VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES SEPTEMBER
29
09:27 HCM City to
reopen wet markets as it eases social distancing Ho Chi Minh
City, the largest coronavirus hotspot in Vietnam, is planning to reopen its
wet markets after a hiatus of the COVID-19 fight to meet local residents’
demand for foods and other essential goods. The department has requested local
administrations to develop plans for resuming the operation of wet markets to
ensure goods supply and COVID-19 prevention measures in the new context. Wet markets are part and parcel of
Vietnamese people, especially in big and populous city like HCM City. The
city of approximately 10 million consumers, has closed its wet markets for
several months to combat COVID-19. Now as the city is expected to enter
a new normal after September 30, it is gradually resuming the operation of
its goods sup[ply and distribution network, including wet markets. HCM City has recorded nearly 400,000
COVID-19 infections, or half of the country’s total number, since the virus
recurred in Vietnam in late April. Korean fugitives wanted by
Interpol arrested in Da Nang The police in the central city of Da
Nang are completing procedures in order to transfer two arrested Korean
nationals wanted by the INTERPOL to the Republic of Korea. Taiyi was arrested in an apartment
on Tran Bach Dang street of My An ward, while Nam Kiwon was caught at a
homestay on Le Thuoc street of Phuoc My ward. According to the officials, the pair
will be handed over to the Korean police at Da Nang International Airport in
the near future. Da Nang targets fully
vaccinating adult residents by year-end The central city of Da Nang aims to
complete giving two shots of the COVID-19 vaccine to all residents over 18
years old by the end of this year, according to the city’s Steering Committee
on COVID-19 Prevention and Control. The committee said 67.6 percent of
the city’s adult population of 826,933 has been inoculated with one shot and
9.4 percent or 78,052 have been fully vaccinated with two shots. The municipal Department of Health
said it has received 684,3560 doses of vaccines of all kinds. The city will speed up the
vaccination pace to give one shot of vaccine to 95 percent of the adult
population by the end of September and 100 percent by the end of October,
while the rate of fully vaccination will reach 22.1 percent. Da Nang will propose the MoH to
prioritise the city in allocating vaccine. In addition, it will also be
proactive in securing vaccines to ensure that 90 percent of residents from 12
years old and above, are fully vaccinated, the committee said./. Vietnam exerts efforts to
ensure best care for children orphaned by COVID-19 The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and
Social Affairs (MoLISA) has asked localities nationwide to quickly design
solutions to care for children orphaned by COVID-19. In a document sent to centrally-run
cities and provinces recently, the ministry stressed that the complicated
developments of COVID-19, especially the fourth wave of outbreaks, in many
localities, have made over 1,000 children orphans. The MoLISA, along with the National
Committee for Children, required the People’s Committees of provinces and
cities to give alternative care for those children in line with the Law on
Children and other regulations, prioritising the family-based alternative
care to ensure their highest interest. Nursing facilities will be considered
the last choice. Alongside, localities, especially
those with large numbers of children orphaned by COVID-19, were also
requested to issue their own policies and plans to give immediate and
long-term support and care for the children, while giving them legal
assistance to ensure their rights and interest and protect them from being
abused. The move aimed to make sure that all
children orphaned by COVID-19 will receive all necessary support to overcome
this tough and challenging time, and receive care and love./.
