisation’s Vallet Scholarship Fund is sponsored by Professor Odon Vallet from France’s Sorbonne University. Over the past two decades, it has granted scholarships to more than 50,000 outstanding students in Vietnam.

The organisation has presented more than 3,000 Vallet scholarships to students in Nghe An province alone.
 
This year, 2,100 Vallet scholarships, with value exceeding 36 billion VND, are set to be presented to Vietnamese pupils and students across the nation.

HCM City: Over 400 tonnes of necessities donated to orphans, needy people

The Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Committee of Ho Chi Minh City on September 7 received more than 400 tonnes of necessities worth over 18 billion VND (763,068 USD) for local orphans and disadvantaged families on the occasion of 2022 Mid-Autumn festival.

The goods, including milk, cooking oil and soy sauce, were donated by the Yeah1 Group Corporation.

Speaking at the handover ceremony, President of the committee Tran Kim Yen said the city had borne the brunt of COVID-19 outbreaks that orphaned more than 2,500 children.

Hanoi steps up updating COVID-19 vaccination data

The Hanoi Department of Health has ordered the city’s centre for disease control to provide training for local health centres and vaccination establishments to step up updating COVID-19 vaccination data for local residents.

As of the start of September, the local establishments, excluding ministries and sectors’ hospitals based in Hanoi, had verified more than 12 million vaccine doses (equivalent to 75.35%) while over 4.2 million others (24.65%) had not.

The department said its subordinate units have coordinated with public security divisions at different levels and related agencies to verify and update the data on the national population database and the national platform for COVID-19 vaccination management.

From now to the end of 2022, it will continue asking vaccination establishments to review existing data on the management platform and work with police to carry out verification, correction and supplementation to ensure information accuracy on the national population database.

Vietnam, Netherlands work together in sustainable aquaculture promotion

The Vietnam-Netherlands Sustainable Aquaculture Business Forum 2022 took place in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on September 7, aiming to create a business platform for trade and investment promotion between the two countries and facilitate knowledge exchange and technology transfer to develop a sustainable aquaculture industry in Vietnam.

With its natural advantages, the Mekong Delta has seen the strong development of aquaculture with annual growth of 11% each year.

According to Vu Thanh Liem, Vice Director of the International Cooperation under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) pointed to a number of challenges facing the region, including climate change impacts, saltwater intrusion and extreme weather conditions.

He said that the forum is expected to foster cooperation between Vietnam and the Netherlands in seeking sustainable measures to enhance the competitiveness of the Vietnamese aquaculture industry in the global market and protect the natural environment of the Mekong Delta region.

The EU is one of Vietnam’s five largest seafood export markets, and Vietnam is the second largest seafood supplier to the EU among all Asian countries and regions. In recent years, the Netherlands has become Vietnam’s largest seafood export market in the EU, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).

Meanwhile, Dutch Ambassador to Vietnam Daniël Stork held that Vietnam has great potential to become a sustainable seafood supplier of the world amid current food security challenges in the context of rising population.

The Netherlands is willing to cooperate with Vietnam in promoting sustainable aquaculture development through sustainable innovation, research and application of technologies and a comprehensive approach, he said.

The Dutch private agricultural sector is working with Vietnam in addressing challenges related to water quality and efficiency, reducing disease costs in fish farming, minimising antibiotic use, and technological innovation, planting mangrove forest, and making stratification process for agriculture.

Gerardo van Halsema from Wageningen University and Research proposed that Vietnam develop a new water supply system for aquaculture sector to ensure water quality for farming activities.

Hanoi plans to open new tunnel this October

Contractors have been asked to accelerate work on the Le Van Luong - Belt Road No. 3 tunnel in Hanoi with a view to inaugurating this facility on October 10.

Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Tran Sy Thanh and other local officials inspected some key transport projects on September 7, including the tunnel.

Thanh required that the Hanoi management board for transport facility investment and construction order contractors to speed up progress so as to open the Le Van Luong - Belt Road No. 3 tunnel by October 10 this year and Vinh Tuy 2 Bridge on the National Day (September 2) occasion in 2023.

Work on the Le Van Luong - Belt Road No. 3 tunnel started on October 2, 2020. The management board said it has urged contractors to arrange three shifts working around the clock, and that about 85% of the workload has been completed.

Meanwhile, construction is also being ramped up for Vinh Tuy 2 Bridge. About 70% of the project, which began on January 9, 2021, has been done.

Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics steps up cooperation with UNDP

The Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics (HCMA) and the United Nations Development Programme in Vietnam (UNDP) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation on September 7.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Chairman of the Central Theory Council and Director of HCMA Prof. Dr. Nguyen Xuan Thang spoke highly of UNDP’s contributions to Vietnam’s socio-economic development, especially green and sustainable development, personnel training, and enhancing role of female leaders in Vietnam’s political system.

He expressed the hope that under the MoU, the UNDP will share knowledge and techniques with the academy, thus strengthening its capacity in training activities in order to serve Vietnam’s socio-economic development in the coming time. 

UNDP Resident Representative in Vietnam Caitlin Wiesen affirmed that UNDP will participate in and implement the Strategic Framework for Sustainable Development Cooperation (CF) between the Government of Vietnam and UNDP for the 2022-2026 period, and the Country Programme for Vietnam for 2022-2026, including important areas such as economic transformation, climate change adaptation, and strengthening resilience to natural disasters.

She thanked the Vietnamese Government and agencies, and the HCMA in particular for their support and cooperation with UNDP, affirming that UNDP is always ready to accompany and support Vietnam in building and implementing socio-economic development strategies and policies, and in training cooperation programmes of the academy. 

