Ho Chi Minh City, the country’s largest coronavirus hotspot in Vietnam, has recorded a total of 14,800 children under 16 infected with COVID-19 since the beginning of the year, according to the city’s Department of Health.

Of the total, approximately 12,000 kids have fully recovered, and 13 have died of the virus, said Nguyen Huu Hung, deputy director of the city’s Health Department, at a meeting held on September 8 to review the pandemic situation in the city.

He added that the victims also suffered from a variety of underlying illnesses, including cancer.

At present, the Health Ministry is looking for COVID-19 vaccines that can be administered to people under 18 amid calls for the inoculation of children before they can return to school.

However, despite Vietnam’s efforts to get access to vaccine sources, supplies remain limited and can therefore only meet a fraction of the needs. The MoH has urged localities to vaccinate priority groups from 18 years old and above, including medical personnel, frontline workers, elderly people, and people with underlying health conditions.

When more supplies eventually become available, it will issue guidelines for the vaccination of children under 18.

100 kilos of narcotics from Cambodia busted

HCMC Police on September 8 announced the busting of a smuggling ring worth 100kg in narcotics in coordination with the Drug-related Crime Investigation PD.

According to the HCMC Police, the substances were transported through the Cambodian border along southwestern provinces into HCMC.

The ring was led by L.T.H, born in 1992 from Dak Lak, and managed by H.V.T, born in 1975 from Tay Ninh, who is in charge of the procuring the “goods” and assigns them to L.T.H and other dealers for distribution.

The drugs were hidden in bamboo baskets among fish paste products, on trucks serving Covid-19 relief efforts bound for HCMC.

On August 19, the police discovered a large amount of substance being dropped at 83/5 Tan Thoi Hiep Ward, District 12.

The Drug-related Crime Investigation PD and law enforcement units under the Ministry of Public Security, police forces of District 12, Binh Chanh District, Cu Chi District and Division 1 of the HCMC People’s Procuracy caught the two aforementioned suspects in possession of 100kg of various narcotics.

From their testimonies, the police went on to arrest D.T.M.D, another suspect involved in the smuggling ring.

HCM City considers issuing 'vaccine green cards'

HCM City is looking into a “vaccine green card” system to allow eligible residents to travel and work under fewer COVID-19 restrictions, facilitating the economy’s recovery, according to Phan Văn Mãi, chairman of the city People’s Committee.

The city has formed a working group to focus on recovering the economy while staying safe from the pandemic after September 15, when the strict social distancing order is expected to be relaxed if the city is able to keep the outbreak under control.

After September 15, businesses and workers will have to satisfy safety regulations in order to reopen, including vaccinations for employees.

Medical and economic experts are currently researching vaccine green card systems and related requirements, and more details will be available at a later date.

Dương Anh Đức, deputy chairman of the People’s Committee, said that under the vaccine green card model, more relaxed social distancing regulations could be applied to residents meeting certain requirements.

Vaccinating the city’s population quickly is important for reopening the economy, he said.

Patients who have fully recovered will be exempted from vaccinations for six months, and will be able to go to work, similar to locals who have received their second shot. Their discharge papers will be redesigned to be a certification, updated on the city’s database.

Mãi expressed hope that the central Government will supply more vaccines so that more locals can get their second shot.

The city's Department of Information and Communications is working with the Ministry of Information and Communication and Ministry of Health to include national data on vaccinations into the city’s general database.

The city can then use the data to work with business associations to ensure safe production, and verify local residents' number of shots when they make health declarations.

HCM City is Việt Nam’s COVID-19 epicentre, with over 265,000 cases found since late April. It has been imposing strict preventive measures, carrying out more tests to isolate COVID-19 cases, and asking locals to “stay where they are”.

The city targets giving all adults aged 18 and above their first vaccine shot by September 15, and their second shot by the end of the year.

As of September 7, of the more than 6.1 million adults aged 18 and over who have received their first shots (85.2 per cent of the city’s adult population), 600,000 people have received their second shots.

Other provinces such as Bình Dương and Đồng Nai are also considering a vaccine green card to prepare for “the new normal”.

US$416 million proposed for An Huu – Cao Lanh Expressway Project

The Ministry of Transport said that the Management Board of My Thuan Project has just submitted the pre-feasibility study report of An Huu - Cao Lanh expressway construction investment project for assessment.

Accordingly, the An Huu – Cao Lanh Expressway is proposed to be constructed with a total length of 33.8 kilometers, traveling through two Mekong Delta provinces of Tien Giang and Dong Thap.

In the first phase, the expressway will be designed with four limited lanes and a maximum speed of 80 kilometers per hour with a total investment of VND6,944 billion (nearly US$334 million). After the whole project is completed, the route will have four lanes with a designed speed of 100 kilometers per hour and a total investment of VND9,508 billion (nearly US$416 million).

The Management Board of My Thuan Project proposed the Ministry of Transport to implement the project under public-private partnership (PPP) form and build-operate-transfer (BOT) contract with 50 percent on the total investment capital coming from the State budget and the payback period is expected to be 27 years.

It is expected that its site clearance and resettlement will be carried out in two years of 2022 and 2023 and the expressway project would be basically opened to traffic in 2025.

The expressway will shorten around 50 percent of the travel time, connecting with the National Highway No.1, the North-South Expressway to the East including expressways of Ho Chi Minh City – Trung Luong – My Thuan – Can Tho and Ca Mau, the North-South Expressway to the West consisting of Route N2 – My An – Cao Lanh – Lo Te -Rach Soi.

Deputy PM urges ensuring equality in online learning

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam on September 8 asked the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) to push ahead with digital transformation, including online learning, and ensure equality in this regard.

He made the request at a working session with representatives from the MoET, the Vietnam Association for Promoting Education, and radio and television channels.

The ministry was also urged to coordinate with radio and television channels in setting the broadcasting timeline with the best coverage.

The Ministry of Information and Communications and network operators need to ensure the transmission line, Dam said.

The participants shared the view that learning online should be the main method, which would be supported by television lessons amid COVID-19.

According to the ministry, the learning and teaching have met a raft of difficulties during the first days of the 2021-2022 school year due to the impact of the pandemic.