According to a Government decision on the master plan, the city is expected
to have 13-14 million people by 2040 and 16 million by 2060. It plans to
allocate 100,000-110,000ha of land for urbanisation by 2040. The city will remain the country’s
economic and technological hub, focusing on innovation as part of the
national urban development strategy. Under the master plan, the city will
develop a complete infrastructure linking the city with neighbouring
provinces. The newly established Thu Duc city will be developed into an
innovative city model that will support the development of HCM City and the
southern region. The city will integrate urban
development with transit-oriented development, including underground-based
public transport solutions. The master plan requires the
effective use of the city’s natural conditions and ecosystems to protect the
environment and adapt to climate change. The city has also set a goal by 2060
to become an international trade and financial centre in the Asia-Pacific
region. It will create an appealing working environment with a diverse
culture, heritage conservation, and a scenic river system./. Workers, employers get help
in pandemic response The Government has issued a
resolution on support for pandemic-hit workers and employers, and the aid
will be sourced from the unemployment insurance fund. Workers who benefit from this policy
are those who are covered by unemployment insurance as of September 30, 2021,
excluding employees in State agencies, political organisations,
socio-political organisations, units of the people’s armed forces, and
non-business public agencies which are paid by the State budget. They also include workers who have
stopped contributing to unemployment insurance due to the termination of
their labour contracts or working contracts between January 1, 2020 and
September 30, 2021, and have unemployment insurance contribution period
reserved in accordance with legal regulations on employment, excluding
retirees who receive monthly pensions. The aid, about 30 trillion VND
(1.317 billion USD) sourced from the unemployment insurance fund, will be
delivered from October 1 and completed by December 31 at the latest. Meanwhile, the reduction of
contributions to the unemployment insurance fund is applied to the employers
regulated in Article 43 of the Employment Law, excluding State agencies,
political organisations, socio-political organisations, units of the people’s
armed forces, and non-business public agencies which are paid by the State
budget, which are taking part in unemployment insurance before October 1,
2021. Those employers are entitled to a
reduction in unemployment insurance contributions from 1 percent to zero
percent of the monthly salary fund for the workers covered by unemployment
insurance. The reduction will last for 12 months, from October 1, 2021
through September 30, 2022./. Binh Thuan province eyes
resumption of tourism
The
Binh Thuan Province’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism is discussing
plans to reopen Mui Ne, a famous destination in the locality, to visitors
from October 20. More than 80 percent of tourist
facilities in Mui Ne have been closed since February last year due to the
COVID-19 epidemic. But with the situation in the
province now controlled, the department has been working with
the Vietnam Tourism Association to develop tourist safety
guidelines and prepare other necessary conditions for the reopening of the
sector. Among others, the province needs to
immediately give the second dose of vaccine to staff at hotels and resorts,
Nhan stressed. To start with, Mui Ne would allow in
domestic tourists, including foreigners living in Vietnam, who have received
two vaccine shots or had recovered from COVID-19, he added./. Local photographer wins
consolation prize at Travel Photos of Year 2021
“The bamboo basket is not only a
manual labor tool but also a decorated item for the interior design of
hotels, restaurants, and shops these days,” Long describes. The first-place winner went to a
photo named “Tundra people” by Yulia Nevskaya, with a cash prize of US$500. The winning photos are all announced
in All About Photo (AAP)’s Winners Gallery and will be published in the AAP
Magazine #20: Travels. Kami paper folding models
convey sincere thanks to frontline forces With
colourful Kami paper (a kind of paper for the art of paper folding Origami)
along with her creativity and skilful hands, Tran Thi Thanh Thuong (from Ho
Chi Minh City) has folded models of doctors, nurses, public security and army
forces as well as artists and volunteers who have done a lot of meaningful
work for the community. Two
collections of models on frontline forces in COVID-19 prevention and control
and chibi anime series on volunteers and artists who were involved in charity
activities, which were folded from Kami paper by Thanh Thuong, have been
created to spread and encourage the anti-epidemic spirit. Inspired by white-shirt soldiers who
are working hard for the health of the community and volunteers and artists
who were not afraid of difficulties to give cakes, rice and milk to people
who are living in disadvantaged circumstances due to the pandemic, Thanh
Thuong came up with the idea of using Kami paper to fold models of their
portraits and their meaningful works. She also considered them mementos of an
unforgettable period. Then, models were created with the
images of lovely artists such as Quyen Linh actor carrying rice bags on her
