VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES AUGUST 2
15:30
Hanoi residents urged to contact medical stations when
showing symptoms
The Hanoi municipal Health
Department on August 2 issued an urgent notice asking all local residents to
immediately contact local medical authorities when showing one or more
symptoms of coughing, high temperature, sore throat, breathing trouble,
tiredness, reduction or lack of taste or smell. They must contact local medical
stations to receive guidelines and get free COVID-19 testing. Residents can also call hotlines
0969 082 115, or 0949 396 115 for advice and support. Since April 29, Hanoi has discovered
1,292 cases positive to SARS-CoV-2, including 789 in the community and 503 in
quarantine facilities. Since July 5, 864 cases have been
found in the city, including 626 since the imposition of social
distancing measures on July 24./. HCM City: Over 365,000 people
benefit from COVID-19 support packages
More than 365,000 labourers,
business households and traders in traditional markets in Ho Chi Minh City
have benefited from COVID-19 support packages. Accordingly, all 311,619 workers
without labour contracts (freelancers), who lost their jobs, received support
from local authorities at all levels with the funding of of more than 467.4
billion VND (20.3 million USD). All 5,563 business households whose
operations have been suspended were provided with 11.2 billion VND in total. Localities also assisted 10,432 out
of 12,554 traders in traditional markets, or 83.1 percent, with the funding
of 15.7 billion VND. Le Minh Tan, Director of the
municipal Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, said that the
city continues to calculate the number of freelance workers facing
difficulties due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic to provide them with
timely support./. PM approves reduction in
power bills for people impacted by Directive 16 The Prime Minister has approved the
Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT)’s proposal to cut power bills for
households for two months in provinces and cities applying social distancing,
the ministry announced on Saturday. A 15 per cent reduction will be
applied to electricity prices for households which have electricity
consumption of up to 200kWh per month while households which have electricity
consumption of more than 200kWh will receive a 10 per cent discount. The reduction will be applied to
power bills in August and September, the ministry said. The Prime Minister also agreed to
offer free power for medical facilities and quarantine areas and for people
who have been infected or are suspected of having COVID-19 in those
localities. This reduction will be applied to
bills over seven months from June 2021 until December 2021. According to the Ministry of
Industry and Trade, as of July 30, 2021, Viet Nam had 21 provinces and cities
applying social distancing measures under the Prime Minister’s Directive
16/CT-TTg to control the COVID-19 pandemic. The people’s life in those
localities faces many difficulties. Therefore, the ministry and the Viet Nam
Electricity (EVN) proposed to the Prime Minister to have the four reductions. The EVN estimated that the total
reduction for customers would be worth VND2.5 trillion (US$106.4 million). On June 2 , the Government issued
Resolution No 55/NQ-CP to reduce electricity prices from June to the end of
this year to support those heavily affected by the prolonged COVID-19
pandemic, including tourist accommodation facilities. The reduction was
estimated to be worth a total of VND1.57 trillion. There were two similar discounts
offered last year. The first ran from April 16, 2020 to July 17, 2020 and
supported more than 27 million customers with the total reduction reaching
around VND9.3 trillion. The second was from October to
December 2020 with more than 25.4 million customers enjoying the reductions
worth VND3 trillion. Monday, August 02, 2021. Over 3,200 COVID-19 cases
added to national tally on early August 2 The Ministry of Health reported
3,201 new infections of COVID-19, including 3 imported cases, from 6:30 pm on
August 1 to 6am on August 2, bringing the national count to 157,507. Ho Chi Minh City, the country's
biggest epidemic hotspot, logged 1,997 new cases, followed by Binh Duong
(496), Dong Nai (189), Can Tho (119), Tien Giang (79), Da Nang (76), Vinh
Long (50), Hanoi (46), Binh Thuan (46), An Giang (17), Kien Giang (17), Binh
Dinh (14), Ninh Binh (13), Dong Thap (11), Dak Nong (10), Nghe An (8), Thanh
Hoa (4), Ha Tinh (3), Lam Dong (2), Gia Lai (1). Of the total domestic cases, 976
were detected in the community, and the remaining in quarantined facilities
or areas under lockdown. As of August 2 morning, Vietnam
posted 2,265 imported and 155,242 domestic infections. A total of 43,157 patients were
given the all-clear. Among those under treatment, 432 are being cared for in
ICU, while 18 patients are in critical condition and being treated with ECMO. The number of infections during the
new pandemic wave that began in the country on April 27 reached 153,672, with
40,383 patients having recovered. A total of 6,415,219 COVID-19
vaccine doses have been administered in the country so far, with 659,064
people getting full two shots./. US higher education fair 2021
to be held online The EducationUSA Advising Centres
for the US Embassy in Hanoi and US Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City will
host the US Higher EducationUSA Virtual Fair 2021 on August 7. According to the US Embassy in
Hanoi, representatives of forty-five accredited US universities and colleges
will be available online to chat with interested students and parents about
their institutions and programs, the application process, employment
opportunities, financial aid procedures, and scholarship opportunities. The US Mission in Vietnam’s
EducationUSA advisors will also field questions from the public about the US
higher education system. EducationUSA is a US Department of
State-supported network comprised of more than 430 advising centres in over
175 countries and territories. EducationUSA advisors provide
Vietnamese students and parents with accurate, comprehensive, and current
information about how to apply to accredited US colleges and universities.