In Ho Chi Minh City – the country’s current biggest pandemic hotspot, up to 77,000 students lack electric devices for online learning. In some other localities, 50-70 percent of students have no equipment, and students in many hamlets are unable to access the internet to study.

MoET Minister Nguyen Kim Son affirmed that the ministry will adjust the academic calendar and exams this year./.

Outstanding overseas Vietnamese in Germany honoured

The Vietnamese Embassy in Germany has held a meeting with representatives of the Vietnamese community in the country to honour organisations, individuals and businesses with outstanding contributions to the community and the homeland.

Speaking at the event, part of a series of activities to mark Vietnam’s 76th National Day, Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Minh Vu reviewed the relationship between the two countries, saying that it is developing very well in all fields.

Regarding the COVID-19 situation in Vietnam, the ambassador said the complicated developments of the pandemic, with the emergence of the more transmissible Delta variant, have forced the Government to impose social distancing measures to combat the disease in the context of a limited amount of vaccine, he said.

Vu said the embassy has focused on promoting vaccine diplomacy as well as calling on the federal government, states and business organisations in Germany to actively support Vietnam in the epidemic fight.

Since 2020, the Vietnamese community and some German friends have supported the country’s pandemic prevention and control work with more than 300,000 EUR and some valuable medical equipment, plus 517,000 EUR in aid for people in the central region during the floods last year.

It reflected that Vietnamese expatriates always look toward the homeland in difficult times, Vu said, affirming that the Party and State recognised and appreciated the important contributions of overseas Vietnamese to the homeland, especially during the current pandemic.

On this occasion, the ambassador presented the Certificates of Merit from the Foreign Minister, the Chairman of the State Committee on Overseas Vietnamese Affairs and the Vietnamese Ambassador to Germany to a number of organisations and individuals making outstanding contributions to the COVID-19 prevention and control and supporting flood-hit people in the central region./. 

“VNEID” app put into use for domestic medical declaration and travel

The Ministry of Public Security has built the VNEID electronic medical declaration application in order to serve citizens and shorten the time needed for medical declarations.

The information was released on September 8 by the Police Department for the Administrative Management of Social Order (C06) under the Ministry of Public Security.

Currently, the application can be installed and used completely free on both major smartphone operating systems, Android (download from CH play) and iOS (download from the App store).

According to C06, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Information and Communications, and the Ministry of Health have agreed to use the common declaration form qw issued by the Ministry of Public Security; with a citizen’s QR code to be used interchangeably between citizen management software in epidemic areas and commonly used applications such as Ncovi, Bluezone, VHD.

VNEID has the ability to connect to the national population database to ensure the accuracy of citizen information, serving in the tracking of F0, F1, F2 in the prevention and control the COVID-19 epidemic. At the same time, it is also possible to expand deployment in other locations when required such as supermarkets, trade centres, drug stores, etc.

Military medics provide treatment for 199,000 home-bound Covid-19 patients

Deputy Minister of Defence Vu Hai San has said army medics have assisted treatment of around 199,000 home-bound Covid-19 patients in HCM City and its neighbouring localities, including 57,300 being given the all-clear from the virus. 

San added that medics had set up 660 mobile medical groups. The Ministry of Defence has sent 4,600 staff and medical equipment to the southern region, including 30 ambulances, eight ventilators, and two mobile Covid-19 testing vehicles.

The defence ministry has built nine Covid-19 field hospitals and set up an intensive Covid-19 treatment centre at Military Hospital 175. These hospitals have provided treatment for 13,000 Covid-19 patients. Currently, 3,600 patients are still staying there.

Military mobile medical groups have tested Covid-19 for 1.1 million people, detecting 42,000 positive cases. They have also helped HCM City’s Covid-19 vaccination.

The ministry has also helped in Hanoi’s Covid-19 testing and vaccination work.

Military forces have co-operated with localities to tighten control over Covid-19 check-points in border areas and set up quarantine sites for migrants.

Vietnam further expands cooperation with EU, Belgium

Vietnamese Ambassador to Belgium Nguyen Van Thao presented a letter of credentials from President Nguyen Xuan Phuc to King of the Belgians Philippe on September 8.

At the reception for the diplomat after that, King Philippe expressed his delight at the positive development of Belgium-Vietnam relations, and affirmed the need to expand cooperation through the frameworks of the Strategic Partnership on Agriculture signed in 2018 and the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement effective from August 2020.

He appreciated the two countries’ cooperation at multilateral and regional forums such as the United Nations, the Asia-European Meeting (ASEM) and the International Organisation of La Francophonie, and their sharing of the importance of strengthening cooperation in ensuring security, safety and freedom of navigation in the region, including the East Sea.

Ambassador Thao affirmed his efforts to boost and deepen the bilateral relations in all fields. He conveyed President Phuc’s invitation to invite the King to pay a State visit to Vietnam in the near future, especially when the two countries celebrate the 50th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic ties in 2023.

He said that huge potential remains for the two countries to expand collaboration in trade and investment, especially in the fields that Belgium has strengths and Vietnam has demand such as renewable energy, seaports, logistics, digital economy and climate change.

The early completion of the ratification process of the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) by Belgium and EU member states will bring many opportunities for interested Belgian businesses which want to invest in Vietnam and expand their presence to neighbouring countries, Thao noted.

He also took the occasion to thank Belgium's State, Government, organisations, enterprises and people for supporting Vietnam’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

On the same day, Thao, who is also Ambassador and Head of Vietnam’s Delegation to the EU, presented a credential letter to President of the European Council Charles Michel, during which he affirmed that Vietnam treasures and hopes to intensify its comprehensive partnership with the EU – one of Vietnam’s leading important partners in all fields.

He pledged to do his utmost to continue developing the bilateral ties by boosting comprehensive economic cooperation, effectively implementing the EVFTA, and speeding up the ratification process of the EVIPA.

For his part, Charles Michel affirmed that the EU always attaches great importance to Vietnam’s role and position and its relationship with Vietnam, considering Vietnam its important partner in the region.

The EU will continue to cooperate closely with and support Vietnam in comprehensive and sustainable development, coordinate with and support each other at regional and international forums, especially within the framework of EU-ASEAN cooperation, in line with the EU's strategy on strengthening relations with the Indo-Pacific region./.