shoulders and wearing familiar honeycomb sandals to the alleys of Ho Chi Minh
City. Through the Kami paper models, viewers can feel his warm smile and
sincerity. In addition, the models featured artists Viet Huong and Hoai
Phuong in protective suits next to an ambulance providing many months of
oxygen tanks to support serious patients. Sharing about the collections, Thanh
Thuong said although I could not rush to the epidemic-hit areas to directly
contribute to charity activities, I am very happy to encourage frontline
forces and volunteers through my spiritual gifts. In late 2019 when COVID-19 epidemic
began to appear, Thanh Thuong folded models of doctors and medical workers to
express my respect to their contributions and sacrifices. Earlier, Thuong had
become famous for the images of 24 players and coach Park Hang-seo from the
national football team. She was also the author of hundreds of paper dolls
and thousands of models that vividly reproduced objects from daily life. As the first person to develop Kami
paper folding art in Vietnam, Thanh Thuong has had a great passion on her
job. Kami paper folding art is not widely popular in Vietnam because the
paper has to be imported from Japan and Taiwan (China) at quite an expensive
cost. However, with her meticulousness, Thanh Thuong has persistently pursued
the art of folding paper and continuously created many new patterns. With her aspiration to bring this
art closer to many people in Vietnam, she created a group on Facebook
entitled “Creations with Kami paper folding” where participants can exchange,
learn and share their knowledge. Thuong has also opened training courses on
Kami folding for people who are interested in this art. Besides, she shared
her hobby and Kami paper folding patterns via many forums. As a member of
Facebook group “Loving kitchen”, the nick name Thuong Kami has become quite
familiar for her love for cooking and the pattern of a kitchen with small
items folded from Kami paper. Thanh Thuong has spent a lot of time
creating and perfecting their artworks. She felt the significance of their
works through her paper folding operations. Each stage of folding, pushing,
and rolling the paper has helped Thuong learn more about them and their
meaningful activities for the community. The emotions from Thanh Thuong's
heart have touched the sympathy of those who loved, followed and admired her
paper folding ability. Many patterns have been presented to the characters
like meaningful spiritual gifts. Thanh Thuong has just completed the
Kami paper folding models of “white angels” in a chibi style. They were
inspired by Le Thi Dinh, the founder of Zero-dong Milk Programme, and her
friend Tran Bac. The two volunteers have provided children in poor families
with free milk. In the month since its launch, the Zero-dong Milk Programme
has supported many children around the city. Two angels wished to convey a
message of making difficult things easier. The epidemic has caused
unfortunate impacts to many lives but it has brought people closer together
to give warm sharing and support. Using Kami paper, Thanh Thuong extended her
belief, encouragement and sincere thanks to people who are living and working
for people. Can Tho plans to reopen wet
markets in phases The Mekong Delta city of Can Tho is
planning to reopen traditional wet markets in phases after several months of
suspension due to the latest Covid-19 outbreak, said a city official. Ha Vu Son, director of the municipal
Department of Industry and Trade, yesterday, September 26, told Lao
Dong newspaper that the department has issued a draft plan giving
guidelines on reopening wet markets in the city in three phases. From October 1 to December 31, a
maximum of 50% of markets in green zones, which are deemed as safe from
Covid, will be allowed to resume operations, with the number of booths
selling essential food products at each market not allowed to exceed 50%. In red zones, which are still at
extremely high risk, the authorities will allow no more than 30% of markets
that ensure safety to reopen. Moreover, the number of booths selling
essential food products at each market must not exceed 30%. From January 1 to March 31, the
authorities will review the reopening of wet markets in the first phase and
go ahead with further plans to reopen 50-70% of local markets depending on
the Covid situation in the areas. From April 1 onward, the city will
continue to review the previous reopening. Once the pandemic in the city is
completely brought under control, the city is expected to reopen 70-100% of
wet markets citywide. During these three phases, only
markets that meet safety requirements are permitted to resume operations. The department is collecting
feedback on the draft plan from the local authorities and will then submit it
to the municipal government for consideration and approval, Son said. Earlier, Can Tho reported its first
locally-infected case in the fourth wave of the coronavirus at the Tan An
market in Ninh Kieu District on July 8. The outbreak then became complicated
and spread widely, prompting the local authorities to suspend all markets in
the city to slow the spread of the virus. The city has recently eased mobility
restrictions in most parts citywide and switched to practicing less stringent
social distancing measures under the prime minister’s Directive 15. Only nine
wards in Ninh Kieu and Cai Rang districts continue to enforce Directive 16.