All services are free. The fair will be held from 9am-12pm
on Saturday, August 7. HCMC to administer 5 million
Covid-19 vaccine doses in August The HCMC government aims to
administer 5 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine to citizens next month,
the city’s vice chairman Duong Anh Duc said at a meeting on July 30. The vaccines will be given to people
aged 18 or older. Frontline health workers, the elderly and people with
underlying medical conditions will be prioritized for vaccination. According to Phan Van Mai, permanent
deputy secretary of the municipal Party Committee, the vaccination sites will
stay open until after 6 p.m. to speed up its vaccination drive. Following the inoculation plan, each
ward will set up two vaccination sites for the locals, while the elderly will
be vaccinated at hospitals or medical centers. Factory workers will be
vaccinated at their factories. The vaccine supply for the city will
come from the Ministry of Health and sponsors. The municipal government has
suggested the Ministry of Health provide it with additional doses and
simplify the vaccination procedures. The city will mobilize all public
and private resources for its vaccination campaign as vaccination plays a
vital role in fighting off the pandemic. To speed up the vaccination, vaccine
recipients who are in good health will rest for 15 minutes at the vaccination
venue after receiving the vaccine, instead of 30 minutes. The elderly or people with
underlying medical conditions will rest for 30 minutes at the vaccination
venues before heading back home. Since the fifth phase of the
vaccination campaign started on July 22 until the end of July 30, the city
has vaccinated over 500,000 people. The city aims to give 930,000
Covid-19 vaccine doses to the locals during two weeks of the fifth phase of
the vaccination campaign. HCMC expects to vaccinate 70%
of adults against Covid by next month HCMC expects to vaccinate 70% of its
residents aged 18 and above against Covid-19 by August, while the Ministry of
Health has asked the city to accelerate the vaccination drive and committed
to supporting it with personnel to reach its target. The city currently has some 7.5
million adults. Some 22.23% of these people have received one shot. According to an urgent dispatch on
Covid vaccinations during the stay-at-home period that the Ministry of Health
has sent to the city, the city was allowed to simplify the vaccination
procedures. The ministry asked HCMC to inoculate
people aged from 18, prioritizing frontline medical workers, elderly people
and those having underlying health conditions, and speed up the vaccination
process. The city should mobilize all the
possible forces for vaccination, including both public and private clinics,
and administer vaccines at fixed sites and mobile clinics. Residents should be shown how to
fill in the vaccination form and file pre-vaccination health declarations and
announce vaccination time and place. Those who are eligible for
vaccination but have yet to receive the vaccine must be vaccinated at the
earliest. People who need medical precautions
can now visit any vaccination site, instead of hospitals and medical centers
as earlier regulated by the Ministry of Health. In areas on lockdown, the local
authorities must arrange fixed and mobile vaccination sites based on the
number of residents. Technology should be applied to
manage and monitor the vaccination process. The Ministry of Health stressed that
HCMC must accelerate the vaccination process but still ensure safety. If the
city faces a shortage of personnel, the ministry will mobilize medical
workers to support the city. The city should not limit the number
of vaccinated people per day per site. Under the city's current fifth
vaccination drive, each site should give 120-200 shots at most one day. It also asked the city to decide for
how long people will need to be observed post-inoculation. HCMC has been allocated more than
three million Covid vaccine doses and has administered more than 1.3 million
doses. The city launched its fifth vaccination
drive on July 22 with more than 930,000 doses. The drive is planned to last
for two to three weeks. The city is considering vaccinating
62,000 shippers in the city. At a recent meeting between Deputy
Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, head of the national steering committee for
Covid-19 infection prevention and control, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen
Truong Son said HCMC would receive at least five million vaccine doses by
September. Shining examples of volunteer
and medical workers Shining examples of volunteers
working in the frontline against the COVID-19 pandemic can be seen in every
place and expertise in our country these days. The brightest among them might
be the nurses, doctors, pharmacists, technicians, and medical students who
are directly providing care and treatment for COVID-19 patients. Following the direction of “giving
priority to Ho Chi Minh City” by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at the online
meeting with the city's authorities to July 8, nearly 4,500 volunteers from
all over the country have headed to the southern hub to share a helping hand
in the city’s COVID-19 fight as of July 15, according to the municipal
