VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES FEBRUARY 28
14:42
Traffic accidents
continue to fall in February
A
year-on-year drop of 15.4 percent was recorded in the number of traffic
accidents from January 15 to February 14 to 1,011 cases, according to the
National Traffic Safety Committee. The committee said that 3.73 percent
and 25.4 percent declines were also seen in the number of deaths and
injuries, respectively, to 620 and 661. Of the accidents, 1,000 cases were on
road, claiming 614 lives and injuring 657 others, falling by 15.11 percent,
2.69 percent and 25.59 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, there were seven railway
accidents, and four waterway and no maritime accidents. The figures raised the total number of
accidents in the first two months of 2022 to 1,974, with 1,185 and 1,260
injuries. Compared to the same period in 2021, the number of cases fell 21.51
percent, while the number of deaths and injuries dropped 7.06 percent a d
30.88 percent, respectively.  Vietnam’s U23 football team
welcomed home The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF)
held a ceremony on February 27 in Ho Chi Minh City to welcome home the U23
team who triumphed at the recently-concluded AFF Championship in Cambodia. Cultural, musical event held
at Italian university to explore “Vietnam soul” A cultural and musical event named
“Vietnam Soul” has been held at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Italy,
featuring various performances by students who learn Vietnamese language at
the Department of Asian and North African Studies. The performances, directed by Le Thi
Bich Huong, a Vietnamese lecturer, were taken to the stage by first to
third-year students, who do not want to learn Vietnamese just from books but
also from traditional cultures. The event was opened with a signature
Bac Ninh “quan ho” (love duet) folk song called “Moi Trau” to welcome the
guests and express the hospitality. The performers also enthralled the
audience with “cheo” (Vietnamese traditional opera) and “cai luong” (reformed
opera) singing, a traditional costume fashion show and Vietnamese poem
reading, among others. Students of 1st - 6th grades
in Hanoi’s suburban areas return to online learning Students from the first to sixth
grades in the 18 suburban districts and town of Hanoi will return to online
learning from February 28, part of local efforts to curb COVID-19
transmission. The Hanoi People’s Committee made the
decision on February 27 basing on the proposal submitted by the Department of
Education and Training. The move was prompted by a surge in
the rising number of new infections in the community, including in
educational establishments, the fact that students of these grades are yet to
be vaccinated against COVID-19, as well as parents’ concern. The municipal People’s Committee also
assigned the district-level administrations to base on the COVID-19 situation
in their localities, proposals by local educational establishments, and
opinions from students’ parents to flexibly switch between in-person and
online learning so as to ensure safety for both students and teachers. COVID-19: 86,990 cases
recorded on February 27 A total 86,990 cases of COVID-19 were
recorded in the past 24 hours from 4pm February 26 to 4pm February 27,
according to the Ministry of Health. The national tally now stands at
3,321,005 cases, with a total of 205 infections of Omicron. The day also saw 35,866 people given
the all-clear and 94 deaths. February 26 witnessed 125,533 doses of
vaccines administered, raising the total to 193,408,292. Embassy delivers supports to
needy Vietnamese Cham people in Malaysia Over 100 relief packages were
delivered to disadvantaged Vietnamese Cham people in Charating, the Malaysian
state of Pahang, on February 26 as part of a series of charitable events
co-held by the Embassy of Vietnam and Thuong Le charity group. The embassy staff also took the
occasion to help the people resolve consular issues in an attempt to allow
them to better integrate into the local community. There are about 2,000 Vietnamese Cham
people living in Malaysia, many of whom moved here before 1980 while the
others about a decade ago. Vietnam’s naval officers
attend int’l maritime seminar in India A delegation of the Vietnam People’s
Navy (VPN) on February 27 attended an international maritime seminar that was
part of the multilateral naval exercise MILAN 2022 in India, the Quan doi
Nhan dan (People’s Army) daily reported. The event was attended ambassadors and
naval representatives of the 39 countries participating in MILAN 2022.