However, wholesale and traditional wet markets in the city will remain shut. According to the department, the
city is home to 105 various markets with over 6,000 vendors. HCMC proposes updating
150,000 Covid-19 cases to national system The HCMC Department of Health has
written to the Ministry of Health proposing updating to the national Covid-19
monitoring system some 150,000 Covid-19 cases that were found positive for
the coronavirus through rapid tests instead of RT-PCR tests as normally
required. The huge number of positive cases
were found after the city has since August 20 conducted rapid tests, but
current procedures by the Ministry of Health only recognize
coronavirus carriers as patients if such cases were so confirmed by
RT-PCR tests. The municipal department also
proposed the ministry allow it to officially confirm Covid-19 cases through
rapid antigen testing, the local media reported. The city’s proposal followed a
recent directive issued by Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son, which
states that people who are required to undergo home quarantine after being
found infected with Covid-19 through rapid testing are considered as Covid
patients and are eligible to receive medication bags from health authorities. If the 150,000 positive cases are
tagged as Covid patients by the ministry, HCMC’s Covid caseload would hit
over 522,000, up 40% against the number of Covid infections reported by the
ministry. A representative of the city’s
Department of Health said that the 150,000 positive cases were being
monitored and had received medication bags. Explaining while the 150,000 cases
had not been diagnosed via RT-PCR tests, the source said that the number of
positive cases found through rapid tests was huge in August, making it hard to
conduct PCR tests for all the people who were found positive for the virus in
rapid tests, while the city at the time was struggling with the strong spike
in daily cases. The city is still speeding up Covid
testing, mainly in extremely high-risk zones, until September 30 to promptly
single out positive cases and treat patients. HCMC to retain three Covid
field hospitals having ICUs The HCMC health authority is set to
retain three Covid field hospitals—No.13, 14 and 16—that have intensive care
units (ICU) and gradually scale down the others and return them to their
original state by the end of the year, said the city’s health official. Speaking at a press briefing
yesterday, September 26, Nguyen Thi Huynh Mai, chief of the HCMC Health
Department’s Office, said that protecting the lives and ensuring the safety
of people is the city’s top priority during this time. Accordingly, depending
on the Covid situation, the city would reduce the number of field hospitals
and restore their original function and admit non-Covid patients. According to the Health Department,
the current fourth wave of the coronavirus in the city has passed its peak
and the city’s Covid containment efforts are starting to prove effective. Under the department’s plan, Covid
field hospitals citywide would be scaled down once they complete the task of
treating Covid patients. By the end of December, field hospitals that had
been converted from schools are expected to resume to their original state. As for field hospitals in safe
zones, they would resume original operations by the end of this month to
provide medical treatment to non-Covid patients. Earlier, at another press briefing
on September 22, Mai said the city was developing a roadmap to convert 80
Covid field hospitals that treat asymptomatic cases, those with mild symptoms
or symptomatic ones to their original function. Regarding 10 other field
hospitals that treat critically ill patients, they would be maintained as
critical cases needing long term treatment. As of September 25, the city had
reported more than 367,000 Covid cases. Among over 39,200 active cases, some
1,900 severely-ill patients are relying on ventilators, while 23 others need
ECMO support. aigon Co.op former chairman
prosecuted for appropriating state secret document Police investigators yesterday
announced they have completed the investigation of the case “deliberately
disclosing state secrets”, and “appropriating state secret documents” of
three accused persons including Nguyen Hoai Bac, Le Thi Phuong Hong, and Diep
Dung. According to police investigators,
37-year-old Nguyen Hoai Bac who is former officer of the Economic Security
Department of the Ho Chi Minh City Police Department, and Le Thi Phuong Hong,
a self-employed woman, lived together in an apartment building in Binh Thanh
District. At the end of July, 2020, Bac was
assigned to take part in the investigation of the Saigon Co.op case. During
this time, he often messaged talking to Hong. Le Thi Phuong Hong claimed to
secretly watch messages in Bac's smartphone so she knew about investigation
information related to Saigon Co.op. Later, she provided this information to
Diep Dung with the aim to buy goods at low prices. Therefore, police investigators
initiated legal proceedings against Diep Dung for "abuse of power while
on duty." Prior, the HCMC Inspectorate detected violations in Saigon
Co.op in July 2020 and transferred the case to the police for further
investigation. Traffic projects in HCMC
implemented under moderate progress Regarding the current works of the
Metro Line No. 1 linking Ben Thanh in District 1 to Suoi Tien Theme Park in
Thu Duc City, the Management Authority for Urban Railway of Ho Chi Minh City
(MAUR) said that the Ben Thanh Terminal bidding package has the largest number
