VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES JULY 29 (Updated hourly)16:04 Nearly 660,000 AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses arrive in HCM City A batch of 659,900 AstraZenaca COVID-19 vaccine doses arrived in Ho Chi Minh City on July 29, reported the Health Ministry. It was the sixth batch and the fourth delivery in July under a contract between AstraZeneca Vietnam and the Vietnam Vaccine JSC (VNVC) with the support of the Health Ministry. The contract has so far brought nearly 3.8 million doses to Vietnam, or about 41 percent of AstraZeneca’s total at home. Nearly 9.3 million AstraZeneca doses have been sent to Vietnam via deals with the VNVC, COVAX Facility and assistance from governments, equivalent to 62 percent of the total vaccine supplies across the country. Chairman and General Director of the AstraZeneca Vietnam and emerging Asian markets Nitin Kapoor said AstraZeneca Vietnam will continue working with the Health Ministry, the World Health Organisation, the United Nations Children’s Fund and the VNVC to bring more vaccines to Vietnam in the quickest and safest manner./. Two Chinese experts arrested on machinery smuggling Police in the north-central province of Thanh Hoa detained two Chinese citizens on July 28 for investigations into machinery smuggling in Vietnam. Chen Fa Yu, 45, and Xiang Da Peng, 58, are two Chinese technical experts working for Hoa Vu Co. Ltd in Thanh Hoa. Both were suspected of having colluded with a Chinese firm in order to purchase equipment for conveyor belt production and air intake system operation in their native country, and illegally transport them to Vietnam. They had successfully delivered two shipments of the machines and equipment to Vietnam. Hoa Vu Co. Ltd was the buyer of these shipments. The two Chinese citizens earned a profit once the machines were sold in Vietnam. At present, the two suspects are in criminal custody. Further investigations are underway by local police and relevant agencies. Vietnam offers 10,000 tonnes of rice to Cuba Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh held a reception for Cuban Ambassador Orlando Nicolás Hernández Guillén in Hanoi on July 29, during which the host underlined Vietnam’s great attention to the close-knit friendship with Cuba. In recent years, Vietnamese and Cuban ministries and sectors have joined hands together to overcome difficulties brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, while reinforcing and developing cooperation in all fields, noted the PM. The two sides recalled the fruitful outcomes of telephone talks between Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee and President of Cuba Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermudez on May 5 and July 27, as well as talks between PM Chinh and his Cuban counterpart Manuel Marrero Cruz on July 1. On the basis of high-level agreements between the two countries, PM Chinh asked Ambassador Orlando Nicolás Hernández Guillén to coordinate with ministries, sectors and agencies of both sides to effectively implement orientations and measures to strengthen the traditional solidarity and friendship and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries. He underlined the significance of bilateral cooperation and experience sharing in clinical trials, licencing and transferring of Cuba’s COVID-19 vaccine production technology in Vietnam following agreements reached in the recent talks between the Vietnamese and Cuban PMs. On the occasion, PM Chinh announced that Vietnam will present Cuba 10,000 tonnes of rice, while Hanoi also offers Havana 2,000 tonnes of rice with a hope of easing difficulties facing Cuban people amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He added that Vietnam will ship the rice to Cuba as soon as possible, expressing his hope that the two sides will continue to strengthen cooperation to ensure food security for Cuba. For his part, Ambassador Orlando Nicolás Hernández Guillén thanked the Party, State and people of Vietnam for the support, which reflects the special traditional friendship between the two countries. He pledged to work hard to make more contributions to the reinforcement of the special traditional friendship, fraternal solidarity and and comprehensive cooperation as well as mutual trust between the two Parties, States, Governments and peoples, especially in hard time. He vowed to coordinate closely with relevant agencies of both sides to promote bilateral cooperation in COVID-19 vaccine production in Vietnam. Following the reception, PM Chinh symbolically handed over the gift of 10,000 tonnes of rice from the Party, State and people of Vietnam to Cuba, and leaders of the Hanoi Party Committee presented symbolically 2,000 tonnes of rice from Hanoi to Havana to the Cuban Ambassador./. Vietnam backs adding gender issues into anti-terrorism Vietnam has expressed support for all-society approach to national reconciliation and harmony, building an united society resistant to risks of extremism and terrorism. During the Arria-formula meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in New York on July 28, head of the Vietnamese Permanent Mission to the UN, Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy said the UNSC’s resolutions recognise a need to incorporate gender issues into efforts to prevent extremism, deal with conflicts or build peace. Therefore, it is necessary to recognise women’s different roles as well as promote their leadership role in the fight against terrorism. According to him, the process also needs to take into account the role of men and gender bias. He also backed countries in continuing to share experience in incorporating gender aspects into national plans and policies and promote thorough study and discussions on the issue. Participants at the event also highlighted a need to study the issue thoroughly and promote the comprehensive approach to gender issues./. US apparel firms lobby US for more COVID-19 vaccines for Vietnam The American Apparel & Footwear Association has
called on the Biden administration to send more COVID-19 vaccines to Vietnam. “The Vietnamese government’s expressive expressions of support for workers in this industry, which is so important to our two countries, helped us make the case in the United States for quick relief,” said association CEO Steve Lamar in the letter. “The success of our industry is globally significant, directly dependent on the health of, literally, your industry,” he added. The American Apparel & Footwear Association represents many of the big names in the footwear and clothing manufacturing industries such as Gap, Adidas, Nike and other major fashion brands. The resurgence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in Vietnam is threatening companies like Nike, which says it had 200 vendors in in the country that made 50% of its shoes globally in fiscal 2020, Nikkei reported. Nikkei quoted Panjiva, a subsidiary of S&P Global, as saying Nike could see their footwear inventory running low due to the COVID disruption in Vietnam. Several major contractors, including Pou Chen, Changshin, Feng Tay Enterprises and Eclat Textile, stopped production this month. Vietnam is the second largest supplier of clothing and footwear to the US, after China. The US has so far donated more than 5 million doses of the Moderna vaccine to Vietnam. In an interview recently granted to a Washington-based VOV correspondent, Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Ha Kim Ngoc said the US is considering supplying more vaccines to Vietnam in the time to come. Vietnam has logged 119,863 new cases in 62 out of all 63 cities and provinces following the resurgence of the virus in late April, and 123,640 cases since the onset of the first outbreak in the country. Bac Giang enters new normal today After undergoing 17 consecutive days without any new Covid-19 infections, Bac Giang Province, which was earlier the country’s largest coronavirus hotspot, stopped applying the prime minister’s Directive 19 to enter a new normal stage beginning today, July 29. The Covid-19 pandemic has been brought under control in the province, with eight of 10 districts going 22 days without any fresh Covid-19 