Vietnamese Ambassador to India Pham Sanh Chau and the VPN delegation led by
Colonel Nguyen Van Ngan, Deputy Chief of the Staff of Naval Region 4, took
part in the workshop. The Vietnamese delegation’s presence
at MILAN 2022 demonstrated the country’s sense of responsibility as an active
member who is ready to cooperate with others for common interests as well as
for maritime stability, safety, and security in the region and the world at
large, according to Quan doi Nhan dan. National Film Festival on
Traffic Safety honours 22 outstanding works Winners of the 2021 National Film
Festival on Traffic Safety were announced at a ceremony on February 27 in
Hanoi. The organising board presented two
first, four second, six third prizes as well as ten consolidation prizes to
outstanding works chosen from 210 entries. The first prize went to “Nhanh hay
cham” (Quickly or slowly” reportage video by journalists from Dong Thap Radio
and Television Station and “Nga ba duong” (T-junction) by some authors from
Cam Le District's Youth Union (Da Nang City). Five most favourite works voted by the
audiences were also presented at the ceremony. Czech forum opens up study
opportunities for Vietnamese youths The Vietnam Youth and Students
Association, in collaboration with the Vietnamese Students Association in the
Czech Republic, recently held the Study in Czech Republic Forum 2022, opening
up learning opportunities for young Vietnamese people. The organisers and speakers provided
participants with an overview of studying in the Czech Republic such as
registration procedures, information about training institutions, majors,
languages, scholarships and tuition fees, as well as accommodation, Czech
customs and habits and career opportunities. Speakers also answered questions from
parents and young Vietnamese who are interested in studying in the Czech
Republic in 2022 and the coming years. At the forum, Vietnamese students and
alumni also shared their own practical experience during their study and
research in this country. 613,000 USD allocated to add
GPS signal lighting on waterways Nearly 14 billion VND (613,228 USD)
has been allocated to replace and install new GPS signal lighting systems
using solar energy on more than 30 national waterways in the northern and
central regions in 2022, according to the Vietnam Inland Waterways
Administration. From 2017 – 2019, the administration
installed more than 2,500 night-time GPS signal lights using solar power on a
trial basis. The automated lights are connected with the centre for
monitoring waterway traffic safety. The project receives about 6.8 billion
VND in funding provided by the Government of Australia’s Aust4Transport
Programme. National Music Festival 2022
to start in March The National Music Festival 2022 will
start next month in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak, the Vietnam
Musicians’ Association (VMA) has announced. Music composers, artists, producers
and music-lovers from 19 provinces and cities nationwide will compete in the
festival, slated for March 10-12 in Buon Ma Thuot city. The event is organised by the VMA in
collaboration with the provincial People's Committee, the Department of
Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Association of Literature and Arts and the
VMA branch in Đak Lak. It aims to honour outstanding artists,
promote their new musical works and continuously encourage their exploration
and creation in the fields of composing, producing, performing, music theory
and training. Within the framework of the festival,
there will be a seminar themed “Central Highlands’ Folk Music in Today’s
Musical Life,” which aims to find out ways to create musical works that are
in tune with the current life and honour the unique identity of folk and
traditional music of the Central Highlands ethnic groups. Bamboo Airways ready to
repatriate Vietnamese citizens from Ukraine Bamboo Airways has developed plans to
bring home Vietnamese citizens from Ukraine if it gets the green light from
authorities, according to a CEO of the budget airline. Preparations are underway following
the Prime Minister’s February 26 telegram on the protection of Vietnamese
citizens and legal entities in Ukraine where growing armed conflicts are
occurring, said Huong Tran Kieu Dung, vice president of Bamboo Airways’ Board
of Directors. The PM’s telegram states that the
armed conflict in Ukraine is occurring in a complicated manner, directly
threatening the safety of life and property of people and businesses,
including about 7,000 Vietnamese expatriates residing there. One of Vietnam’s top concerns is to
ensure the highest security and safety for Vietnamese citizens and legal
entities in Ukraine, said the PM in the telegram. The Prime Minister directed relevant
ministries and agencies to carefully prepare necessary options, including
repatriating home Vietnamese people and family members from Ukraine. He
reminded the Ministry of Transport to direct airlines to prepare such a
repatriation plan. Vietnam wins 9 gold medals at
SEA Pencak Silat Champs 2022 Vietnamese martial artists have brought
home nine gold medals from the eighth Southeast Asian Pencak Silat
Championship which was held in Singapore from February 25-27. After winning two gold medals in their
opening games on February 26, nine Vietnamese athletes qualified for the
final games in the Tanding (combat) event, and seven of them clinched golds
in different weight categories on the last day of the competition. It is noteworthy that young Vietnamese
athletes such as Nguyen Tan Sang, 23, Le Thi Van Anh, 22, and Vu Van Kien,
24, all secured victories, cherishing Vietnamese hope at the 31st Southeast
Asian games (SEA Games) due to be held in May 2022. Vietnamese man stabbed to
death in Japan A Vietnamese man has been stabbed to
death at JR Asahikawa station of Japan’s Asahikawa city in Hokkaido
Prefecture, Japan’s NHK reported on February 27. The police received a report at around