Department of Health. To date, the number of volunteer medical staff members
has reached more than 6,000 people and will certainly continue to increase in
the future. These volunteers include Doctor
Nguyen Dinh Hoang from Hung Vuong Hospital in northern Phu Tho Province, who
temporarily left his just-married wife for Ho Chi Minh City, and couple
Nguyen Thi Giang and Do Ngoc Anh from Kien An Hospital in Hai Phong City, who
decided to join their colleagues in Ho Chi Minh City to save people’s lives
although their two children are still at a young age. There are many other touching
stories behind the volunteers, which has made people feel greater
appreciation and admiration for the “white blouse” soldiers. Notably, many of the volunteers have
worked non-stop since COVID-19 first broke out in the country, and they are
still willing to support pandemic-hit localities, such as Doctor Tran Thanh
Linh from Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, who had just returned from
Bac Giang Industrial Park. The volunteer staff not only come
from central hospitals or big cities, but also from medical facilities in
remote areas, which are still lacking in human resources, such as Son La, Lai
Chau, Lao Cai, Yen Bai, and Thai Nguyen. It can be said that amidst COVID-19,
volunteer medical workers have written a beautiful song about dignity,
dedication, and the profound meaning of the word "compatriot". The solidary and mutual support
spirit is in in the air everywhere in our country, reminding anyone in any
position to join hands and do their best to fight the pandemic. Together the efforts of the entire
political system, volunteer staff and functional agencies, the people's
awareness of and responsibility in following COVID-19 prevention and control
regulations is extremely important to soon drive back the pandemic. Hanoi University presents
Honorary Doctor Degree to Hong Kong businessman Lam Kin Chung, President of Zhang
Yang Group Holdings Ltd Hong Kong (China), was awarded the Honorary Doctor
Degree by the Hanoi University during a ceremony held at the Consulate
General of Vietnam in Hong Kong on July 30. On behalf of the Hanoi University,
Vietnamese General Consul Pham Binh Dam presented the degree to Lam, voicing
a hope that the businessman will further contribute to the Vietnamese
university's development as well as exchange activities and education
cooperation between Vietnam and Hong Kong. The diplomat believed that with
efforts and assistance from individuals like Lam and many other
organisations, together with the development of the Vietnam-Hong Kong
relations, education cooperation between the two sides will make strides in
the time to come. Via a video conference, Rector of
the Hanoi University Assoc. Prof., Dr Nguyen Van Trao spoke highly of Lam’s
outstanding achievements in socio-cultural activities, his sentiments and
practical contributions to the university over the time, hoping that he will continue
to help the university connect with global academicians and businesses. For his part, Lam pledged to
continue accompanying the Vietnamese university’s development in the future.
He has partnered with Hanoi University since 2010. MoCST: VFI should pay
attention to copyright issues in disseminating Vietnamese movies on YouTube The Ministry of Culture, Sports and
Tourism (MoCST) always supports promoting and bringing cinematic works
ordered by the State to the public, but it is necessary to pay attention to
issues of copyright and other relevant legislation. The statement was made by Deputy
Minister of MoCST Ta Quang Dong at the meeting of the Ministry of Culture,
Sports and Tourism about the Vietnam Film Institute (VFI)'s experiment to
popularise Vietnam movies on its Youtube channel in recent years. Deputy Minister Ta Quang Dong said
that he has directed functional units under the MoCST to coordinate in
reviewing the published and screened content, in order to promote propaganda,
exploitation and dissemination of cinema works ordered by State to the public
through information channels and online platforms. The view of the Ministry of Culture,
Sports and Tourism is always to support the promotion and bringing cinematic
works ordered by the State to the public. In the context of people staying at
home because of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is very practical to take advantage
of online platforms to bring films about historical, revolutionary, and human
values to viewers. However, Deputy Minister Ta Quang Dong also noted that it
is necessary to pay attention to copyright issues and other relevant legal
provisions. In the coming time, the MoCST will
provide instructions for people to access more Vietnamese films, especially
those ordered by the State. Currently, the number of films in the VFI’s
archives is very large with a diverse range of content, so these movies
should not be let go to waste in the warehouse. Deputy Minister Ta Quang Dong
directed the Vietnam Cinema Department, the VFI and related units to review
and classify the films to bring them to the public according to useful and
practical topics. Previously, on July 26, Nguyen Huy
Hoang, deputy director of the VFI, said that the YouTube channel named
"Vien Phim Vietnam (Vietnam Film Institute - VFI) was officially
launched on July 16, 2021. A week after opening, nine special Vietnamese