of engineers and workers compared to other ones. However, all the people involved in
the project have patiently performed their tasks along with following the
Covid-19 prevention and control measures. As for the rest bidding packages,
the construction progress has been slow, even some construction sites have to
be halted the operation due to a shortage of materials and equipment. Besides, the project's
sub-contractors have to comply with the regulations of the “One route – Two
destinations” model causing difficulties in mobilizing workers to work on the
construction sites. HCMC urgently completes
traffic infrastructure linking to Tan Son Nhat Airport Besides, the
city planned to carry out more projects, including a road connecting Tran
Quoc Hoan Street with Cong Hoa Street in Tan Binh District in accordance with
the adjusted construction planning of Tan Son Nhat International Airport
approved by the Ministry of Transport with a total investment of over
VND4,800 billion (US$212 million). This is one of the most important projects
connecting to Tan Son Nhat Airport, considered as the second gateway to the airport
next to Truong Son Street. Of which, five upgraded, expanded
and renovated projects for Hoang Hoa Tham, Cong Hoa, Truong Chinh Street in
Tan Binh District, Tan Ky Tan Quy Street in Tan Phu District and Tan Son
Street in Go Vap District around Tan Son Nhat Airport have been approved but
the clearance of the site has affected their implementation progress. Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City
Department of Transport Phan Cong Bang said that the Municipal Department of
Transport requested the People's Committees of the above districts to
urgently complete the site clearance of these projects to hand over the land
to the investors. To speed up the implementation
process of the traffic projects synchronized with the T3 terminal
project of Tan Son Nhat International Airport, the People's Committee of Ho
Chi Minh City has proposed the Ministry of National Defense promptly hand
over about 1,122 square meters of land outside the boundary of the road
project, connecting Tran Quoc Hoan Street with Cong Hoa Street in Tan Binh
District, for HCMC to conveniently regulate the traffic and perform on-site
resettlement for the affected households. According to Director of the
Transportation Works Construction Investment Project Management Authority of
HCMC Luong Minh Phuc, to synchronize with the construction progress of the T3
passenger terminal, the work must be started this year and be completed by
the end of 2023. The road connecting Tran Quoc Hoan
Street with Cong Hoa Street in Tan Binh District is a major traffic project
of HCMC in the period of 2020-2023. It is designed with over four
meters in length, 29.5 meters to 32 meters in width, six lanes for vehicles;
running through tunnels at Phan Thuc Duyet- Tran Quoc Hoan intersection,
Truong Chinh-Tan Ky Tan Quy intersection and the overpass in front of T3
terminal. The T3 Terminal Construction Project
of Tan Son Nhat International Airport has a designed capacity of 20 million
passengers a year, a total investment of about VND10,990 billion (US$485
million) from the capital of Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV). Currently, the bidding, design and
technical procedures are ready to start. The project is expected to start
construction in October. Police probe into Covid-19
drugs trading involving medical staff In the afternoon of September 27,
the Ho Chi Minh City Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control
coordinated with the Central Propaganda Department to hold a press conference
to provide information on the pandemic development in the city. At the conference, Deputy Head of
the city Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control Pham Duc Hai
said as of September 26, HCMC has recorded approximately 372,202 Covid-19
infection cases and 122 deaths announced by the Ministry of Health. Senior Lieutenant Colonel Huynh
Quang Tuyen said that in the past time, the Ho Chi Minh City Police
Department has stepped up the management of the area, grasping the situation
with the attention of those who take advantage of the prevention and control
of the Covid-19 epidemic to illegally distribute vaccines as well as
illegal trading of medical supplies and equipment for epidemic prevention and
production of fake commodities. Accordingly,
the city police have prosecuted three economic officials and medical workers
in facilities in districts Binh Tan and Tan Phu for collecting money in a
free vaccination program from people making an illegal profit of VND51.8
million. In addition,
the City Police also prosecuted one person for posting information of
providing travel documents, vaccinations, and antiviral drugs on social
networks to the fraudulent appropriation of property. Regarding
inspection and supervision, police officers have worked in 12 checkpoints
citywide and 39 other venues in districts adjacent to neighboring provinces
with surveillance cameras. In the
respect of the third support package, a representative from the municipal
Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs said that the city has
given the support to residents who have been facing difficulties during the
social distancing; however, there have been some hiccups along the way
resulting in delays in some areas. Regarding
the health sector’s future mission, Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City
Department of Health Dr. Nguyen Van Vinh Chau, said medical workers will
treat patients suffering common illnesses in addition to Covid-19 patients.