cases, said Bac Giang Chairman Le Anh Duong. To prevent the resurgence of Covid-19, the provincial government asked the departments, agencies and districts to tighten control over the entry from other provinces and cities and to ask people arriving from virus-hit areas to undergo a Covid-19 test and paid quarantine. Over 700 people have returned to the province from HCMC, which is now the country’s largest Covid-19 hotspot, while 2,300 others have rushed home from Hanoi City. In addition, production facilities and firms must have their employees tested regularly and carry out their operations in a safe manner. Those that fail to comply with Covid-19 safety measures will be suspended. Besides, experts, executives and workers who are working in the province, but live in Covid-19-hit provinces must work from home or implement the live-in production rule. As of now, more than 130,000 workers in industrial parks in the province have returned to work, the local media reported. Some non-essential services such as clubs, bars, discos, gyms, cinemas, massage and karaoke parlors, swimming pools and game shops remain suspended, while funerals and wedding parties are allowed, but must comply with anti-virus measures. Bac Giang Province became the country’s biggest Covid-19 hotspot in May and reported over 5,700 Covid-19 infections. Up to 99% of the patients have made a full recovery from the disease. Strong winds, rains destroy, damage houses in Mekong Delta Strong winds and rain damaged many houses in the Cửu Long Delta provinces of Hậu Giang, An Giang and Cần Thơ City on Tuesday. In Cần Thơ, the delta’s major city, strong winds blew off the roofs of 10 houses in Ninh Kiều, Bình Thuỷ, Thốt Nốt, and Cờ Đỏ districts. Many trees along roads in Ninh Kiều District were toppled or had branches torn off. Officials from the steering committees for natural disaster prevention and control, search and rescue in the affected districts and local authorities called on affected households for providing relief. In Ninh Kiều, the district People’s Committee gave each affected household VNĐ2 million (US$90). In Hậu Giang Province, one house in Vị Thanh City was flattened and four others in Vị Thanh City and Châu Thành A District had roofs blown off. The province Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, Search and Rescue said human forces have been mobilised to help affected households repair their houses. Local authorities are assessing the losses to provide them with support, it said. In An Giang Province, 13 houses were destroyed in Long Xuyên City and Chợ Mới District while seven others in Long Xuyên and several districts lost their roofs. The Phú Hoà Town Market in Thoại Sơn District also had its roof blown off as did two warehouses in Chợ Mới District. A power pole on the Duy Tân Bridge in Chợ Mới was toppled. Local authorities are helping repair houses. Over the last few weeks in Cần Thơ rains and winds have destroyed or damaged more than 60 houses causing losses of VNĐ800 million ($35,000), according to the city Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, Search and Rescue. So far this year in Hậu Giang 12 houses have been destroyed, 40 others lost their roofs as did some production establishments and a school toilet, with the losses estimated at VNĐ2.5 billion ($110,000). In Kiên Giang Province, strong winds and rains injured four people, destroyed 34 houses and blew off roofs of 74 houses. Hanoi to consider bye for students in second phase of high school graduation exams The Hanoi Department of Education and Training on July 28 announced its decision to cancel the second phase of the 2021 national high school graduation exams and to consider giving a graduation bye to eligible students according to regulations. The department asked its district-level affiliated units, high schools, vocational training centres and continuing education centres to inform all students who have registered to sit the second phase about the cancellation.
Other students who have yet to take the exam or already took the exam in the first phase but could not complete it owing to reasons not related to COVID-19, will also be considered for a graduation bye. Based on the aforementioned criteria, eligible students who wish to be considered for a graduation bye will need to submit their applications. The department’s high school graduation accreditation council will consider eligible cases and update them on the system of the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) no later than 00:00pm on August 2. The ministry will issue instructions to guide higher education institutions in applying other enrollment methods for university and college admissions in 2021, with the aim of creating favourable conditions for students and ensuring their interests. On the same day, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training said that it has issued a guiding document on requesting enquiry on first-phase tests, as well as registering to take or be considered for a graduation bye in the second phase. Students subject to a graduation bye are those eligible to take the exams in the second phase but cannot do so due to the impact of the pandemic, and wish to be considered for a bye. It is applicable only to candidates who register for exams at educational institutions in Ho Chi Minh City. Eligibility criteria for students is that they must have registered for the second phase and are qualified to take the exams; were not previously suspended from the exams and did not use their graduation privilege in the first phase; or are F0, F1, or F2 cases or are in quarantine venues as requested by the health sector. Students wishing to be considered for a graduation bye must submit their application at the educational institutions where they study by 4pm on July 30. Meanwhile, applications for enquiries on first-phase tests should be submitted by 5pm on August 5. Vietnam Innovation Network in RoK to be launched A Vietnam Innovation Network in the Republic of Korea (VINK) is slated to make its debut on July 31, according to the Vietnamese Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST). The agency, part of the Vietnam Innovation Network, is hoped to contribute to promoting innovation activities amongst the Vietnamese community in the East Asian nation and cooperation between Vietnam and the RoK in the field. The Government assigned the establishment of VINK to the Ministry of Planning and Investment together with the MoST and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. VINK currently has 16 members who are young Vietnamese scientists in the RoK. It plans to hold five webinars between August and December this year regarding the role of the Vietnamese community in Vietnam-RoK relations, introduction of investment funds for startups, along with procedures for startups to call for investment, and experience and challenges of industrial firms in the RoK, among others./. COVID-19: 2,821 new cases added to national tally on July 29 morning Vietnam recorded 2,821 new COVID-19 cases from 7pm on July 28 to 6am on July 29, according to the Ministry of Health. Ho Chi Minh City, the country's current largest hotspot, documented 1,715 infections, followed by Binh Duong with 406, Long An 179, Dong Nai 159 and Tay Ninh 139. There were 587 cases detected in the community. The number of new infections since the fourth wave of outbreaks hit the country on April 27 amounted to 119,863. As many as 27,457 people have recovered from COVID-19. Meanwhile, more than 5.32 million doses of vaccines had been administered. Some 496,630 people have fully got two shots. By 5pm on July 28, Vietnam’s COVID-19 vaccine fund had received 8.34 trillion VND (around 364 million USD) contributed by 488,906 organisations and individuals./. UK donates 415,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine to Vietnam The British government will donated 415,000 doses of
the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to Vietnam, British Secretary Dominic Raab