films have been screened. The dissemination of high-quality
Vietnamese cinematographic works is expected to contribute to promoting
Vietnam’s image, people and cultural identity while promoting the development
of the country's cinema. Retired doctor volunteers to
continue working to save Covid-19 patients A retired female doctor in the
Mekong Delta city of Can Tho has decided to continue working to rescue
Covid-19 patients who are in critical condition. Doctor Phan Thi Phung, 55, head of
Intensive Care Ward of Can Tho General Hospital, has announced her decision
at a hospital's meeting on Friday. "I will try to stay with the
staff of the Intensive Care Ward until the end of the Covid-19 fight. I will
continue my work when I can,” Phung said. Doctor Tran Quoc Luan, director of
the hospital, said that all people were surprised and felt moved by what
Phung said.\ “She always tries her best to save
people from being on the verge of death, helping to inspire her colleagues,”
Luan added. Over the past month since the
Covid-19 outbreak in the city, Phung has been staying with other staff days
and nights to save patients who are in critical conditions. Ho Nhan, general director of Nanogen
Pharmaceutical Biotechnology JSC, said there were no serious side effects or
fatalities reported among 14,000 volunteers during the human trials of the
Nano Covax Covid-19 vaccine. Speaking at a meeting with State
President Nguyen Xuan Phuc in HCMC on July 29, Nhan said the locally
developed Covid-19 vaccine has undergone seven months of clinical trials
through three phases ---1, 2 and 3A. The vaccine has proved to be safe
and effective against the coronavirus, including the Delta variant. Nhan said some 30 countries,
including the world’s leading vaccine producer, India, have asked for the
technology transfer from Nanogen. The World Health Organization is also
evaluating the company’s vaccine dossier. The company is currently capable of
producing over 10 million doses of the Nano Covax Covid-19 vaccine a month
and would raise its capacity to 30 million doses a month in October. Nhan suggested the Government grant
conditional approval for the emergency use of Nano Covax. Nanogen will soon
begin phases 3B and 4 of the clinical trials for the vaccine. State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc
spoke highly of Nanogen’s efforts in developing a domestic Covid-19 vaccine
in the context of the complicated developments of the pandemic and the global
vaccine scarcity. “We must consider vaccine production
as an urgent task of national importance. Vaccination and social distancing
are the country’s top solutions for Covid-19 infection prevention and
control,” he said. The State President asked the
Ministry of Health and competent agencies to create favorable conditions for
the development and production of domestic Covid-19 vaccines. They should work with vaccine
manufacturers to accelerate the development of Covid-19 vaccines but safety
must be the top priority. Besides, Phuc and Prime Minister
Pham Minh Chinh have approved a proposal to invite experts from WHO to
evaluate the safety and efficacy of locally developed Covid-19 vaccines. Truck drivers need to be
prioritised for COVID-19 vaccine The Ministry of Industry and Trade
has called on cities and provinces to include employers in the transportation
and logistics industries in the priority list for COVID-19 vaccination. In a document sent on Friday to city
and provincial governments, it said inter-provincial truck drivers and
helpers and those working in ports and at border gates should be prioritised
for vaccination. This would help ensure smooth
transport of goods and avoid disruption of supply chains, it said. The complicated requirements as part
of COVID prevention measures for truck drivers and helpers and those in
logistics services have increased the costs and time required for goods
transport, it said. Many associations and businesses
have voiced concern about these difficulties, it said. Any disruption of supply chains
would severely hit businesses and affect millions of workers, it warned. The Việt Nam Young Entrepreneurs
Association has also called on the secretary of the HCM City Party Committee,
Nguyễn Văn Nên, and chairman of the People’s Committee, Nguyễn Thành Phong,
to allocate vaccines for its members in HCM City. It said it would co-ordinate with
the Việt Nam Vaccine JSC (VNVC) and some private health facilities to
vaccinate its members' employees. This would help speed up vaccination
in the city and relieve the burden on the public health system. It said VNVC could vaccinate 80,000 people
a day. The Party Committee targets
immunising two-thirds of the city’s people aged 18 and above by August. Traffic police lead way for
workers to return to their hometowns More than 1,200 workers, from Bình
Thuận and Ninh Thuận that are working in Đồng Nai Province, have travelled
back to their home towns to avoid the COVID-19 pandemic. They were led by Biên Hòa City and
Vĩnh Cửu District police and authorities on Saturday, after being given rapid
COVID-19 tests. The delegation was also escorted by
a medical team and transport vehicles with food and drink supplied by local
authorities, free of charge. Most of them are ethnic Chăm people. Nguyễn Hữu Nguyên, chairman of the