Two warned over spreading false Covid-19 treatment on social media

Two social media users in Can Tho and HCM City have been warned after promoting earthworms as a Covid-19 treatment. 

The police in Can Tho said that they had asked a local to the police station on September 8. The 24-year-old woman has two Facebook accounts under the names of Duong Duong and Kim Ngan. These accounts often wrote and shared posts about using earthworms to treat Covid-19 as advertised Covid-19 medicines.

The woman admitted to uploading and sharing false information. She has taken down the posts.

On September 2, Nguyen Duc Tho, chief inspector of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Information and Communications, said they asked the owner of Angela Phuong Trinh account to the police station to work after writing various posts about earthworms as Covid-19 treatment. Angela Phuong Trinh is a famous actress and fashion model in the city.

She took down the posts on September 19 after receiving requests from the authorities.

The Department of Information and Communications said they had worked with other agencies to deal with false advertisements and information that can cause harm to the users' health.

The Ministry of Health has confirmed that there was no scientific evidence that earthworms could be used to treat Covid-19. The authorities will also deal with celebrities who spread this information.

Binh Duong province speeds up COVID-19 vaccination

Binh Duong province, an industrial hub in southern Vietnam, is ramping up COVID-19 vaccination to soon achieve herd immunity to bring the life back to new normal and recover socio-economic development.

The province has administered all 750,000 doses of Vero Cell vaccine, produced by Sinopharm, it has received in a short period of time.

The provincial Department of Health said the Ministry of Health has so far allocated 2.3 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, including 1 million doses of Vero Cell vaccine, to Binh Duong.

In the coming days, the province will continue inoculating 300,000 doses of AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines recently provided by the ministry.

With the goal of giving each resident at least one shot of vaccine, it has been rapidly conducting vaccination. The local health sector is deploying the entire medical force to carry out the task around the clock.

In the fourth wave of COVID-19 infections, which began on April 27, Binh Duong has recorded 141,765 cases, including 1,210 deaths.

The tally includes 3,172 cases confirmed on September 8, 89.5 percent of which are in locked-down areas. Thuan An city remains the epicentre in the province, with 1,407 new infections reported on the day./.

Japan, Germany lure manpower from central Việt Nam

Fukuoka City in Japan has become the eighth city, after Yokohama, Maebashi, Chiba, Shizuoka, Tokyo, Tottori and Nagasaki, to recruit students from central Việt Nam to work and study in healthcare from April 2022, marking progress in human resources training cooperation between Japan and Việt Nam.

The first group of qualified Vietnamese nursing students will travel to Japan to work at the healthcare centres of Heisei Corporation in Fukuoka, Japan, under an internship programme between Heisei and Đà Nẵng-based Đông Á University signed in April 2021.

Nishihara Kosaku, executive chairman of Heisei Corporation, said the human resource training cooperation would help strengthen the basic skills and readiness for students from central Việt Nam to work in Japan, while limiting cultural difference and communication difficulties among Vietnamese students in Japan.

He said the cooperation aimed to supply high-quality human resources from central Việt Nam to Japan starting from 2022.

Head of Consulate General of Việt Nam in Fukuoka, Vũ Bình stressed that the cooperation of Heisei Corporation and Đông Á University was a symbol of the deeper development of the Việt Nam-Japan strategic partnership, even during difficulties posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bình said the two partners should boost high-quality training for Japan in terms of quantity and quality, and the Consulate General of Việt Nam in Fukuoka would offer support for the cooperation.

He said the number of Vietnamese students and workers in the community had increased from 13,000 to 19,000 in the last two years.

Earlier this year, the first 200 Vietnamese students in central Việt Nam were sent to Nagasaki, Japan, for working and studying in nursing.

Nearly 80 businesses from Japan had signed deals in manpower recruitment, language and vocational practice training programmes for students at Đông Á University.  

A human resource training programme has also been signed between the university and WBS Training Việt Nam, under the WBS training AG of Germany, for supplying manpower to work in the healthcare sector in Germany.

Following the deal, final year Vietnamese students at Đông Á University will receive German language training for 12 months in Việt Nam before joining an internship in Germany. The two sides agreed to accredit graduation certificates for employment in Germany and other European countries.

Frank Stein, general director of WBS training Việt Nam, said employment opportunities for Vietnamese students offered great potential.

He said German language qualifications would be an advantage for central Việt Nam students getting jobs in Germany, while the nursing industry needed 25,000 staff.

He said WBS and Đông Á University had agreed a long-term partnership for human resources training and employment in nursing, automobiles, construction, hospitality, information technology and the food industry in Germany going forward.  

Vaccine diplomacy is very important and urgent: Minister

Vaccine diplomacy is very important and urgent at this time, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son told a meeting of the government's working group on vaccine diplomacy on September 8.

Son, who is the head of the working group, said with utmost efforts, the country is expected to receive about 16-17 million more doses of vaccines this month. He underlined the need to keep trying to get more vaccines.

It is necessary to continue promoting vaccine advocacy at all levels, especially high-level, within bilateral and multilateral frameworks and urging vaccine manufacturers to speed up the supply to Vietnam as well as calling on partners with excess capacity to cede or lend, he said, adding that the working group should explore new and potential vaccines being developed for early access, study and immediately promote the vaccine access and mobilisation plan for 2022.

Son emphasised that it is the policy of the Party and Government that vaccination is provided free of charge for the entire population and for foreigners living and working in Vietnam.

He asked members of the working group and 94 Vietnamese representative agencies abroad to continue to cooperate more closely, with greater determination and efforts to contribute to the common efforts of the whole Party and the people in the fight to repel the pandemic and bring the country back to new normal.

Participants at the meeting discussed and agreed on many solutions suitable to the current situation in order to further improve the efficiency of mobilisation, and solve issues relating to procedures for transporting and receiving vaccines, medicine and equipment to bring to the country as quickly as possible.

The meeting focused on reviewing the results of vaccine diplomacy over the past three weeks since the group was established, and agreed on measures to further promote the mobilisation for vaccines, medicines, and medical equipment serving the pandemic prevention and control in the current period./. 