announced on July 28. This is the first batch of 100 million doses the UK will donate over the next year, following Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s commitment at G7 Summit in Cornwall last month. About 80 million doses will go to COVAX and the rest will go directly to beneficiaries directly. “The UK is sending 415,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine to Viet Nam as part of the first batch of the 100 million doses we’ve pledged, to those most in need in the world vaccinated as a matter of urgency. We’re doing this to help the most vulnerable, but also because we know we won’t be safe until everyone is safe,” said British Secretary Dominic Raab. Announcing the news, British Ambassador to Vietnam Gareth War said reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to support Vietnam to accelerate its national programme vaccination, as well as to make the vaccines accessible to the people most vulnerable to the virus. “These vaccines will soon be handed over to the Vietnamese health authority and distributed to those most in need across Vietnam,” said the diplomat. “The UK will continue to share our experience in vaccine rollout and genomic testing, to ensure Vietnam’s programme is successful.’ According to the ambassador, the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine has been made by Oxford Biomedica in Oxford and packaged in Wrexham, North Wales. Vietnamese medical staff in South Sudan hold online talks with their Indian counterparts Vaccinations, variants, and air transport for COVID-19 patients in South Sudan were among a number of topics discussed at an online training session, held over two days, between Vietnamese and Indian doctors working in the African nation, facilitated by the United Nations peacekeeping mission in South Sudan. The two-day online training, which ended on Tuesday, involved medical officers of two level-2 field hospitals in South Sudan. One is run by Việt Nam and the other by India. Senior Colonel Nguyễn Bá Hưng, Senior National Representative of Việt Nam in United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS): “I hope that the experience and knowledge shared in the training will help participants improve their professional competencies and the quality of patient care. I also hope that the two units maintain cooperation in all aspects and continue to organise similar activities in the future.” He said he highly appreciated the professional exchange. The successful training session would further tighten the close relationship between Việt Nam and India, he said. The Vietnamese medical team discussed vaccinations. They will be responsible for vaccinating 500 individual UN personnel. It will also support other units in vaccinating people, monitoring post-vaccination reactions and managing any complications that may arise. Việt Nam's Level-2 Field Hospital in South Sudan will
be in charge of vaccinating 500 UN personnel. The two sides also discussed other common issues they have come across working in South Sudan like snakebites and acute coronary syndrome. Việt Nam’s Level-2 Field Hospital Rotation 3 based in Bentiu, South Sudan is tasked with serving and treating United Nations staff. They also offer treatment for local people on humanitarian grounds. The hospital has 63 staff, including 19 doctors, three pharmacists and 25 nurses and technicians. HCM City's leader hopes to foster cooperation with Italy Chairman of the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City Nguyen Thanh Phong hosted an online reception for outgoing Italian Consul General in HCM City Dante Brandi on July 28. Phong expressed his delight at the fruitful development of the Vietnam-Italy strategic partnership, while lauding the role of Brandi in promoting the relations between the two countries as well as ties between HCM City and Italy, especially in the fields of culture and heritage conservation. The chairman said he hoped Brandi’s successor will continue to help strengthening collaboration between Italy and HCM City in economy, trade, science-technology and education, while continue efforts to implement joint initiatives and cooperation projects between the two sides. He wished that the Italian diplomat will continue to gain new successes in his new position. For his part, Brandi thanked HCM City's leaders and administration for creating optimal conditions and supporting him to fulfill his tasks. On the occasion, the city's administration presented Brandi with a Ho Chi Minh City Insignia, which will be transferred to the Italian Consulate General./. Local swimmer only Asian competitor among top 20 of 800m freestyle Despite missing out the chance to progress to the final
round of the 800m freestyle swimming contest at the Tokyo Olympics, local
swimmer Huy Hoang was the only Asian athlete to be among the top 20 in the
event. Despite this, in the overall result across the five groups, he was placed 20th place among a total of 34 athletes, with only the top eight advancing to the final round of the event. First place in the heats went to Mykhailo Romanchuk of Ukraine with a time of seven minutes and 41.28 seconds, followed by German’s Florian Wellbrock with seven minutes and 41.77 seconds. Hoang’s best result in the 800m freestyle was at the 2018 Youth Olympics when he registered a time of seven minutes and 50.20 seconds. The 21-year-old swimmer is set to participate in the 1500m freestyle event which will take place on July 30 evening. Vietnam signs three COVID-19 vaccine technology transfer constracts browser not support iframe. Vietnam has signed technology transfer contracts related to COVID-19 vaccines with partners from Russia, the US, and Japan. The Health Ministry’s Department for Science, Technology and Training said on July 27, one of the three was sealed between two Vietnamese companies - the Company for Vaccine and Biological Production No.1 (VABIOTECH) and the International Progressive Joint Stock Company - and Japanese pharmaceutical firm Shionogi. The second contract involving Russian Sputnik V vaccine was inked between VABIOTECH, DS-Bio, and the Russian Direct Investment Fund, with the Vietnamese side being in charge of packaging the vaccine tubes from the semi-finished products. For technology transfer projects with US partners, the Ministry of Health has sent a group of experts to coordinate with the World Health Organization to support relevant units in completing dossiers for clinical trials phase 1-2-3 according to a shortened process, with the research expected to start on August 1 and end in late December. The transfer and the building of a vaccine factory in Vietnam will be completed in June 2022./. Two Vietnamese companies receive ASEAN awards for occupational safety and health Two Vietnamese companies, namely the Northern Power Corporation of Vietnam (EVNNPC) and the Dau Tieng Rubber Corporation of Vietnam - have been presented ASEAN – Occupational Safety and Health Network (OSHNET) Awards. They are among 18 enterprises receiving the awards. They were nominated by the labour ministries of ASEAN Member States for their innovations and achievements in promoting safety and health standards at their workplaces. Addressing the awarding ceremony which was held virtually, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for Socio-Cultural Community Kung Phoak congratulated the awardees for their achievements that contribute to a better, safer, and healthier ASEAN Community. The ASEAN-OSHNET Excellence Awards were presented to Minebea (Cambodia) Co., Ltd of Cambodia; PT. Trakindo Utama Sorowako of Indonesia; LAO Brewery Co., Ltd. of Lao PDR; Putrajaya Holdings Sdn. Bhd. of Malaysia; RVK Meditech Co., Ltd of Myanmar; Energy Development Corporation – Mt. Apo Geothermal Project of the Philippines; Petrochemical Corporation of Singapore (Private) Limited of Singapore; PTT Public Company Limited Rayong Gas Separation Plant of Thailand; and Northern Power Corporation of Vietnam. The ASEAN-OSHNET Best Practice Awards were given to nine small and medium enterprises, namely Laurelton Diamonds (Cambodia) Co Ltd of Cambodia; PT. Homeware International Indonesia of Indonesia; Burapha Agro-Forestry of Lao PDR; FM Plastic Industries Sdn. Bhd of Malaysia; Jotun Myanmar Co Ltd of Myanmar; D’Homemakers Café of the Philippines; Wee Chwee Huat Scaffolding and Construction Pte Ltd of Singapore; Nawa Intertech Company Limited