Field medical facilities will return to their original function if there are
a few infection cases of Covid-19. Furthermore,
he said hospitals in districts will return to their original function first
to receive, examine and treat people with common disease. Up to
now, District 7 Hospital and Cu Chi District General Hospital which
arelocated in the first green zones in the city have transferred
all Covid-19 cases to other facilities to receive patients with
common sicknesses in the next few days. Vietnam backs non-proliferation, disarmament of nuclear weapons:
ambassador Vietnamese
Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy reaffirmed Vietnam's policy on non-proliferation of
nuclear weapons and nuclear disarmament while addressing a session of the
United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on September 27. The briefing took place to mark the
25th anniversary of the Comprehensive Nuclear‑Test‑Ban Treaty’s opening for
signature in September 1996. It saw the attendance of UN High Representative
for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu and Executive Secretary of the
Comprehensive Nuclear‑Test‑Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) Robert Floyd. According to Izumi Nakamitsu, the
Treaty has since achieved near‑universal adherence, with 185 signatories and
170 ratifying States, making it one of the most widely supported treaties not
just in the disarmament and arms control field but in multilateral diplomacy. Many speakers emphasised the
importance of upholding a moratorium on nuclear testing, urging the States
that have not done so to sign and ratify the Treaty. In his speech, Ambassador Quy,
Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN, attributed achievements
related to the Treaty to commitments and joint efforts of the international
community regarding nuclear test ban, non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and
nuclear disarmament. The diplomat noted despite the
existing moratoria, the Test‑Ban Treaty’s non‑entry into force leaves the
door open for further possible nuclear testing in various forms. For the interests of humans and the
environment, he called on all States that have not yet done so, particularly
the Annex 2 States, to sign and ratify the Treaty. He said Vietnam is a party to the
Test‑Ban Treaty, Non‑Proliferation Treaty and the Treaty on the Prohibition
of Nuclear Weapons, as well as the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear
Weapon‑Free Zone (Treaty of Bangkok). Expressing support for the
inalienable right of States to develop research, production and uses of
nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, Quy also called for further assistance
to developing countries in using data from the international monitoring
system for other socioeconomic development applications. Vietnam signed the Treaty on
September 24, 1996 and ratified it on March 10, 2006./. Vietnam, Thailand enhance collaboration in health amidst COVID-19 Deputy Prime
Minister and Health Minister of Thailand Anutin Charnvirakul spoke highly of
the close cooperation with Vietnam, especially in health, during his meeting
with Vietnamese Ambassador Phan Chi Thanh on September 27. He told the guest that Thailand has
achieved initial success in curbing the pandemic, reflected through decreases
in the numbers of infections, patients in critical conditions, and
fatalities. He suggested the two countries
continue sharing experience in pandemic prevention and control, and providing
each other with medical equipment and supplies. The Thai Government will expand
vaccinations against COVID-19 for foreigners living and working in the
country, including those from Vietnam, and at the same time create favourable
conditions for AstraZeneca whose factory is located in the country to
maximise capacity and hand over vaccine to other countries, including
Vietnam. Ambassador Thanh affirmed the
embassy is actively working with the two countries’ authorised agencies to
discuss measures to loosen social distancing safely. He thanked the Thai Government for
supporting Vietnam in the fight against the pandemic, vaccinating Vietnamese
diplomats and citizens, and creating favourable conditions for Vietnamese
citizens stranded in the country to extend visas. He proposed the two Health
Ministries maintain cooperation, exchange the recognition of “vaccine
passports”, agree on entry-exit regulations and quarantine period for
citizens who get full two shots of vaccine, and soon set up travel corridors
between major cities and tourist attractions to boost economic recovery./. Temple of Literature project
aims to connect young people with Vietnamese heritage Non-profit
organisation Gavisto Diplomat has teamed up with the Centre for Cultural
and Scientific Activities to help more young people find a connection with
the Quốc Tử Giám, the Temple of Literature. Events will be promoted on the
official Facebook and Instagram pages of Quốc Tử Giám Cultural Space. These
pages also aim to deliver information about medieval Vietnamese history to a
new audience. Hoàng Đoan Trang, representative of
Gavisto Diplomat, said that the project aims to connect young people to the
heritage space through interesting cultural and artistic activities. Through
enabling young people to practise their love for the history and culture of
Việt Nam, it is hoped that they will join hands in preserving and inheriting
those values. In addition, the project also
recreates the teaching and learning activities at Quốc Tử Giám, helping to
turn the relic into a useful cultural space for all audiences, especially