Doctors work to treat COVID-infected drug addicts

Phạm Phú Bình, a doctor at a quarantine and treatment area for drug addicts who have coronavirus in Nha Trang City, central Khánh Hoà Province, has become used to dispensing medicine to addicts in the area.

Bình said on his first day when the quarantine area was set up on August 16, he was stressed as he was surrounded and attacked by the patients who could not resist their urge to take drugs and would seek any way possible to escape quarantine.

“Luckily, I have no wounds,” he said. “If I had an open wound, I could get infected with HIV or AIDs from the patients.”

After that first day, Bình said he had to go with security forces when he gave medicine to the patients each day.

“The mood of the patients was very unstable and they would attack medical staff any time if they were in need of drugs,” he said.

Bình said he and his colleagues had two tasks at the same time – helping patients quit drugs and giving them COVID-19 treatment.

When patients have an addiction, the doctors have to support them to cut off their drug addiction and give them psychological and health advice, he said. Most of the patients in the quarantined area are in a state of extreme fatigue due to drug addiction.

He said that doctors and medical staff had to provide the patients with appropriate nutrition to improve their immune system,

“Not only doctors and medical staff but also security forces, including soldiers and police, in the quarantine area have to work very hard,” according to Nhân Dân (People) online newspaper.

The police are on duty 24 hours a day to ensure the patients do not escape from the quarantine area to seek drugs, while the soldiers have to prepare meals for the patients.

Major Nguyễn Văn Chí Công said he and the security staff were always in a state of readiness to respond to the unusual behaviour of the patients.

He said that a few days ago a COVID-19 patient, suffering intense withdrawal symptoms, climbed over a fence to escape. The security force had to search for the patient all night.

When we caught the patient, who was not wearing a mask, a number of security staff received injuries because the patient badly scratched them, causing the security staff’s gloves to be torn, he said. The security force had to carefully disinfect their hands, feet and shoes.

“Luckily, we caught the patient. If he had successfully escaped, he would be a danger to the community,” he said.

Lieutenant Colonel Võ Thành Tâm, deputy political officer of Nha Trang City Military Command, said the security force knew it was a heavy and dangerous task.

“We have to work in an environment with a high risk of infection, bearing the heat all day from wearing medical protective clothing and the stress of always being ready to control the drug addicts,” he said. “But we always try our best to overcome all difficulties to treat the patients well.”

An quarantined and treatment are was established on August 16 in Phước Đồng Commune, Nha Trang. On August 26, the area was relocated to a dormitory in Nha Trang College of Engineering and Technology.

The quarantine and treatment area is co-managed by the city’s Military Command, the city’s Police Department and the medical force of the provincial drug rehabilitation facility.

The area has 150 beds and is currently treating 55 drug addicts with coronavirus, and 46 drug addicts who have had direct contact with coronavirus patients.

The provincial police department said that the province had more than 1,000 drug addicts, mostly in Nha Trang.

According to police, there is a high risk of coronavirus infection among addicts in the community because their residence is unstable and they move constantly.

As such, police have been sending the drug addicts to the quarantine and treatment area as a way to prevent COVID-19 transmission in the wider community.  

HCM City expats provide help to people in need

 

The current COVID-19 wave is leaving many locals and hospital staff in HCM City struggling, so expats in the city are providing a helping hand by making free meals for hospitals and organisations, as well as raising money and collecting essential goods for people in need.

Vietnam keen on cooperating with Austrian university in life science research

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan on September 7 visited the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences (BOKU) in Vienna and proposed cooperation pogrammes between his ministry and the university.

Briefing the Vietnamese official on training and researching activities of the university, BOKU Rector Hubert Hasenauer said that BOKU is a leading European university on sustainable development and life sciences, focusing on developing living space, natural resources and environment management, and nutrition and medical security.

BOKU currently has more than 12,000 students at all training levels, 20 percent of whom are from different foreign countries, along with more than 1,000 research projects. Its partner network spans all over the world.

The university leader said that BOKU is willing to partner with Vietnam's agricultural sector in training and research in life sciences and natural resource management.

Minister Hoan showed special interest in BOKU’s life science research and the applicability of training and researching activities of the university.

He said that Vietnamese agricultural sector is in need of a new approach to the transformation from single value to integrated and multiple values, creating new living space and ecosystem for agriculture and rural development, stressing that BOKU’s philosophy are very suitable for the sector’s growth orientations.

Minister Hoan showed hope to foster cooperation with the 150-year-old university in the time to come, while proposing a number of exchange and support programmes in training and researching between BOKU and training facilities run by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The same day, Minister Hoan also visited a number of eco-tourism farms in Austria./. 

Thuy Tien named among hot picks at Miss Grand International 2021

Spanish beauty website Missologo Hispano has selected Vietnamese entrant Nguyen Thuc Thuy Tien among its 10 hot picks for the upcoming Miss Grand International 2021, which is scheduled to take place on October 25 in Thailand.

Thuy Tien ranks 7th place in Missologo Hispano's second hot picks at Miss Grand International 2021
The Vietnamese representative features in seventh place among the overall list, while the beauty from host nation Thailand leads the way in her second position,

The other contestants making up the Top 10 include the representatives from Brazil, Indonesia, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, the Philippines, and Mexico.

Tien is notable for making the Top 5 of Miss Vietnam 2018. She later went on to represent the country at Miss International 2018, a global competition held in Tokyo, Japan.

Miss Grand International is one of the six major global beauty contests which is held annually, alongside Miss World, Miss Universe, Miss International, Miss Earth, and Miss Supranational.

Back at the Miss Grand International 2020 pageant, Vietnamese contestant Ngoc Thao clinched a Top 20 finish.

People with both forms of permit can travel in Hanoi

Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính has asked the Hà Nội People's Committee to have specific instructions, and promptly correct shortcomings in the issuance of travel permits according to issued regulations, so as not to let people and businesses wait too long.

The Prime Minister has also asked the Ministry of Health to provide specific guidance on the proposal of the HCM City Transport Association on conducting testing for drivers who have received two full doses of COVID-19 vaccine.

It aims to both ensure safety for the passengers, and create favourable conditions for the transportation and circulation of goods.

The Ministry of Education and Training was asked to urgently guide and direct localities on equipping learning facilities and textbooks for online learning.