of Thailand; and Dau Tieng Rubber Corporation of Vietnam. The ASEAN-OSHNET Awards started in 2016 and has continuously showcased enterprises that have set a high bar for OSH standards. These awards show the commitment of ASEAN to promote closer public-private partnerships in improving OSH in the region./. Vietnam, Cambodia discuss land border issues Vietnam and Cambodia on July 28 agreed to maintain the strict implementation of signed agreements on border and border marker management, and step by step solve the remaining work of their land border demarcation and marker planting. The consensus was reached during an online meeting between Nguyen Minh Vu, Vietnam’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chairman of the National Border Committee and Chairman of the Vietnam-Cambodia Joint Committee for Land Border Demarcation and Marker Planting, and Var Kim Hong, Senior Minister in charge of border affairs and Chairman of the Cambodia-Vietnam Joint Committee on Border Demarcation and Marker Planting. At the event, the two sides expressed their delight at the fine development of the bilateral relationship despite impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, affirming that the governments and people of the two nations have provided each other with valuable and timely assistance to cope with the pandemic. In addition, the two countries’ border agencies and localities have closely coordinated to implement two legal documents recognising the completion of about 84 percent of the Vietnam-Cambodia land border demarcation and marker planting workload, which were signed on October 5, 2019 and took effect on December 22, 2020. Both sides also agreed to make good preparations for a meeting between the two Chairmen of the Vietnam-Cambodia and Cambodia-Vietnam Joint Committees for Land Border Demarcation and Marker Planting in the coming time, and find flexible forms of exchange to well solve border issues, thus helping to consolidate and build a Vietnam-Cambodia borderline of peace, stability, friendship, and cooperation for sustainable development./. HCM City: new COVID-19 treatment facility operates; over 21,330 patients discharged Vietnam’s biggest pandemic hotspot Ho Chi Minh City put into operation a nearly-3,000-bed COVID-19 treatment hospital in District 7’s Phu Nhuan ward on July 28 and has so far seen over 21,330 COVID-19 patients discharged from local hospitals. According to the municipal Health Department, in the first day of its operation, the facility completed the installation of close to 700 beds, with another 500 beds due to be set up in the next two days. The remaining will be in place in early August. Hung Vuong Hospital, which runs the facility has deployed more than 300 medical staff to work here. The city now has 38 hospitals for treating COVID-19 patients, with their total number of beds exceeding 50,000. According to the HCM City Centre for Disease Control (HCDC), the southern economic hub has recorded more than 74,800 COVID-19 cases since April 27, with 39,114 patients being under treatment and the death toll reaching 815./. HCMC may extend stringent social distancing by one or two weeks The HCMC government will evaluate the city’s Covid-19 situation on August 1 and may extend stringent social distancing following Directive No. 12 by one or two weeks, Phan Van Mai, standing deputy secretary of the HCMC Party Committee, said at a meeting this afternoon, July 28. The HCMC Party Committee on July 22 issued Directive No. 12 tightening its anti-Covid-19 measures in line with the prime minister’s Directive No. 16 in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic continuing to develop complicatedly in the city. The new directive requires the enhancement of inspection and supervision of compliance with anti-virus measures. Accordingly, residents in areas under lockdown must distance themselves from others. They can only leave their homes for medical emergencies or food and other essential goods twice a week at supermarkets and markets inside the areas, using coupons issued by the local authorities. In some extremely-high-risk areas, residents are banned from leaving their homes and the local authorities will deliver food and other products to them instead. Those undergoing quarantine must follow regulations and not leave their rooms or contact others. Members of households whose family members are asymptomatic coronavirus carriers and direct contacts of Covid-19 cases undergoing home quarantine must not leave their homes either. The city has also suspended non-urgent production and business activities as well as construction sites. Banks and stock market facilities are allowed to operate at an adequate level to meet the demand. Branches and transaction offices should ask their employees to work in shifts. Only businesses in essential sectors are allowed to operate, including healthcare, pharmaceuticals, food, electricity, water and gas supply and the transport of essential goods. Moreover, only businesses that can arrange accommodation and meals at work for their staff are allowed to remain operational. Employers must arrange vehicles to transport their workers between their concentrated accommodation facilities and their factories. Traditional wet markets must reduce their capacity to 30%. Only traders of essential commodities and food are allowed but they must take turns to do business at the markets. Additionally, State agencies must arrange for employees to work in shifts at their headquarters. Only goods transporting vehicles provided with QR codes, those of State agencies and the frontline forces and those transporting residents in the city to their hometowns are allowed to pass through checkpoints. Vietnam attends ASEANSAI’s 6th Senior Officials’ Meeting A delegation of the State Audit Office of Vietnam (SAV), led by Deputy Auditor General Ha Thi My Dung, is attending the 6th Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) of the ASEAN Supreme Audit Institutions (ASEANSAI) which is being held via videoconference on July 28-29. The online meeting was chaired by the State Audit of Malaysia, which is ASEANSAI Chair for the 2020-2021 period, and attended by representatives from 10 ASEANSAI members. In his opening remarks, Bahtiar Arif, head of the ASEANSAI Secretariat, said that the 6th SOM focuses on discussing strategic issues related to the development of all member audit agencies as well as activities of the governments of the Southeast Asian countries. Dung thanked the ASEANSAI members for their support to help the SAV fulfill its responsibility as the Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee for the 2020-2021 period, and their trust in assigning it to continue assuming this position for the 2022-2023 term. She emphasised that the SAV commits to making continuous efforts to fulfill its missions, actively participating in joint activities in order to tighten the relations between members and contribute to the successful implementation of the missions and goals of the ASEANSAI community. As the Chair of the ASEANSAI Strategic Planning Committee, the SAV chaired a discussion on a draft ASEANSAI Strategic Plan for 2022-2025 and a work plan for 2022-2023 of the committee. The Vietnamese representative said that compared to the ASEANSAI Strategic Plan for 2018-2021, the new plan adds the vision, mission, and core values of the issues related to professionalism, innovation, quick response in today’s dynamic operation environment with many uncertainties./. Deputy Foreign Minister congratulates Vietnamese finalist at int’l piano contest Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Hieu on July 28 sent a letter of congratulations to Nguyen Viet Trung, the only representative of Vietnam at the final round of the 18th Fryderyk Chopin International Piano Competition in Poland. In his letter, Hieu, also head of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressed his belief in the talented pianist’s further success in the contest, contributing to introducing Vietnamese cultural identities to international friends. First held in 1927, the competition takes place every
five years. Vietnamese pianist Dang Thai Son won its tenth edition in 1980.