Biên Hòa City People’s Committee, said that to ensure that workers could come
back to their hometown safely, the city had allocated coaches for pregnant
women and children. Due to the complicated COVID-19
situation, many enterprises have temporarily stopped work. Nguyên said that the city would
continue to help facilitate the return of workers to their hometowns. Thạch Ngọc Hòa Thanh, from Ninh
Phước District in Ninh Thuận Province, said he and his wife were both workers
and had boarded in Hóa An Ward, Biên Hòa City for many years. For the past 20 days, their employer
had been closed as it was located in an area that was locked down. Along with
their 10-month-old baby, they had been staying at home all day, every day
since. During this time they had burned through all of their savings. With
few other options, Thanh registered with the city to help them return home. “My boarding room is very narrow
with a high risk of COVID-19 transmission. Our health will be affected and
also create a burden for local authorities. So I registered for my family to
return home. I hope to reach my hometown as soon as possible,” said Thanh. Last Thursday and Friday, the Vĩnh
Cửu District also brought home more than 1,700 workers from Đắk Lắk Central
Highland Province that were working in different enterprises in Thạnh Phú
Commune. Vaxzevria and mRNA COVID-19
vaccines show similar and favourable safety profiles Safety profiles of Vaxzevria
(AstraZeneca) and mRNA-based vaccines were found to be similar and overall
favourable, according to a study. The study was published as a
pre-print on The Lancet medical journal server from over one million
individuals. It assessed the incidence rates of blood clotting disorders of
thromboembolism and thrombocytopenia, including the very rare thrombosis with
thrombocytopenia (TTS) following vaccination with an mRNA vaccine or
Vaxzevria, and compared them with expected rates in the general population
and in people with COVID-19. Very rare clotting disorders (TTS)
were observed with both vaccines, but these were in line with what would be
expected in the general population and lower than in those diagnosed with
COVID-19. Follow-up time was not sufficient to
report rates after two doses of Vaxzevria, though other studies have shown
rates of rare blood clotting events to be lower after a second dose. Regardless of the vaccine used, the
increase in rates of thrombosis among persons infected with COVID-19 was far
higher than among those vaccinated. Rates of venous thromboembolism were
eight times higher after a diagnosis of COVID-19 infection compared with the
expected rate. Mene Pangalos, executive vice
president of BioPharmaceuticals R&D, said: “This real-world study offers
further evidence of the favourable benefit/risk profile of Vaxzeria and
demonstrates the critical role all COVID-19 vaccines are playing in
combatting the pandemic.” The analysis included 945,941 mRNA
participants (778,534 with two doses), 426,272 Vaxzevria participants,
conducted between 27 December 2020 and May 19 2021. It also included 222,710
COVID-19 participants identified between September 1 2020 and March 1 2021,
and 4,570,149 background participants as of January 1 2017 from a public
health database held in Catalonia, Spain The results are in line with recent
reports in the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
Yellow Card Report, the UK system for collecting and monitoring information
on safety concerns, which also show low rates of TTS after a second dose. No specific risk factors or
definitive cause for TTS following COVID-19 vaccination have been identified
and AstraZeneca continues to perform and support ongoing investigations of
potential mechanisms. Furthermore, these very rare events can be managed when
symptoms are identified and treated appropriately. Vaxzevria was co-invented by the
University of Oxford and its spin-out company, Vaccitech. It uses a replication-deficient
chimpanzee viral vector based on a weakened version of a common cold virus
(adenovirus) that causes infections in chimpanzees and contains the genetic
material of the SARS-CoV-2 virus spike protein. After vaccination, the
surface spike protein is produced, priming the immune system to attack the
SARS-CoV-2 virus if it later infects the body. The vaccine has been granted a
conditional marketing authorisation or emergency use in more than 80
countries across six continents. More than 800 million doses of COVID-19
Vaccine AstraZeneca have been supplied to more than 170 countries worldwide,
including more than 100 countries through the COVAX Facility. HCM City adjusts ferry
operations during social distancing period The HCM City Department of Transport
has adjusted operations at ferry terminals to ensure compliance with COVID-19
prevention measures. The Cần Giờ - Cần Giuộc ferry
terminal was closed on Friday (July 30) until further notice. Bình Khánh and Cát Lái ferries will
only allow official vehicles, transport vehicles for pandemic prevention and
control, and vehicles for transporting essential goods, materials for
production, and import and export goods. Passengers are required to wear
masks, keep a safe distance and make medical declarations in accordance with
regulations. All vehicles must be equipped with disinfectant. During operation, the ferry must be