People using both old travel permits and the new form of travel permit with a QR code can go through COVID-19 checkpoints in the capital city of Hà Nội from 6am on Wednesday.

The city will tighten the check of travel permits from September 8 as part of efforts to ensure strict social distancing measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Secretary of the Hà Nội Party Committee, Đinh Tiến Dũng, said the implementation of the three-area zoning plan from September 6 would meet the requirements of COVID prevention and control amid complicated pandemic developments in the city.

This solution not only ensures the continued implementation of social distancing measures in the "red zone," but also creates favourable conditions for production and business recovery, and social security assurance in the "orange zone" and “green zone”.

After three rounds of social distancing throughout the city, Hà Nội has controlled the pandemic to prevent a strong outbreak. People with travel permits are allowed to travel across zoning areas, but must arrive at the right destination.

The functional forces will strictly handle violated cases who go out when not necessary, to stop the source of infection, narrow the red zone, and put control the pandemic as soon as possible.

People in the city are asked to stay at home and only go outside in necessary cases like business trips, working at essential businesses (State agencies, factories, essential shops and service providers), buying food and medicines, or emergencies such as medical issues, fires or natural disasters.

Non-essential services and businesses remain closed.

The city authorities have tightened inspection and supervision at COVID-19 checkpoints, making sure travel permits are used correctly. 

Online film making course to be held in October

 

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Office in Vietnam and the Centre for Assistance and Development of Movie Talents under Vietnam Cinema Association will hold a course on non-profit film production with the enrolment taking place from September 6-30.

The “On the Reel Film Lab” will be held virtually in October, aiming to provide basic knowledge for developing short film projects, find suitable production processes and orient careers for young filmmakers.

The course will be conducted online in this October, with the participation of many well-known domestic and foreign directors and filmmakers include directors Pham Ngoc Lan, Truong Minh Quy, Bui Kim Quy, Trinh Dinh Le Minh and Thai director and film producer Pimpaka Towira.

To join the course, young filmmakers should submit proposals for a feature film, documentary or hybrid project. Each selected project will have a maximum of two team members participating in the course.

During the course, trainees will study about international film festival system, get an overview of domestic and international cinema, the  update new filmmaking trends, improve skills as well as directing and film production process. They also have a chance to learn from famous filmmakers.

The course is part of the E-MOTIONS project that contributes to the promotion of networking and creative environment design for filmmakers by UNESCO and its partners with support from Japanese Trust Fund./. 

Foreign students impacted by COVID-19 receive support

The Steve Bui & Friends Foundation hosted a programme on September 8 in Hanoi to present gifts in support of international students who have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Steve Bui & Friends Foundation representatives present gifts to international students afected by COVID-19 in Vietnam.

The array of gifts were presented via the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs and the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee.

The organisers have awarded over 425 gifts worth more than VND211 million, including rice and plenty of nutritious foods and drinks to international students from Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia, Mozambique, Sri Lanka, and Ukraine, who are studying at 11 universities across Hanoi and Hung Yen.

The foundation’s representative Steve Bui revealed that these gifts will serve as a great source of valuable encouragement and support for international students who will gain greater insights into the warm sentiments of Vietnamese people during this challenging period.

Nam Sangwoo, managing director of Sales and Marketing, LG Electronics Vietnam, a member of the foundation, said in addition to business development, his firm always cares about charity activities in Vietnam to people in need, including international students.

LG Group is willing to work alongside the Steve Bui & Friends Foundation to spread the loving connection to the community, said the business executive.

Lao Deputy Ambassador to Vietnam Chanthaphone Khammanichanh emphasised that these gifts greatly contribute to helping poor students overcome pandemic challenges and clearly demonstrate Vietnamese people’s solidarity and friendship for foreign students.

During the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, through the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, Steve Bui & Friends Foundation donated 980 thermal spring water spray bottles and 9,000 N95 face masks worth approximately VND290 million to Bac Giang and Bac Ninh, which were two former coronavirus hotspots in Vietnam.

The foundation also presented 5,040 bottles of alkaline water and 1,000 bottles of thermal spring water spray together VND80 million to the national vaccine fund. It recently provided 12,000 rapid test kits worth nearly VND2 billion to various units in Ho Chi Minh City, the country’s largest coronavirus hotspot at present.

Top Vietnamese legislator's Finland visit expected to boost bilateral ties

National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue will pay an official visit to Finland from September 10-11 at the invitation of Speaker of the Finnish Parliament Anu Vehvilainen.

The visit is of significance and is expected to promote the Vietnam – Finland traditional friendship and extensive partnership in various areas.

Since the establishment of diplomatic ties on January 25, 1973, Vietnam - Finland relations have thrived in many spheres. Both sides offered mutual support at regional and global forums. Two-way trade has increased steadily over the past years.

They also facilitated the exchange of delegations at all levels and the two countries’ leaders also held meetings on the sidelines of international conferences.

The signing of a Framework Agreement on projects funded by Finland’s Public Sector Investment Facility (PIF) scheme also created a framework for the implementation of projects using official development assistance (ODA) and concessional loans provided by the Finnish Government.

Two-way trade hit 337.4 million USD last year and 348.8 million USD by the end of July. (Photo: VNA)
Finland's educational model is being adopted at the Vietnam-Finland International School. More than 2,000 Vietnamese students are now studying and developing professional skills in the European country.

Finland also approved a report on the evaluation of transition process in Vietnam in June 2021, marking the transition of bilateral cooperation model from development cooperation to a stage of mutually beneficial cooperation.

Vietnam is a gateway for Finland to develop relations in Southeast Asia. The two sides shared views on many international issues. Finland supported Vietnam's foreign policy. Moreover, Vietnam's role in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the United Nations Security Council is also important to the European country.

Economic-trade-investment is top priority fields of Finland in its relations with Vietnam. Two-way trade hit 337.4 million USD last year and 348.8 million USD by the end of July.

Finland is now home to 29 valid projects with a total registered capital of 23.632 million USD, ranking 70th out of 140 countries and territories directly investing in Vietnam.