It took 40 years for Vietnam to have another finalist at the contest. Out of 500 participants of the Fryderyk Chopin International Piano Competition, he was one of the 151 contestants selected by the organiser to perform live in the preliminary round and was named in its list of 87 finalists. The final round will be held from October 2 to 23 in Warsaw, Poland./. HCM City focuses on treatment to mitigate COVID-19 deaths
Accordingly, the department will rearrange medical staff in the city for more appropriate allocation of personnel in preventive work and treatment. Medical staff and last-year medical students joining in collecting samples for COVID-19 testing and vaccinations in districts and wards will be sent to quarantine facilities to monitor patients’ health and offer treatment to them. Youth union members and volunteer students from medical schools will work with local health sectors to collect samples and assist in vaccinations. As the number of patients is rising, mostly in locked-down areas and medical establishments, the department launched the 115 ambulance system in Thu Duc city, districts, wards and residential areas. It will also increase 115 ambulance vehicles equipped with medical equipment in the near future. Districts, wards and Thu Duc city were assigned to finish vaccinations for residents no later than August 31. Later, the department will maintain vaccination services for those aged over 65 and having underlying diseases in 312 medical stations, public and private hospitals. As of 7pm on July 27, the city recorded 6,318 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours. Since the fourth pandemic wave began on April 27, the city has logged 72,740 cases, reported the Ho Chi Minh City Centre for Disease Control./. Vietnam’s U22 football team to gather in August Head coach Park Hang-seo on July 27 sent the Vietnam Football Federation a list of footballers who will join an upcoming training session of the U22’s team to prepare for the 2022 AFC U23 Asian Cup qualification. The squad is scheduled to gather on August 10 in Hanoi with 30 players chosen by the Korean coach. Of note, goalie Pham Manh Cuong, the best goalkeeper at the national U21 tournament last year, has earned his first call-up. The qualification round is scheduled to take place from October 23 to 31 this year. In each group, teams play each other in a round-robin format at a concentrated venue. The 11 group winners and the best four runners-up qualify for the final tournament, slated for next June in Uzbekistan. Vietnam were runners-up at the 2018 AFC U23 Asian Cup hosted by China./. Vietnam plays greater role in UNESCO Since joining UNESCO in July 1976, Vietnam has continued to play a greater role, and has been a very active member of the Executive Board of different committees, said Michael Croft, UNESCO Chief Representative in Vietnam. “To give a general assessment of Vietnam towards the United Nations, the easiest thing to say is it's certainly very positive,” Croft said in an exclusive interview with the Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of 45 years of Vietnam joining the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). The country has also been active, particularly in the culture sector in terms of supporting some of the new resolutions and new conventions, especially the convention on promoting the diversity of the cultural expression, he added. Vietnam demonstrates to other member states how to leverage UNESCO’s designations, he said, adding “we have seen in terms of the success of the country in using the World Heritage Sites, the Geoparks, and also the World Biosphere Reserves as engines for development.” “As we'd like to say UNESCO’s placing culture as the heart of development. So in terms of the role of the organisation, it’s a very vibrant member, and it’s a member that punches above its own weight.” He highlighted that Vietnam's first candidacy to head a UN organisation was with UNESCO in 2017, and emphasised this shows the importance that Vietnam places on UNESCO and the way it sees its role within the organisation. Regarding the cooperation relationship between UNESCO and Vietnam over the year, Croft said it has evolved as the UN's relationship with Vietnam has evolved. According to him, it was development assistance in the previous years, and this is shifting, as Vietnam starts to transform. Vietnam is now a middle income country, has a lot of different resources, and has always been very capable of making strategic decisions, he said, adding that “what it expects from UNESCO and from the rest of the UN is for us to be used on mandates creatively in support of those priorities.” UNESCO’s moving away from projects towards supporting partnerships for sustainable development in Vietnam. So UNESCO's role now in Vietnam is less about doing development projects and more about working with the government, with society, with academia, and with the private sector to build the “coalition” of the concerns around important issues in education, culture, science, communication and information. On UNESCO’s recommendations to the Vietnamese Government to promote the image of Vietnam to the world, Croft said he is impressed by cultural diplomacy in Vietnam, especially the work and the approaches of President Ho Chi Minh, who was able to apply cultural diplomacy. “With such great effect during the struggle for freedom of independence, cultural diplomacy is as important now in the 21st century as it was before,” he said. According to him, Vietnam has such a unique cultural heritage and it also retains culture, and there are a lot of cultural assets that it can use to continue to build up its soft power. The cultural industries in Vietnam have great untapped potential because there's a lot of things that are still undiscovered here and that people are still very interested about. This is really an advantage of Vietnam in promoting social and economic development. He highlighted Hanoi’s initiative, almost two years ago, to apply to UNESCO and to be granted the title of Hanoi Creative City is really wonderful. This is an opportunity for Vietnam to rebrand itself and recreate itself in the 21st century - “a country of peace, a country where it's good to visit and calm but also a country of creativity, a country of dynamism, a young country, an up and coming country, an engaged country.”/. Logo design contest marks 50 years of Vietnam – India diplomatic ties The Vietnamese embassy in New Delhi has launched a logo design competition aimed at celebrating the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Vietnam and India. The contest aims to create a logo which can be used in a series of events organised by the Vietnamese embassy in India that will commemorate the anniversary, said organisers The competition is open to both Vietnamese and Indian citizens. Designers and students majoring in graphic design and visual arts, along with graphic art lovers, are able to send their entries to the organisers. The judges will be made up of three representatives of the Vietnamese embassy in India, plus three Indian and Vietnamese experts and artists. The winner of the contest will receive a cash prize of US$800. Graphic artworks can be used for publications, as well as for online documents. Applicants can send their submissions to office@vietnamembassydelhi.in. Northern and central regions hit by severe heat wave Northern and north-central provinces are currently sweltering due to the impact of a severe heat wave, with temperatures in some places reaching 38 degrees Celsius, according to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting. The coming days are set to see Hanoi experience an extremely hot spell, with lows of around 26 degrees Celsius and highs reaching between 35 and 37 degrees Celsius. The capital is also likely to see rain both late in the afternoon and at midnight. Elsewhere, the central region will continue to suffer from the impact of the scorching heatwave, with temperatures of between 35 and 38 