disinfected regularly. The Department of Transport assigned the Voluntary
Youth Public Company to ensure compliance with pandemic prevention measures
on the ferry under the direction of the city People's Committee. The Department of Transport also
asked relevant districts and Thủ Đức city to arrange forces for inspections
and handling of violations. Inspectors of the city department will coordinate
with functional forces to strictly handle violations. Trade unions support workers
to overcome COVID-19 pandemic Trade unions at different levels
have strived their best to help workers to overcome the challenges caused by
the COVID-19 pandemic. The Hà Nội Labour Federation, for
example, has found more than 11,150 “Safe COVID-19 teams” at 4,148 enterprises
with the participation of 49,440 workers. They are responsible for educating
workers on preventive measures, and supervising and reporting any problems to
their leaders. Nguyễn Thị Bích, a worker of the Bắc
Thăng Long Industrial Zone in Hà Nội, said the teams are strict and monitor
workers closely. People not obeying preventive regulations are not allowed to
enter the factory. “All of us feel the surrounding
environment is safer and don’t worry while we are working,” she said. Đinh Quốc Toản, chairman of the Hà
Nội Industrial Zone and Processing Zone Trade Union, said that if any case of
COVID-19 was detected, the local trade union would help the patient to
implement the preventive and control measures regulated by the National
Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control. The trade union would also support
workers and help enterprises to mitigate the impacts of an outbreak. The union utilises infographics and
Zalo groups to quickly spread instruction to the “Safe COVID-19 Teams”. The municipal Trade Union has also
set up more than 3,300 Trade Union Zalo groups with more than 100,000
participants. Trade union leaders take part in all of the group and ensure
that the members receive accurate information in a timely manner. Nguyễn Phi Thường, chairman of the
Hà Nội Labour Federation, said that the municipal trade union has determined
that timely and renewed action was needed to improve the situation. Creating belief In HCM City, the COVID-19 pandemic
has greatly impacted the 1.6 million workers at thousands of enterprises
around the city. So far, more than 3,000 workers in
the city are F0 whereas more than 12,000 others are F1. The HCM City Trade Union has
responded in a number of different ways. Nguyễn Thị Chung, a worker at Thiên
Lộc Shoes Co Ltd, said that her accommodation was locked down due to a case
of COVID-19. The company’s trade union informed her that she would still
receive 70 per cent of her salary for the 12 days of quarantine based on the
Labour Law. “I’m very happy, but not surprised
because many other workers had also received such support. During hard times,
we have seen that the trade union’s role is very important. We are content to
fulfil quarantine requirements strictly and wait for the day we can return to
work,” said Chung. In the past year, the HCM City has
organised a number of programmes to take care of workers with total funds of
more than VNĐ12.5 billion (US$545,800). Nearly 8,000 workers received support
of nearly VNĐ5.9 billion ($257,700). Deputy chairman of the municipal
Labour Federation Phạm Chí Tâm said that the COVID-19 pandemic had a huge
impact on workers including freelancers. The municipal trade unions at
different levels have conducted supportive work in the spirit of “no person
is left behind”. “It will help freelancers feel more
secure coping with these challenges,” Tâm said. Safe manufacture Not only Hà Nội and HCM City were
seriously affected by the pandemic. Many other localities such as Bình Dương,
Đồng Nai and Cần Thơ also have to apply social distancing measures to ensure
residents’ safety. Recently, the Ministry of Labour,
Invalids and Social Affairs, the Việt Nam General Confederation of Labour and
the Việt Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry co-issued instructions to
enterprises to ensure their safety during production. Chairman Toản said that the trade
union would continue to uphold the role of “Safe COVID-19 Teams”, and educate
workers to keep calm and strictly obey preventive regulations to ensure the
“double targets” of preventing the pandemic while developing the economy. Việt Nam has 16 million workers at
industrial zones and processing zones, creating 60 per cent of the total
output of the nation and contributing 70 per cent of the State budget. HCM City urges vaccinations
for 62,000 shippers The HCM City Department of Industry
and Trade has asked the city Health Department to prioritise 62,000 shippers
for vaccinations. The director of the city Department
of Industry and Trade, Bùi Tá Hoàng Vũ, said the department has compiled a
list of shippers and sent it to the Department of Health, along with People’s
Committees of districts and Thủ Đức City for vaccinations. There are 16 units with about 62,000
drivers included on the list, including shippers from Grab, Now, Beamin and
Gojek delivery applications. Drivers of e-commerce platforms such
as Shopee and Lazada are also on the vaccination list. Recently, a series of ride-hailing