On March 23, 2017, the Finnish Foreign Ministry announced a new national strategy on bilateral development cooperation with Vietnam for the 2016-2020 period with a goal of gradually replacing development cooperation with mutually beneficial cooperation.

During the visit, Hue is scheduled to pay a courtesy call on Finnish President Sauli Niinistö, hold talks with Speaker of the Finnish Parliament Anu Vehvilainen and meet with Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin.

During these meetings, he is expected to discuss bilateral ties and areas of strategic cooperation with the Finnish leaders, orientations to boost collaboration between the two legislatures within bilateral and multilateral frameworks, as well as issues of regional and global concern such as climate change response and sustainable development promotion.  

The two sides will also look into measures to fully tap investment and trade opportunities from the European Union – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement, control the COVID-19 pandemic in tandem with post-pandemic recovery, economic transformation, including the supply and transfer of vaccines and vaccine production technology, medicines and medical equipment to Vietnam.

The Vietnamese side is planning to propose Finland soon approve the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) and continue support to Vietnam in strengthening its comprehensive cooperation with the EU.

A number of investment promotion, business-to-business connectivity activities, and meetings with the Vietnamese community in Finland are also planned./. 

Newly accredited ambassador takes up mission in Greece

Vietnamese Ambassador to Greece Le Hong Truong on September 7 presented his credentials to President Katerina Sakellaropoulou.

Ambassador Truong conveyed cordial greetings and best wishes from President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and other senior Vietnamese leaders to the Greek President.

He expressed his great honor to be appointed Ambassador of Vietnam to Greece and vowed to work hard to deepen bilateral relations and cooperation for mutual benefit between the two countries.

President Sakellaropoulou congratulated Truong on his appointment and pledged to support the Ambassador as well as the Embassy of Vietnam in successfully carrying out their tasks, helping to further develop the two countries’ relations.

She expressed her admiration for Vietnam’s development achievements and hoped to soon visit Vietnam when the COVID-19 pandemic is brought under control in the two countries.

Vietnam attends 11th Mekong-RoK Foreign Ministers’ Meeting

Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son attended the 11th Mekong – Republic of Korea (RoK) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting via videoconference on September 8 at the invitation of Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhonn.

Speaking at the event, Son said despite the complicated developments of COVID-19 pandemic, Mekong countries and the RoK have maintained cooperation in various areas. He hailed the RoK for providing assistance for Mekong nations to cope with the pandemic.

About cooperation orientations, he stated that the major priority of Mekong – RoK cooperation in the near future is assisting member countries in overcoming the current difficulties.

He proposed four major contents, including controlling the pandemic via ensuring countries’ timely, full and fair access to vaccines, sharing experience and transferring vaccine production technology to Mekong nations; cooperating in digital transformation, building digital economy, and assisting Mekong and RoK enterprises in connectivity; improving the capacity of climate change adaptation as well as sustainable use and management of Mekong water resources; and enhancing cooperation in education-training and high-quality human resources development.

Participants shared the view that the top priority should be given to promoting vaccine production, distribution and technology transfer to ensure safe, effective and timely access.

They also looked into regional and global issues of shared concern such as the East Sea and Korean peninsula issues, climate change, drought and saltwater intrusion in Mekong river basin, and agreed to work closely together to cope with common challenges.

Concluding the event, ministers adopted the Co-Chairs’ Statement and vowed close coordination to successfully hold the third Mekong – RoK Summit next month./.  

Da Nang aims to give at least one COVID-19 shot to all over-18 residents in September

The central city of Da Nang aims to give at least one COVID-19 shot to all local residents over 18 years old within September, said Chairman of the city People’s Committee Le Trung Chinh at a meeting of the municipal Steering Committee on COVID-19 Prevention and Control on September 7.

Chinh said that in the future, the city will consider loosening restrictions on a number of activities, including operations of book stores.

He asked districts to act faster when new COVID-19 infections are detected, and the Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Welfare quickly make the list of those in disadvantaged circumstances so that the city can provide timely support.

Secretary of the city Party Committee Nguyen Van Quang asked localities across the city to tighten control over the movement of locals to prevent the spread of virus from red zones to yellow and green zones.

He said that Da Nang has administered half of the 400,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses allocated by the Ministry of Health, and instructed speeding up vaccination.

According to the city Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, Da Nang recorded 34 new COVID-19 cases in 24 hours to 1pm of September 7, most of whom were found inside quarantine facilities or lockdown areas, bringing the tally from July 10 to 4,435.

Currently, two out of seven districts of Da Nang have a high risk of COVID-19 outbreak. Meanwhile, 18 communes in five districts have reported no infection for 14 consecutive days./. 

Vietnam lost to Australia but did good job: coach Park

Coach Park Hang-seo said he regretted Vietnam's 1-0 loss to Australia in Hanoion September 7, but based on the performance the sides were nearly the same quality.

Rhyan Grant’s first-half header near the end of the first half proved enough to see off Vietnam at the My Dinh Stadium during the World Cup qualifier.

Earlier, Vietnam were denied a penalty when midfielder Nguyen Phong Hong Duy's shot hit defender Ryhan Grant's arm. VAR was called upon but referee Abdulrahman Ibrahim Al-Jassim decided it was not a spot kick.

"It is the first time that Vietnam are taking part in the third-round qualifier of a World Cup. Their rivals are all leading continental teams. Vietnamese players performed really well and strictly followed our tactics. In terms of technique, there is no big gap between Vietnam and Australia, though we are smaller than them physically," Park said in the post-match briefing.

"About the goal loss, if my defender chose a better position in that situation, Vietnam would not concede that goal. I feel regret about this loss."

Park also spoke about the denied penalty for the hosts, saying: "The referee watched VAR. He maybe thought that the defender did not intend to touch the ball. I respect his decision."

Speaking with reporters after the match, skipper Que Ngoc Hai hailed Vietnam's spirit and effort against familiar World Cup participants Australia.

"We have done all we can. We worked hard and played our best this month. But they are really strong. I am proud of my team and teammates," he said.

Australia coach Graham Arnold said Vietnam were a tough rival who created a lot of difficulties for his team. He said he was pleased with three points and Australia still had many things to do in the coming games.

The Vietnamese players will be released for one week before they return for training on September 18 for two matches, against China on October 7 and Oman five days later.