degrees Celsius expected over the next couple of days. These high temperatures combined with low humidity during the current wave pose a risk of fire and explosions occurring in residential areas due to the increased demand for electricity, as well as risks relating to forest fires in central localities, the centre said. Dehydration, exhaustion, and heat stroke due to the human body being exposed to high temperatures for a long period of time also represent dangers to people nationwide. Brave soldier a shoo-in for business success In 2006, a former Vietnamese soldier started a shoe business, which has since gone on to be very successful. Using a soldier’s brave spirit, Đào Văn Vanh has developed Thuận Hưng Co. Ltd. in the northern port city of Hải Phòng to having more than 200 employees. Vanh, 69, is agile, talkative and excited when discussing his days as a soldier. He enlisted in the army in March 1967, and after a short training in the north he was assigned to Battalion 14, Division 2, Military Region 5, and remained a soldier in the unit until 1975. The most memorable period for him was 1971-72 when he participated in the Road 9 Campaign in southern Laos when he shot down three enemy aircraft, was admitted to the Party and awarded the Third Class Victory Medal. Vanh was later injured in a firefight and assessed as having an injury rate of 4/4 – the lightest level for war invalids. In 1975, Vanh returned to his hometown and left the army to work at a cement factory, but soon quit to study carpentry. The year 2006 saw him set up his own company in a new field: making toe-capped shoes. Starting a business was a bold move insofar as he had no assets except some family land, no management experience and did not know where to buy raw materials or how to sell the products too. Nevertheless, he still decided to build a factory on his family's land, with an investment of VNĐ1.2 billion (US$52,190) which he borrowed. He eventually linked up with Đỉnh Vàng Co. Ltd. – a large leather shoe company in Hải Phòng. His lack of experience made things difficult at first, but he strode on with a soldier’s spirit, even through the ups and downs of the coronavirus crisis. At the beginning, Thuận Hưng had 40 employees on a small factory scale. Now the company has more than 200 local workers, with an average income of VNĐ6-8 million per month each. Lê Thị Miền has worked at the company for 11 years, earning VNĐ6-10 million per month, and said that Vanh was always interested in the lives of his employees, ensuring their rights, so they love the company and consider it their second home. Phạm Hữu Dũng, chairman of the local Commune People's Committee, said that the company had made an important contribution to social security in the area. Vanh and his family also eagerly participate in communal activities. It is these good deeds that see Vanh be visited and given gifts by local authorities, along with other soldiers, for Invalids and Martyrs Day on July 27. People suffering from kidney disease, cancer to receive first dose of vaccine in Đà Nẵng People experiencing serious kidney disease and cancer patients in the central city of Đà Nẵng will receive the Moderna vaccine from July 28 to September 5. The city’s health department said 33,600 COVID-19 Moderna vaccines have been set aside for risky patients and pandemic frontline forces. Doctors from the city’s oncology hospital said the first 23 in-patients out of 650 had received their first shot, while 5,000 out-patients will be receiving theirs over the next few days. Dr Lê Thị Vân from the hospital said cancer in-patients have received comprehensive treatment and have received three free meals a day. The city’s General Hospital has been calling for blood donations from volunteers as blood reserves have hit a critical low with less than a week's supply on hand. Operations suspended A total of 19 positive SARS-COV-2 cases were detected earlier this week at the Thọ Quang fishing port – one of the largest fishing logistics centres in central Việt Nam. In order to prevent further infections in the community, the city’s People’s Committee has decided to shut down the site for one week from Monday (July 26). Fish markets in Sơn Trà District were forced to close on Monday. The fishing port hosts 450 fishing boats and more than 3,000 people from the central provinces and the city visiting each day. Đà Sơn slaughter-house in Liên Chiểu District also suspended operations on Monday as 24 infection cases were reported at the site. Nearly 1 million tests have been carried out in the community testing programme since early May, the city’s Centre for Disease Control reported. Quảng Nam province said at least 18 cases had been found at mass quarantine centres in Tiên Phước district, Hội An city and Điện Bàn town from July 25-27. Thừa Thiên Huế and Quảng Ngãi warned that people returning from COVID-19 hotspots in HCM City and neighbouring provinces could spread the infection far and wide, even people who have tested negative. The two provinces have been transporting native people living in HCM City and southern provinces to their hometowns since last week. It has however been suggested that people should reconsider plans to return home from HCM City. Another caravan of at least 500 workers and vendors on motorbikes from HCM City returning to their hometowns was also detected. This is on top of an earlier caravan of 137 detected on the weekend. Vietnamese students in Australia: Motherland is always in hearts Not only providing a venue to exchange and cultivate
the knowledge and work experiences of young people living far from their
homeland, the Vietnamese Students’ Association in Australia (SVAU) also
consolidates solidarity among its members and encourages them to support the
motherland through assorted activities. The SVAU was established to support all Vietnamese Students currently living and studying in Australia. At present, the association has expanded its chapters to most universities and states in Australia, many of them having operated for several decades, including those in the cities of Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide or in the capital Canberra. The association's network has played a very important role in bringing generations of Vietnamese students together to share their experiences and tips for living in Australia, including how to rent a house, and how to master job interviews. In addition, the SVAU has long hosted events to increase its influence in the Vietnamese community in the host country while nurturing dreams, promoting creativity, and motivating Vietnamese students to achieve success while living abroad. In recent years, the SVAU has expanded its networking activities with prestigious organisations such as the Association of Vietnamese Scientists and Experts (AVSE Global), the National Innovation Center, in order to bring potential startups of Vietnamese students and PhD candidates to life in both Australia and Vietnam. In 2019, the Vietnamese Students’ Association of New South Wales (VSA NSW) in coordination with the relevant agencies launched the first startup competition for Vietnamese students and alumni in Australia with the aim of promoting startup and innovation initiatives among the Vietnamese student community in their host nation. In April this year, Startup Vietnam Frontier - Australia (SVF-AU) and the Vietnam Australia Innovation Network Inc (NIC-AU) announced the 2021 Hack4Growth Australia, with the aim of boosting the ecosystem for innovative start-ups. Through the contest, 11 excellent start-ups were selected to enter the Global Hack4Growth Competition. Thanks to its effective activities, the brand as a common house for Vietnamese students of SVAU and its chapters has been increasingly strengthened. Accordingly, the Melbourne Overseas Vietnamese Student Association – the SVAU’s chapter in Melbourne, has established its fame with the annual MOVSA Gala, which has been held annually for more than ten years. Similarly, the Vietnam Culture Festival (VietFest) hosted by the Vietnamese Student Associations in the cities of Canberra and Adelaide has received Much appreciation from authorities of the host cities while playing an important role in promoting the image of Vietnamese land and people to international friends. Another notable event is the sports tournament for Vietnamese community organised by the Vietnamese Student Association in Western Australia. All of these activities and programmes aim to connect the Vietnamese community in Australia, promoting solidarity among people who are living far from the motherland. SVAU members have also taken practical actions to support the motherland. In 2020, SVAU raised more than VND120 million from the Overseas Vietnamese in the host country to support flood victims in Vietnam. On the occasion of 2021 Lunar New Year, the Melbourne Overseas Vietnamese Student Association in coordination with businesses of Nghe An Province presented gifts to children in disadvantaged mountainous areas in Thanh Chuong District, Nghe An Province. Particularly, in the face of complicated developments of the COVID-19 epidemic, SVAU has coordinated with the Vietnamese Embassy in Australia to provide financial support for the Vietnamese students and people across the states of Australia. According to SVAU President Nguyen Phuc Binh, the association has also mobilised AUD 3,000 from the Overseas Vietnamese community in Australia to donate to the National COVID-19 Vaccine Fund. More support heads to southern COVID-19-hit localities On July 27, nearly 150 doctors, nurses and technicians from five major hospitals based in Hanoi headed to Ho Chi Minh City to support their colleagues treat COVID-19 patients. Quang Binh province also sent a delegation of 29 medical staff from across the province and the Vietnam - Cuba Dong Hoi Friendship Hospital to Ho Chi Minh City to participate in its COVID-19 fight. At the same time, many private hospitals in the southern economic hub have also registered to convert their functions and increase beds to treat COVID-19 patients. On the same day, Phu Tho province sent a delegation of 52 medical staff to support Binh Duong province in its fight against the epidemic. This is the fifth time that Phu Tho has sent medical delegations to support localities across the nation in epidemic prevention and control. So far, Binh Duong has received aid and support from 25 delegations from relevant ministries, agencies and localities with more than 3,000 officials, experts, armed forces, medical staff and volunteers to help the province in the prevention and control of the epidemic. Also on July 27, the Standing Office of Nhan Dan Newspaper in Ho Chi Minh City and Kim Oanh Group coordinated to hand over medical protective equipment to Military Medical Hospital 175 (Ministry of Defence), worth total VND133 million. The representative office of Nhan Dan in Ho Chi Minh City has also coordinated with various businesses and units to support people in difficult circumstances in the city and some other provinces with a total budget of nearly VND1 billion. The Thanh Hoa Provincial Party Committee has agreed to provide Hanoi with VND2 billion in financial support to join hands with the capital city in its COVID-19 fight, at the request of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Thanh Hoa province. On the afternoon of July 27, the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Hai Phong city received VND1.3 billion from relevant localities, organisations and businesses to support the northern port city's COVID-19 prevention and control fund. Through eight rounds of donations, Hai Phong’s Front Committee has received nearly VND23 billion from relevant donors. HCMC seeks innovative solutions to cope with Covid-19 The HCMC Department of Science and Technology has launched the HCMC Innovative Solution - COVID 2021 (HIS – COVID 2021) to seek solutions to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, which is extremely complicated in the city. The program has attracted the interest of many individuals, organizations and enterprises with multiple innovative, hi-tech and digital transformation solutions in many sectors. The HCMC Department of Science and Technology will help promote completed solutions and propose them to the municipal government, departments, agencies and business associations. HCMC will gather and pilot innovative solutions, assess their efficiency and transfer them to other localities. The department encourages solutions, no matter how small, which can be applied in the tracing and treatment of Covid-19 patients, create value for the community and provide technical solutions to enterprises to maintain their operations and develop amid the pandemic. The 20 best solutions will be chosen for presentation in front of a professional judge and 10 will be honored during the 2021 HCMC Innovation, Startup and Entrepreneurship Week. Interested individuals and organizations can register for participation in the program at https://his-covid.doimoisangtao.vn/dang-ky/ from July 26 to August 15. COVID-19: Nearly 1 million free meals offered to needy people nationwide Close to 1 million free meals worth 15 billion VND (653,274 USD) have so far been offered to disadvantaged people who are affected by COVID-19 across 28 provinces and cities nationwide since April. The meals were as part of a charity programme launched by the Vietnam Youth Federation (VYF) Central Committee. In Hanoi, it is scheduled to run from July 24 to August 7, providing meals, each valued at about 25,000 VND, for poor people, freelancers, employees losing their jobs, patients and their families, among others. As of July 28, 1,140 meals had been distributed in the capital city. Also on July 28, the VYF Central Committee and other organisers of the programme presented 470 food packages worth 82 million VND to patients who are receiving long-term treatment at the Hanoi kidney hospital. Each package consists of 10kg of rice and a box of instant noodles. Nguyen Hai Minh, Vice President of the VYF Central Committee, said he hopes the programme will spread positive messages on concerted effort and sharing amid complicated developments of the pandemic./. HCM City sets up four more COVID-19 hospitals browser not support iframe. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s biggest pandemic hotspot and the country’s most crowded city, decided to establish another four COVID-19 treatment hospitals, which together accommodate 10,400 beds. One of them is converted from the Hoc Mon regional general hospital with 700 beds and 610 medical staff. The second, namely the Nguyen Tri Phuong COVID-19 treatment hospital, is located in District 5, having 250 medical staff and offering 200 beds. The third, called the temporary COVID-19 hospital No.11, is located in Thu Duc City, with 950 staff and 5,500 beds. Meanwhile, the temporary COVID-19 hospital No.12, also in Thu Duc City, has 4,000 beds served by 700 staff members. To date, the city has 37 hospitals providing treatment for COVID-19 patients, with their total number of beds amounting to about 55,000./. Lao newspapers hail Laos – Vietnam fighting alliance The Lao newspapers on July 27 published articles featuring Laos – Vietnam fighting alliance and great dedication made by Vietnamese voluntary soldiers and experts in Laos, on the occasion of the 74th anniversary of Day of Invalids and Martyrs (July 27). The Pathet Lao newspaper of the Lao News Agency ran an article entitled “Laos – Vietnam fighting alliance, symbol of great friendship”. According to the article, Vietnam and Laos are two neighbouring countries with traditional relationship and special solidarity founded by Presidents Ho Chi Minh, Kaysone Phomvihane and Suphanouvong and nurtured by generations of the two Parties and States’ leaders and peoples, becoming an invaluable asset of the two peoples and one of the factors deciding on the prosperity of the two nations. The Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts endured innumberable hardships and