UNDP Vietnam will continue to promote cooperation with Vietnam for the sustainable development of Vietnam, she stressed.

On the occasion, Prof. Dr. Thang presented the insignia "For the cause of training and fostering political theory" to Wiesen in recognition of her effective support for and cooperation with Vietnam and HCMA during her tenure in the country.

Vietnam attends Seoul Defence Dialogue 2022

Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien, deputy minister of national defence of Vietnam joined other military officers at the opening ceremony of the Seoul Defence Dialogue 2022 that took place in the capital of the Republic of Korea on September 7.

The 11th Seoul Defence Dialogue is getting underway from September 6 to 8 with the participation of senior defense officials and experts from 54 countries and territories, as well as regional and international organizations worldwide.

SDD-11 has been designed to have three plenary sessions to discuss cooperation in promoting the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, rebuilding trust in the Indo-Pacific region and the military’s role in hybrid warfare involving both conventional and unconventional war instruments.

In addition, four special sessions will be arranged to discuss international peacekeeping operations, the fight against disinformation, defense technologies for military modernization and defense acquisition efforts.

On the sidelines of the sessions, Deputy Minister of National Defence Hoang Xuan Chien met with his Japanese counterpart Masami Oka. The two sides agreed to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in order to make the Vietnam-Japan defense relationship more substantive and effective. They reaffirmed their close coordination to co-chair the ASEAN Defence Minister’s Meeting plus experts’ working group on peacekeeping.

Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien invited leaders of the Japanese Ministry of Defense to attend the first International Defense Exhibition to be hosted by the Vietnamese Ministry of Defense in early December 2022.

Daily COVID-19 caseload hits four-month rise of nearly 4,000

Vietnam has recorded 3,878 coronavirus infections across the country during the past 24 hours, a record high figure in the past four months.

The September 7 figure saw an increase of nearly 300 cases compared to the previous day, the Ministry of Health said in its coronavirus update released at 6pm.

The same day also saw nearly 15,000 more patients recover and two more die of the virus.

Vietnam has so far documented as many as 11,428,632 million COVID-19 cases, ranking 12th out of 227 countries and territories worldwide.

Of the total, 10,252,898 million patients have recovered and 43,125 people have died of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and underlying illnesses.

Cat Linh-Ha Dong metro line transports nearly 6 million passengers in over 9 months

The Cat Linh-Ha Dong urban metro line has transported nearly 6 million passengers during more than nine months of operation, according to Hanoi Metro One Member Limited Company (Hanoi Metro) – a State-owned enterprise specialising in the operation and maintenance of urban railway in Hanoi.

In the four-day National Day holiday, more than 156,000 passengers used the line, with over 55,000 on September 2 alone, surpassing the record daily number of 54,000 on the May Day.

The company’s survey showed 54% of the passengers use monthly passes.  

The line started running last November. It was officially inaugurated on January 13 this year and welcomed the one millionth passenger the same day. With a total investment of approximately 868 million USD (up 315 million USD compared to initial estimates) and funded by China’s official development assistance (ODA), the elevated line is more than 13km long and has 12 stations and 13 trains.

Trains run every 10 minutes with a capacity of 960 passengers each train. One-way tickets cost from 8,000-15,000 VND (0.35-0.65 USD) for a trip and 30,000 VND for a day pass. A monthly pass is priced at 200,000 VND, with lower price schemes available for bulk purchases by companies or factories
          
Vietnam hopes for exemption of residence, income taxes for interns in Japan

Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) Dao Ngoc Dung had a working session with Japanese Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) Katsunobu Kato in Tokyo on September 5, suggesting that the Japanese side consider the exemption of residence tax and income tax for Vietnamese interns as applied to those from other countries.

Kato thanked the MOLISA for working closely with ministries and sectors of Japan in bringing Vietnamese apprentices to Japan to work over the years, affirming that Japan prioritises cooperation with Vietnam in receiving Vietnamese apprentices, skilled workers and engineers.

He said that his ministry has given strict punishments, including the withdrawal of licences, to businesses violating regulations in receiving foreign apprentices, especially acts of violence against foreign workers or unsatisfactory working conditions.

Dung highly valued the coordination of the MHLW over the years as well as the cooperation outcomes between the two ministries in labour and social welfare, especially in human resources development.

He said that Japan is one of the favourite destinations for Vietnamese workers. For higher cooperation efficiency, he suggested that Kato propose to the Japanese Government expanding areas receiving Vietnamese workers, especially sectors that face workforce shortage such as restaurant, hotel, and bus services.

Minister Kato committed to coordinating with relevant ministries to consider Dung’s proposals.

The same day, Dung had a working session with Hitoshi Kanamori, President of the Public Interest Foundation International Manpower Development Organization (IM Japan), during with Dung highly valued IM Japan’s programme to receive foreign interns. He noted that over the past 17 years, 17,838 Vietnamese interns have arrived in Japan within the programme.

He proposed that IM Japan continue to support Vietnamese interns, while increasing the inspection over Japanese businesses to ensure good working and studying conditions for the interns.

Dung expressed his hope that the memorandum of understanding on the technical internship training programme for Vietnamese technical interns in Japan signed by the MOLISA and IM Japan in June will be implemented effectively and become a model of labour cooperation between the two countries.

Kanamori committed to enhancing its management capacity and directing member enterprises to improve the living and working conditions for Vietnamese workers.

During his stay in Japan, Minister Dung also visited Taisei Industry Corporation and Aioi Denshi company in Kanagawa Prefecture.

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