Park expects his favourite striker Nguyen Cong Phuong will join with teammates after welcoming his baby last month.

But one of his defenders Nguyen Thanh Trung might be absent as he has a torn thigh, which will take weeks to recover.

Currently in Group B, Australia are on top with six points, followed by Saudi Arabia then Oman.

Vietnam are in fifth, one place above China./. 

Vietnamese, Chinese people's organisations vow to promote exchanges

The Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) have agreed to strengthen cooperation and exchanges, especially in border areas.

The consensus was reached by President of the VFF Central Committee Do Van Chien and Chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee Wang Yang during their phone talks on September 8.

Chien said that over the past time, Vietnam - China relations have continued to develop positively. High-level contacts, exchanges and cooperation between ministries, agencies and localities of the two countries have been promoted, contributing to consolidating friendship and political trust, he said, adding that economic and trade links have also been growing despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said he hopes that collaboration between the VFF and the CPPCC would be further bolstered, thereby enhancing the friendly neighbourliness and comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties, States and peoples.

The two sides would continue to organise high-level delegation exchanges when the COVID-19 pandemic is put under control and prepare for a friendship exchange between the VFF Central Committee and the CPPCC National Committee as well as another between the fatherland fronts of seven Vietnamese provinces and two provinces/autonomous regions of China that share the borderline in suitable times next year.

For his part, Wang agreed with the VFF leader's proposal on enhancing collaboration and exchanges between the two sides, particularly stepping up exchanges between Chinese people’s political consultative organisations and Vietnam's front organisations in border areas.

He said that the two sides should continue to increase people-to-people exchanges and friendly meetings between young people of the two countries and disseminate information on the traditional bilateral friendship, thus constantly reinforcing mutual trust between the Chinese and Vietnamese people, especially the young generations./. 

Vietnam attends virtual 8th ASOSAI Symposium

A Vietnamese delegation led by Deputy Auditor General Ha Thi My Dung attended the 8th ASOSAI Symposium, themed "The ASOSAI and the Next Normal: Resilience amidst Challenges, on September 8 via videoconference.

The event was hosted by the State Audit Office of Thailand, Chair of the Asian Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI) for the 2021-2024 tenure.

In his opening speech, Thailand's State Auditor General and Chair of ASOSAI 15 Chanathap Indamra said four sub-topics at the symposium will make important contributions to realising ASOSAI’s strategic plan for 2022-2027 and give a panorama of ASOSAI’s activities in the future. They include SAIs and Promoting Good Governance in the Next Normal; SAIs and Encouraging for the Achievement of SDGs; SAIs and Leveraging by using Advanced Technologies for Public Sector Auditing; and SAIs and Responding to Disaster and Pandemic Emerging Issues.

Within the framework of the event, a working group on information technology of the State Audit Office of Vietnam (SAV) led by Deputy Auditor General Phan Truong Giang attended Room C: SAIs and Leveraging by using Advanced Technologies for Public Sector Auditing.

In his discussion paper "Information Technology Audit at the State Audit Office of Viet Nam in the Era of Industrial Revolution 4.0," the Vietnamese representative said the Vietnamese Government is building national databases on financial information . It is expected that by the end of 2021, the country will have completed six major national databases with over 103 national information systems. These are digital resources that need to be tapped in auditing activities through the development of the SAV's specialised databases.

Through the medium of auditing, recordkeeping, internal research and training, the SAV has now in the possession of a huge amount of data warehouses accumulated over years that has not been organized, sorted, and effectively exploited. The aforementioned raw data warehouses need to be organised and arranged automatically by the use AI to form Big Data for auditing works, he said.

The SAV is in the step-by-step progress of conducting audits of IT systems and national databases at the State Bank of Vietnam, the General Department of Taxation, the General Department of Customs and the Vietnam Social Security and has achieved several promising results.

Regarding future orientations for IT audit implementation at the SAV, Giang said his agency will continue completing legal framework and detailed guidance on how to conduct IT audits that have the focus on public digital resources; and conduct annually a preliminary survey of the public digital resource system and establish a specialised database of public digital resources as the focus to gradually build a specialised auditing database. In particular, the focus is placed on data that are available for sharing on Vietnam’s national databases./. 

SAV attends discussion on sustainable development goals

A delegation from the State Audit Office of Vietnam (SAV) attended a discussion on efforts of supreme audit institutions (SAIs) in fulfilling sustainable development goals.

The event was held within the framework of the 15th Assembly of the Asian Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI 15).

During the 2018-2021 period, the SAV’s activities focused on reviewing goals and tasks in the government's national action plan on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development.

It also stepped up environment auditing, a new field in Vietnam. Accordingly, the SAV asked competent authorities to fix shortcomings in the process of approving environmental procedures and dossiers, and strictly deal with violations in the field.

In the near future, the SAV will gradually improve audit capacity, from planning to implementation, thus promoting Vietnam’s sustainable development.

At the same time, it will also enhance international cooperation to learn from experience of international organisations and SAIs while working closely together with agencies concerned to share socio-economic development knowledge, thus creating common consensus on audit evaluations and recommendations./. 

57th ASOSAI Governing Board Meeting successfully held

The 57th Meeting of the Governing Board of the Asian Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI) was held successfully via videoconference on September 8.

A Vietnamese delegation led by Deputy Auditor General Ha Thi My Dung attended the event, which was co-chaired by the President of the Audit Commission of Thailand and ASOSAI Chair for the 2021-2024 tenure, and the Chinese Auditor General who is ASOSAI Secretary General.

At the event, 12 supreme audit institutions (SAIs) adopted the theme of the 13th research thesis, namely “Remote audit for SAIs: future and challenges”.

The ASOSAI Governing Board also agreed to organise its 58th meeting in Pakistan before July 2022.

In his closing speech, President of the Audit Commission of Thailand Chanathap Indamr, who is also ASOSAI Chair for the 2021-2024 tenure, expressed his wish that member SAIs would promote cooperation within the ASOSAI framework, as well as develop ties between ASOSAI and other regional organisations, towards the goal of sustainable development.

Chanathap also hoped that collaboration in the ASOSAI community will continue bringing prosperity to the region and development of member SAIs./.  