4:40 pm on February 27 (local time) that someone had been stabbed with a
knife in the station premises. According to the police, the person
who was stabbed is a Vietnamese national who is 35 years old and living in
the locality. The man was transferred to a nearby hospital but he did not
survive. Security camera footage shows the
victim had been stabbed by a Vietnamese man in his 20s, who is also living in
Asahikawa city, NHK reported. Several hours later the police
arrested the suspect and brought him to the police headquarters for
investigation. The weapon has yet to be found. HCM City proposes faster work
on key traffic projects The proposal, submitted to the Ministry
of Transport, refers specifically to several projects including the 58-km Bến
Lức-Long Thành Expressway running through the city and the provinces of Long
An and Đồng Nai; and expansion of the HCM City-Long Thành-Dầu Giây
Expressway. The city has also proposed that a
pre-feasibility study for the high-speed HCM City-Cần Thơ railway be speeded
up. With regard to the HCM City-Mộc Bài
Expressway, the Government has been requested to allocate VNĐ5.9 trillion
($258 million) for site clearance, compensation and resettlement work on the
section that runs through the city. The 53km-expressway has an estimated
total capital investment of VNĐ15.9 trillion ($695.3 million). It is expected
to begin construction in 2023 and be completed in 2026. The total capital allocated under the
city’s mid-term investment plan for the 2021-2025 period is VNĐ142 trillion
($6.23 billion), which is only 20 per cent of its actual need. It is, therefore, proposing that the
Government increase its capital allocation under the plan to ensure
implementation of planned projects or remove some projects from the list. HCM City prepares to tackle
rising COVID-19 infections among children Early detection of infections,
vaccination and preparation of hospital beds for treatment are two main measures
in HCM City’s response to the rising number of children infected with
COVID-19. The HCM City Department of Health has
sent to relevant units an urgent document on guidance and care for COVID-19
infected children. According to the city’s Centre for Disease
Control, between February 14 and 22, the number of infected children was
three times that of the previous week (February 7-13). Most of the positive
cases detected in children were infections with the Omicron strain,
identified as a worrying variant by the World Health Organization (WHO)
because of rapid transmission. The department has asked all public
and non-public medical clinics, hospitals and treatment facilities in the
city to ensure early detection of infections among children as well as prompt
treatment for those with abnormal signs. To better protect children, especially
children under 12, the city has developed a plan on vaccination for children
aged 5-11. The city’s Department of Education and
Training has asked all kindergarten, primary and secondary schools to make a
list of students aged 5-11 years to prepare for vaccinations. The plan is to
vaccinate all children born on and before April 1, 2017. HCM City targets
comprehensive digitisation City leaders have pointed out three
major areas of focus: governing the city in the new situation (after the
pandemic), building databases and linking all databases related to governance
and reforming governance and finding new driving forces for future growth. According to the Department of
Information and Communications, the city will implement comprehensive
technology solutions and exploit shared data for the prevention and control
of COVID-19 and hastening economic recovery. The databases contain information
about the public, enterprises and land. Vinh Phuc works to promote
values of Dong Dau archaeological site The northern province of Vinh Phuc has
decided to invest in a project to construct Dong Dau Park in Yen Lac township
of Yen Lac district to develop the cultural and historical values of its Dong
Dau archaeological site. The project, which has a total
investment of 90 million VND (3,943 USD), covers over 5.4 hectares. Scheduled to be completed in 2025, tt
is expected to contribute to promoting the historical and cultural values of
the site, thus combining with the Gia Loan temple and Bien Son pagoda to
create a highlight for the spiritual tourism of Yen Lac district and Vinh
Phuc province as a whole. It is also designed to expand the green space for
local residents. The site has total area of 8.5
hectares in Dong village of Yen Lac township. It was uncovered in 1962 and became
a national-level historical-cultural relic site in 2000. Through repeated
work, archeologists have found a large number of items typical for four
cultural periods of Phung Nguyen, Go Dau, Go Mun and Dong Son. More areas in Hanoi face high
risks for Covid-19 infection According to the Hanoi People’s
Committee, by Friday, 283 communes, wards and towns in Hanoi were listed as
areas at low risk of Covid-19 infection; while the figure for medium and high
risks was 222 and 74 areas respectively. The high-risk areas are located in Ba
Dinh, Bac Tu Liem, Chuong My, Dan Phuong, Dong Anh, Dong Da, Gia Lam, Ha
Dong, Hai Ba Trung, Hoai Duc, Hoan Kiem, Hoang Mai, Long Bien, Me Linh, Nam
Tu Liem, Quoc Oai, Soc Son, Tay Ho, Thach That, Thanh Oai, Thanh Xuan and
Thuong Tin districts. Hanoi has topped the countries in
daily Covid-19 cases. On Saturday, the city recorded the highest number of
infections with 10,783 cases. Omicron now the dominant
variant in HCM City New COVID-19 infections have been on
the rise in Ho Chi Minh City in recent days, and Omicron is currently the
dominant variant here, according to the city’s centre for disease control
(HCDC). The southern hub recorded 1,356 new
infections and 334 cases of hospitalisation on February 22, both higher than
the previous days, but the numbers of severe cases and deaths are still low. The HCDC said from February 10 to 17,