applications sought permission for shippers from the city as they are an
important link of the supply chain, especially in big cities. On the afternoon of July 27, about
1,500 Grab drivers received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine at five
injection points in District 7. This was the first major vaccination series
targeted at shippers from ride-hailing apps. Dr Bùi Thị Thu Hương from Việt Nga
Eye Hospital in HCM City, who was in charge of one of the five injection
points in District 7, said that in addition to shippers, many store employees
and pharmacy staff were vaccinated. It is crucial that they be
vaccinated as they are at high risk of COVID-19 infection, she added. Weather conditions favourable
for autumn-winter rice crop despite later flooding season The flooding season in the Cửu Long
(Mekong) Delta is expected to have lower levels of floods this year, bringing
in less aquatic resources and sediment to fields, according to the Southern
Institute of Water Resources Research. Farmers can use more fertiliser to
grow rice after the flooding season, but this will increase production costs. Saltwater intrusion from the sea
through river mouths, which normally occurs in the dry season, is expected to
be less severe this year. The storm impact this year will also be less
severe. Because of these factors, the delta
is expected to have favourable conditions for growing the autumn – winter
rice crop. The delta is planting 700,000ha of
autumn – winter rice in July and August, according to the Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development’s Plant Cultivation Department. The delta’s flooding season is
caused by the rising level of the Mekong River in the rainy season, which
normally lasts between May and December. The delta’s rainy season came early
this year and is expected to end by the end of November, according to the
ministry’s Irrigation Department. Đỗ Đức Dũng, head of the institute,
said the delta’s flood-prevention dyke system protects crop cultivation in
the flooding season. Waste in Hà Nội from lockdown
areas to be treated as potentially-infectious waste Authorities are paying more
attention to the collection, transportation and treatment of household waste
in the city in residential areas where COVID-19 patients or people suspected
of being infected with SARS-CoV-2 reside. Tống Việt Dũng, deputy director of
the Urban and Industrial Environment No 13 Joint Stock Company said the
company considered household waste in the residential areas, where COVID-19
patients or people suspected of being infected with SARS-CoV-2 resided, as
potentially-infectious waste and treated it as hazardous medical waste. “It aims to minimise the risk of
disease transmission in the community,” he said. Currently, the company is in charge
of collecting household waste in several lockdown areas in the city, he said,
the Kinh Tế Đô Thị (Urban Economy) online has reported. In Đống Đa District, the company has
installed trash cans and collected household waste at 14 areas under
lockdown, including wards of Văn Chương, Nam Đồng, Thổ Quan, Láng Hạ and
Hoàng Cầu, he said. The process of collecting,
transporting and treating household waste in lockdown areas has been
implemented carefully and safely, and allowing no waste to become a source of
disease transmission to the community, he said. The company also works with the
People’s Committee of each ward to disseminate information to local people in
lockdown areas on how to sort waste to ensure safety, he said. There are two trash cans, 240 litres
each, being put in each lockdown area. One trash can is for holding
potentially-infectious waste such as masks, tissues and medical protective
clothing, another for holding normal household waste, he said. The company's environmental workers
collect the waste from the trash cans every hour in lockdown areas, he added. Dũng said drivers and environmental
workers must have their body temperature checked and wear protective clothing
before going to lockdown areas to collect the waste. They must then disinfect
the garbage trucks inside and outside before they leave. After being taken from the trash
cans, the potentially-infectious waste is put into a bag. The mouth of the
bag is sealed tight. Then, the first bag is put into a second bag and thrown
into the garbage truck, he said. After transporting the waste from
the lockdown areas to the waste treatment area, the waste is treated by
autoclaving and drying technology to ensure all bacteria, viruses and
pathogens are destroyed as regulations, he said. The company has also ordered its
environmental workers to not collect waste at other locations after
collecting waste in the lockdown areas to ensure the highest safety, he said. The garbage truck must go to the
waste treatment areas after collecting waste in lockdown areas immediately. Lê Hương Giang, vice chairwoman of
the People’s Committee of Thổ Quan Ward, Đống Đa District, said currently the
ward has locked down Lệnh Cư Alley, where 70 households are living after a
person in the alley was confirmed as a COVID-19 patient. The committee has strictly
supervised the collection of household waste in the alley to avoid the spread
of the COVID-19 pandemic to the community, she said. The committee also coordinates with
the company to instruct local people in the alley on how to classify and