Central Steering Committee for Judicial Reform finalises operation model

The Central Steering Committee for Judicial Reform held a meeting on September 8 to finalise a draft project entitled “Organisation and operation of the Central Steering Committee for Judicial Reform”.

Addressing the meeting, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, head of the committee, said over the past 20 years, the Central Steering Committee for Judicial Reform has advised the Politburo to direct the implementation of the Party's resolutions and guidelines on judicial reform.

It has contributed to improving the effectiveness and efficiency of judicial activities; protecting human rights, legitimate rights and interests of the State, organisations and individuals; maintaining political security and social order; promoting socio-economic development and international integration, he said.

Regarding the finalisation of the draft project on the organisation and operation of the Central Steering Committee for Judicial Reform, President Phuc requested that it be consistent with reality and tasks, and make practical contributions to the achievements of Doi Moi (Renewal) process, the development of the country, especially in the protection of human rights, legitimate rights and interests of the State, organisations and individuals, maintaining political security, social order and promoting socio-economic development./. 

Vietnam willing to promote ASEAN-RoK defence ties

Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence is ready to play an active role in promoting defence relations between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Republic of Korea (RoK) for a common interest, Deputy Minister of National Defence Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien said on September 8.

Speaking at a virtual ASEAN-RoK deputy defence ministerial meeting, he said as coordinator of the ASEAN-RoK partnership for the 2021-2024 term, Vietnam will closely coordinate with Brunei - the ASEAN Chair – in organising the first informal meeting of ASEAN-RoK defence ministers later this year.

Chien appreciated the organisation of the meeting, which aims to maintain dialogue between ASEAN and RoK deputy defence ministers in the context of the pandemic as well as to prepare for the informal meeting of ASEAN – RoK defence ministers.

Regarding the ASEAN-RoK relations in general and defence cooperation in particular, the head of the Vietnamese delegation affirmed that the cooperation between the two sides has been constantly developing. In the fields of politics, defence and security, the RoK is an important partner of ASEAN and has made important contributions to ASEAN-led cooperation mechanisms in the region such as ASEAN Plus Three, East Asia Summit, and ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and especially ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus (ADMM ).

The Vietnamese official welcomed the "New Southern Policy Plus" announced by the RoK President at the 21st ASEAN-RoK Summit in November 2020, noting that this is a strong affirmation of the commitment of the RoK in cooperation with ASEAN countries for regional peace, security and prosperity.

He also pledged to support multilateral forums organised by the RoK such as the Seoul Defence Dialogue taking place from September 8-10, and the United Nations Peacekeeping Ministers Meeting, scheduled for this December.

Participants at the meeting focused on discussing the ASEAN-RoK relationship in general and defence cooperation between the two sides in particular, especially the RoK’s role in the framework of ADMM over the past time.

Deputy Defence Minister Park Jae-min, head of the RoK delegation, delivered a speech on the New Southern Policy in the field of defence and informed the delegates about the informal meeting of ASEAN-RoK defence ministers to be held on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Retreat in November this year./. 

Photo exhibition shows off Vietnam’s eternal attraction in Mexico

A photo exhibition entitled “Vietnam – Eternal Attraction” is being held on the avenue of Paseo de la Reforma in Mexico City of Mexico to promote the beauty of Vietnamese people and natural landscapes.

The event was jointly kicked off by the city's administration and the Embassy of Vietnam in Mexico on September 7 and is scheduled to run until the end of this month.

In his remarks at the opening ceremony which saw the presence of Mexico City’s leaders, foreign diplomat corps and local audiences, Vietnamese Ambassador to Mexico Nguyen Hoanh Nam said he hoped the exhibition will bring Vietnam closer to Mexicans and strengthen the solidarity and friendship between the two peoples.

A total of 30 photos on display, to some extent, reflect the beauty of nature and people’s daily life in Vietnam and the country’s achievements during the “Doi Moi” (Renewal) period, and promote it as a friendly nation, he said.

Vanessa Bohórquez Lopez, Mexico City Culture Minister, for her part said through the exhibition, local people will get a glimpse of the charm of the Vietnamese nature, friendly people, and traditional cuisine.

The event also marks the 46th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries (May 19, 1975 – 2021) and Vietnam’s 76th National Day (September 2, 1945 – 2021), she added.

The event forms part of the “Paseo de las Culturas Amigas” (A Walk of Friendly Cultures), an initiative launched by the city's administration in 2019 to promote foreign cultures from all over the world among Mexicans. Vietnam was the first country selected to join the initiative./.

Vietnamese tourists expect added benefits and promotional deals after COVID-19

Vietnamese tourists are interested in added benefits and flexible booking policies for their trips after the social distancing period, according to a recent survey released by Agoda, the world's leading online accommodation reservations provider.

The survey showed that 37% of respondents said they are interested in promotions on food and beverages, spa packages or free short tours at their destinations.

Many travelers also expect more flexible booking policies, as their plans set out in the past year have been postponed for many reasons.

Nearly one third of respondents said that after more than three months under home quarantine, they look forward to spending time by the beach or exploring nature on their first trip after the pandemic. Others would love to spend more time with their loved ones since social distancing has led to temporary separation among many families.

On average, 4 out of 10 Vietnamese people in the survey are ready to travel within 4 months after social distancing while another 14% said they are ready for their trip within the first month after social distancing is lifted.

About 16% said they will only make travel plans once the country’s COVID-19 vaccination rate reaches 80% or Vietnam has achieved herd immunity.

* The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has just issued a plan to implement policies and measures to stimulate tourism demand and resume tourism activities in late 2021 and early 2022.

Accordingly, the Ministry will create favorable conditions for domestic and international tourists with recognised vaccination certificates.

The tourism industry has plans to open Phu Quoc Island in Kien Giang province to international visitors with vaccine passports. The list of destinations will then expand to Ha Long city (Quang Ninh province), Hoi An city (Quang Nam province), Nha Trang city (Khanh Hoa province), and Da Lat city (Lam Dong province).

Under the plan, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism is tasked with developing a national database system on tourism; digital information systems about tourist sites, tourist attractions and tourist facility while upgrading the mobile app “Du lich Viet Nam an toan” (Travel Vietnam safely).

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