challenges to accomplish assigned tasks, gaining the ultimate victory together with Lao armed forces and people during resistance wars against French colonialists and American imperialists from 1945 to 1975. The article affirmed that the Lao Party and State presented noble distinctions to Vietnamese individuals and organisations working as voluntary soldiers and experts in honour of their merit service to the nation. Concluding the article, the newspaper stressed that great dedication by Vietnamese officials, voluntary soldiers and experts made important contributions to building and consolidating great friendship between the two nations and armies. Meanwhile, the Pasaxon newspaper, an official organ of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party, also hailed the Laos – Vietnam fighting alliance as a symbol of strong will and determination to fight for independence, freedom, peace and justice. It emphasised that a number of Vietnamese voluntary soldiers and experts laid down their lives in Laos to bring peace and freedom to the two peoples./. VNU remains in Webometrics’ Top 1,000 best universities The Vietnam National University – Hanoi (VNU) remains the No.1 in Vietnam in the second edition of the 2021 Webometrics Ranking of World Universities announced by the Cybermetrics Lab, a member of the Spanish National Research Lab, on July 27. The university was named among the 1,000 best universities worldwide, ranking 959th internationally, up 41 places from 2021’s first ranking. It was placed 220th in Asia and 17th in Southeast Asia. The ranking also includes Ton Duc Thang University in the 1,302th position; Duy Tan University, 1,470th; HCM City University of Technology, 1,781th; Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City, 2,165th; Da Nang University, 2,269th; Hanoi University of Science and Technology, 2,434th; Hue University, 2,622th; University of Economics HCM City, 2,822th; and University of Mining and Geology, 2,967th. Since 2004, the Webometrics Ranking is published twice a year, covering more than 31,000 Higher Education Institutions worldwide. It is a ranking chart to assess the digitalisation capacity and impact, academic resources of higher education institutions based on indicators of volume of the website content (presence), the extent of website system and online information’s impact (impact/visibility), openness on academic resources on Google Scholar (openness), and scientific citation index on Scopus database system (excellence) of a higher education institution. In June, the VNU also ranked in the 251st-300th group in the Times Higher Education (THE)’s Young University Rankings 2021, which lists the world’s best universities that are 50 years old or younger. It has been featured in Group 801-1000 in the World University Rankings by the UK’s Quacquarelli Symonds for the fourth time in a row in the ranking’s 2022 edition./. Over 4,300 Covid patients discharged from hospitals in HCMC on Tuesday An additional 4,353 Covid-19 patients were discharged from hospitals in HCMC on July 27, taking to 21,338 the city’s total recoveries since the pandemic hit Vietnam, according to the HCMC Center for Disease Control. These patients tested negative for the virus or positive but with a low viral load. Those who remain positive must self-isolate at home and undergo RT-PCR tests on the 14th and 21st days, the local media reported. The city is treating more than 39,100 coronavirus patients, with 744 of them put on ventilators and 13 others requiring ECMO support. Up to now, HCMC has reported 815 Covid deaths, the municipal center said today, July 28. To reduce the Covid death rate, the city has changed its strategy to focus on treating cases in critical condition and require all residents to stay at home, except to buy necessities and seek urgent medical attention. The city is closely monitoring 36 chains of infection and has yet to detect any new chain. Between May 26 and July 27, over 2.5 million samples at quarantine facilities and areas on lockdown were taken for testing. Over 6,800 people are staying at quarantine facilities in the city, while some 38,000 others are self-quarantining at home. Many workers in Binh Duong test positive for Covid-19 Many workers in companies in the southern province of Binh Duong have tested positive for Covid-19 amid the locality’s on-going pandemic. The companies most affected are those that arranged for their workers to stay at work to avoid the spread of coronavirus while still maintaining production. Timberland Ltd. Co. in Tan Uyen Town has 7,783 labourers. Since July 17, around 1,478 of the figure have been staying at the firm, including 1,313 Vietnamese people and 165 foreigners. The company has conducted quick Covid-19 testing, detecting 233 people positive for the virus. Sixty-five cases have been sent to hospital for treatment, while 168 others are staying at the company’s dormitory. New Fortune Company Ltd. Co. in Tan Uyen Town has found 37 Covid-19 infections. The company has reported the situation to local authorities to send the patients to hospitals for treatment. Meanwhile, up to 248 people at L.V Wood Company in Di An City, who have been suspected of being infected with Covid-19, have been taken to quarantine sites as well as hospitals. Nearly 4,000 businesses in Binh Duong have registered to permit their workers to stay at work to maintain operations. Since April 27, the province has logged 8,909 Covid-19 patients, including 38 deaths. Around 828 patients have been discharged from hospital. Online art programme promotes anti-pandemic spirit An online art programme titled "To Quoc Trong Tim" (Fatherland in the Heart) took place simultaneously in Hanoi City, Nghe An Province, Binh Thuan Province, Ho Chi Minh City and France on the evening of July 28. Specifically, the event was organised at the Vietnam National Music Song and Dance Theatre in Hanoi; Military Zone 4 stationed in Nghe An Province; Bien Xanh (Blue Ocean) Theatre in Binh Thuan Province; Ho Chi Minh City; and the Vietnam Cultural Centre in Paris (France). The programme was directed by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, chaired by the Department of Performing Arts, and assigned to the Vietnam National Music Song and Dance Theatre to perform. This was a practical activity to improve the cultural and spiritual lives of the people in the context of the complicated development of the Covid-19 epidemic in Vietnam. Thereby, the event also contributes to promote the spirit of solidarity, consensus, and determination to defeat the pandemic. The programme was broadcast live on Youtube, Fanpage, Facebook channels of the Department of Performing Arts, Vietnam National Music Song and Dance Theatre, and several other online interfaces. Directed by Meritorious Artist La Truong Bac, "To Quoc Trong Tim" brought unique and diverse art performances to the stage. All works show love for the homeland and the country, have the strength to unite, and encourage the whole people to come together and firmly overcome all difficulties. In particular, the programme also brought sincere and emotional sharing from many participating artists, showing the joint efforts and consensus of the artists in the fight against the pandemic. According to Director of the Vietnam National Music Song and Dance Theatre Nguyen Hai Linh, because the programme took place during a stressful time of the epidemic, the organisers did not make the stage, the performances did not have dance illustrations either. Each artist participating in the programme had to prepare the songs and music in advance of the live broadcast. The programme featured the participation of many famous artists such as Meritorious Artist Duc Long, Meritorious Artist Van Khanh, Meritorious Artist Tang Thanh Son, Meritorious Artist Dinh Linh, Meritorious Artist Tien Lam, Meritorious Artist Thanh Phap, Pha le (Crystal) group, and Thang Long group. Source: VNA/VNS/VOV/VIR/SGT/SGGP/Nhan Dan/Hanoitimes |
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