children and young people. “The Temple of Literature Complex
not only has Văn Miếu, which is a place where students often go to pray for
high exam results, but also includes Quốc Tử Giám, the first university of
Việt Nam, a place to train talent. The project wants the monument to shift
closer to the life and culture of modern people,” she shared. According to Lê Xuân Kiêu, director
of the Centre for Cultural and Scientific Activities of Văn Miếu-Quốc Tử
Giám, during recent social distancing, the Temple of Literature Complex has
had no visitors. Moss grew on the road and no revenue could be generated. “However, the Centre has applied new
technologies in promoting the value of the monument, re-researching the
value, and building products to serve visitors after restoration,” Kiêu
said. He emphasised that Văn Miếu-Quốc Tử
Giám is a place to nurture the traditional values that have survived over
time; this new project will keep those principles alive. Aspects that
visitors do not understand correctly, such as touching the turtle's head to
ask for high exam results or worshipping the Hạ Mã stele, will be a part of
this education. “The Centre is seeking to bring
traditional values closer to visitors so that they can understand the
monument in new ways”, he added. In October, the project will
organise an online talk show titled "Đạo Học in the Cultural Space of
Quốc Tử Giám", with the participation of experts and researchers. Experts will discuss Vietnamese's
medieval period, the mission of Quốc Tử Giám in transmitting its
values and arousing the spirit of Đạo Học (Learned Religion) in the
context of modern education. Many other programmes to discuss
Vietnamese history and culture have also been planned. Having a positive attitude
helps fight COVID-19 Keeping a
positive mindset and following careful instructions from health providers are
the mantra of patients in HCM City, the country’s largest COVID-19 epicentre. With health services overwhelmed
because of thousands of new infections per day, to be able to fight the virus
and stay healthy amid the complicated situation is key to making a full
recovery. After beating coronavirus, many
patients have shared their experiences on social network sites, offering
peace of mind for those stuck in quarantine, with some even
volunteering to stay at hospitals to help take care of patients. Phạm Thái Bình, from the Vietnam
Cultural Centre in HCM City’s District 7, said after recovering from COVID-19,
keeping a positive attitude helped him and his family get through the tough
times. “In the first place, I was upset
when being informed that all of my family members were infected with
coronavirus. We were very careful and couldn’t find out the infection
source,” he said. “But then I told myself to calm down
and stay positive. This really helped as my wife and children felt better and
got ready to fight the virus.” Bình was the only member of his
family to show symptoms such as coughing, sore throat and fever. He thought
he had flu until the test results came back. The other three members of his
family all tested positive not long after. They were moved to a
concentrated quarantine site for treatment but first self-medicated at their
home for four days. Despite a loss of appetite, body
aches, and weakness, Bình kept telling his family to strictly follow doctors’
guidelines and keep their spirits high at all times. “Doctors called us every morning
checking our health, giving prescriptions and boosting our spirit, telling us
to focus on good diet and regular exercises,” he said. After a week, his wife couldn’t eat
and felt exhausted. She was immediately moved to the central hospital for
special treatment where her condition improved. Bình added: “I was so grateful for
everything they did for us, especially when my wife’s health worsened. Their
quick decision of transferring my wife to central hospital gave us a chance
of being together again.” On August 2, the RT-PCR results
showed that Bình and his two children were free of the virus. They returned
home in good health to self-quarantine. Six days later, his wife also came
home. “COVID-19 is actually not that scary
if you keep calm," he said. "The most horrible thing is
that we let anxiety and insecurity break us and make the disease attack us
faster.” He believes avoiding skipping meals
and ignoring negative information about the disease while maintaining a
healthy lifestyle helped beat the virus. Bình said the initiative to provide
home-based care for F0 cases with no symptoms or underlying diseases was
correct as it would help patients quickly recover as long as they followed
medical instructions. This would also, he added, minimise the infection risks
at hospitals and reduce the State’s treatment costs. Bình's two daughters wear their
protective suits. Staying positive and following instructions from
health staff helped his family overcome COVID-19. “The first thing that I did was to
get quick tests for all of my family," he said. "My father, my wife and my
one-year-old son were infected. Luckily my oldest son wasn't. All the
adults had underlying health conditions." Long said although he was mentally
prepared for the disease, what they went through was still a nightmare. All adults had high fever, loss of
appetite, and diarrhoea. They couldn’t walk and only wanted to lie still, but
they took turns to check each other's blood oxygen levels to make sure they
never dropped below 94 per cent, which was life-threatening. Long’s father, with high-blood
pressure and old age, had difficulty breathing and high fever.