70 of the 92 samples sent to the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit
(OUCRU) and the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, equivalent to 76 percent, tested
positive for Omicron. Gene sequencing results also showed that all the 26
samples randomly selected from those 70 samples were positive to this
variant. Facing the spread of Omicron, HCM City
is stepping up anti-pandemic measures, including the second phase of the
spring vaccination campaign, scheduled to wrap up at the end of February,
during which it has administered the first dose to more than 6,000 people,
the second to over 26,000, and additional and booster to over 85,000. MPI and UNDP collaborate on
launching climate guidance book On February 23, Deputy Minister of
Planning and Investment Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc received UNDP resident
representative Vietnam Caitlin Wiesen. Wiesen announced organising a
conference for the launch of the CPEIR. With the assistance of six ministries
and 29 cities and provinces, the review provides trends on allocating climate
change finance and a proper way for mobilising resources for Vietnam. The
CPEIR is a useful reference for all ministries and agencies of Vietnam to
review and assess the mobilisation and allocation of finance in the global
fight against climate change. Caitlin Wiesen said that UNDP would
like to work with the MPI to carry out research projects, develop a climate
finance strategy, mobilise climate finance for strategic development in
Vietnam, and develop a national programme. MPI Deputy Ngoc highly emphasised that
the MPI will work closely with UNDP to successfully organise the CPEIR
announcement workshop. The deputy minister stated that the
MPI will closely coordinate with UNDP to implement all activities. UNDP is
expected to continue to act as a bridge to help the ministry access
appropriate financial resources such as the Green Climate Fund, develop an
appropriate climate finance strategy for Vietnam, and effectively implement
the national strategy on climate change and green growth. Meteorologists recommend
proactively dealing with cycle of natural disasters Meteorologists considered that the
recent bitterly cold front over the Northern and North- Central regions was
the coldest wave since the beginning of the winter-spring season of
2021-2022. The statistics showed that there have
been four record cold spells in history from 2008 to now. According to the
experts, severe or extreme colds have changes in the cycle; therefore, the
localities need to proactively deal with ahead natural disasters to minimize
damages. According to Head of the Climate
Forecast Division under the National Center for Hydrology Meteorology
Forecasting (NCHMF) Nguyen Van Huong, temperatures in the Northern region
will tend to decrease gradually from next month. It is forecast that weather and
natural disasters will have many changes in the cycle compared to every year
falling from March to August. Particularly, the average temperature in the
country will reduce by 0.5 degrees Celsius to 1 degree Celsius lower than the
average of many years in March and April. As for March, temperatures in the
Northern, North- Central and Mid-Central regions will decrease 0.5 degrees
Celsius to 1 degree Celsius as low as the same period annually. Central region in short
supply of Covid-19 rapid test kits In recent days, the Central provinces
have continuously recorded a high number of Covid-19 cases in the community,
with more than 1,000 community transmissions per day in some provinces.
Therefore, the demand for rapid testing has surged drastically, leading to a
scarcity of rapid test kits in some localities, such as Quang Nam, Quang
Ngai, and Binh Dinh provinces, or even out of stock in some places. At large pharmacies in Nui Thanh
District in Tam Ky City of Quang Nam Province, rapid test kits are scarce.
The prices of test kits have increased continuously from suppliers in Ho Chi
Minh City or Hanoi, so local pharmacies dare not to import a large volume of
test kits. Along with that, recently, the number of people infected with
Covid-19 has climbed quickly, causing test kits to be out of stock sometimes. As for the inner cities and rural
areas of Quang Ngai and Binh Dinh provinces, the prices of Covid-19 test kits
of all kinds have soared sharply, and many localities were almost out of
stock. In Phu Cat District in Quy Nhon City of Binh Dinh Province, the test
kit price jumped from VND60,000 per kit to VND110,000 per kit. In Quy Nhon
City alone, at Long Chau Pharmacy in Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, test kits were
sold at VND85,000-VND110,000 per kit on the morning of February 26. Many
other pharmacies no longer have test kits for sale. Many medical facilities in Quang Nam
Province have also stopped providing rapid testing service due to the
shortage of test kits because the number of F0 and F1 cases has surged
rapidly after the Lunar New Year, causing the units to run out of
medical-biological products. According to Dr. Pham Thanh Binh, Director of
Tam Ky City Medical Center, currently, the number of allocated test kits is
only enough to use for F0 cases in concentrated treatment facilities. The
center has proposed to allocate more test kits because the number of people
infected with Covid-19 in the area is increasing day by day. A leader of the Quang Nam Department
of Health said that the department has been actively looking for sources to
increase the necessary reserve of test kits. Localities also need to
strengthen searching supplies, at the same time, propagandize people to only
test following the new guidelines of the Ministry of Health. Particularly, F1
cases injected enough doses of the Covid-19 vaccine only test on the last day
of the isolation period to avoid causing waste and scarcity. Source: VNA/SGT/VOV/SGGP/VNS/VGP |