Long had sleepless nights, measuring his father’s oxygen level every 30
minutes and helping him receive oxygen properly. “I was so scared. I was scared that
my father would be in critical condition,” he said, worried when his father's
blood levels dropped dangerously low. The oxygen levels kept jumping up
and down and he said he became obsessed with the beeping sound of
the oxygen machine would make. For him, following the treatment
regime, combined with home remedies such as using lemongrass to
clear airwaves, drinking orange juice, as well as drinking boiled fresh
coconut water with sugar has saved the whole family. “I admire my father," Long
said. "His condition was the most severe, but he always maintained an
optimistic and cheerful spirit to encourage and support the whole family. "He still tried to have some
soup and milk to fight the virus. From the 10th day onwards, his health began
to quickly recover." After beating the virus, Bình and
Long have shared their experience on social network pages and helped
consult with people, encouraging them to stay positive while
fighting the disease. Bình also joined a volunteer group
to support home quarantined patients with oxygen machines, blood oxygen
measuring machines and help those with financial difficulties during the
pandemic. “I feel that I need to contribute to
help people regain their health, help the city in the fight against the
pandemic and get back to a new normal life,” he said. Digital platform to educate
young people on child marriage and human trafficking A platform,
designed to support children and young people from ethnic minorities, has
been launched to share knowledge and skills on child marriage and human
trafficking. Em vui, which translates as
"I'm happy", can be accessed via www.emvui.vn and is also available
on popular social media platforms such as Facebook, Tiktok, Zalo,
Youtube, Instagram and Twitter. The forum is designed to be a
friendly, reliable and informative space where ethnic minority children and
young people can learn and exchange information. It is also a platform for
them to voice their concerns to policymakers, creating feedback that will
allow more suitable and effective policies to be put in place. Em vui is part of a project
of “Enhancing awareness of ethnic minority children and young people on
human trafficking and child marriage through digital technology” (EMPoWR),
co-funded by the Delegation of the European Union and Plan International in
Belgium. The project is a product of
collaboration between many organisations; the Institute for Social
Development Studies (ISDS), Plan International in Việt Nam, the Department of
Children under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, and other
agencies. The program will eventually be
rolled out in 52 communes across four provinces - Hà Giang, Lai Châu, Quảng
Bình and Quảng Tri - between 2020 to 2023. The scheme will primarily support
young people aged between 10 to 24. The digital space will educate them on
social networking and online safety skills, as well as providing information
about support services relating to child marriage and human trafficking. The head of ISDS and director of the
EMPoWR project, Khuất Thu Hồng, said that em vui would foster a
safer environment for children and young people to grow up in. Individuals, organisations and
agencies could add to the resources that would then be shared with children
and young people across the country, she said. Lê Quỳnh Lan, an official from Plan
International Việt Nam, said that under the organisation’s five-year
programme, it wanted to help support two million girls in Việt Nam with their
schooling and decision-making, to help them "shine". The EMPoWR project, and particularly
the em vui digital platform, would help realise the organisation’s
commitments in promoting gender equality and child protection, particularly
for those from ethnic groups. Source:
VNA/VNS/VOV/VIR/SGT/SGGP/Nhan Dan/Hanoitimes |
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