store household waste according to the regulations, she said. The committee also arranges for
people to spray disinfectants on all of the trash cans after residents threw
waste into the cans. A final spray of all trash cans is
performed before environmental workers pushed the cans to the garbage trucks,
she added. Data from the Hà Nội Urban
Environment One Member Co Ltd (URENCO) shows that the company collects about
6,500 tonnes of waste daily in the city. The waste is transported to be
treated in two landfills of Nam Sơn in Sóc Sơn District and Xuân Sơn in Sơn
Tây District. The Artists' Wall talk show
features theatre artists A number of theatre artists from the
South will appear in the latest episode of the talk show Bức Tường Nghệ Sĩ
(The Artists’ Wall) on YouTube by Vu Huan Official this month. The artists will share and discuss
various topics related to Vietnamese theatre as well as their careers. Their stories will be in the form of
an interview or simple conversation hosted by theatre director Vũ Huân. “Through our show, audiences will
learn more about different traditional theatre genres of southern and central
regions, such as vọng cổ (nostalgic tunes), cải lương and tuồng or hát bội
(classical drama), and traditional theatre genres from the southern and
central regions,” said Huân, the show’s producer and host. The talk show, Bức Tường Nghệ Sĩ
(The Artists’ Wall), features famous theatre artists. It encourages youth to
learn more about Vietnamese theatre. — Photo courtesy of the producer In the new episode, artist
participants will be filmed without studio audiences because of the COVID-19
pandemic, according to Huân, who also is the show’s producer. “We have tried to bring theatre
artists and their art closer to audiences,” he said. Huân and his staff plan to work with
radio and TV stations in the region, including Hồ Chí Minh City Television,
to release new and quality talk shows on Vietnamese music and movies on
YouTube. “Appearing in Bức Tường Nghệ Sĩ is a
chance for me to introduce my art to audiences, particularly young people,”
Meritorious Artist, theatre actor-director Thành Lộc of HCM City, said. “Many fans have sent comments to
encourage the show’s artists and myself in particular.” Lộc was invited to appear in the
previous episode of Bức Tường Nghệ Sĩ released in July 17. He talked about his 50 years on
stage. Some of the secrets of his life were first discussed in the show. Lộc, 59, is known as a “stage
magician” in the region. He has worked with leading state-owned and private
drama troupes, appearing in more than 600 roles. He has also appeared in 50
films and TV shows. He has won several top prizes at
national theatre festivals. In 2000, he and his partner, Huỳnh
Anh Tuấn, owner of IDECAF, a leading private drama troupe in HCM City, began
a theatre programme for children called Ngày Xửa Ngày Xưa (Once Upon A Time). The programme has offered more than
33 plays and more than 1,200 shows for 30,000 children and teenagers,
including disadvantaged kids from open houses and shelters in the city and
neighbouring provinces who have received free tickets. The new episode of Bức Tường Nghệ Sĩ
is expected to be released on August 17. More support for Olympic
archers moving forward Vietnamese archers have not made a
mark on the ongoing Olympic Games in Tokyo but the young athletes are amongst
the nation's brightest stars and will be supported in their future
endeavours. Nguyễn Hoàng Phi Vũ and Đỗ Thị Ánh
Nguyệt competed in the men's and women's individual events but they were
ousted from the first round. According to coach Ngô Hải Nam however, their
presence at the world's largest sporting event should push Việt Nam to look
toward long-term strategies for their development. Nguyệt nearly made a bang when she
faced Ren Hayakawa of Japan in the first match. The Vietnamese took the lead
after the first two sets before Ren came back and drew, forcing the game into
a shoot-off. In a decisive shoot, 20-year-old
Nguyệt who was enjoying her first-ever Olympics, scored 7 points, one less
than the Japanese London Olympics bronze medalist. Nguyệt, subsequently, was
eliminated. Meanwhile, Vũ, 21, could not beat
Tang Chih-chun of Chinese Taipei who had already won a silver in the men's
team event in Tokyo and would go on to finish fourth in the individual
category. "The result (628 points from 72
shots) is not as good as expected but it is the first time that I have taken
part in an Olympics. I have done my best. I will take this honour as
encouragement for my career. I will try to secure a place at another Olympics
and get better scores," said Nguyệt, the youngest member of Việt Nam’s
team. Coach Nam said his players’ results
showed their remarkable efforts especially when they did not have the
necessary preparation because of the COVID-19 pandemic. "For more than one year they
could not have intensive training and competitions abroad. There is a big gap
of level between Việt Nam and the rest of the world. At this Olympics, we
just want to learn as much as possible and take these opportunities to
sharpen our skills and strengthen our minds.” "It is important that our
archers can show their strong spirit and be confident throughout their
shots," Nam said. The two slots at the Olympics along
with three golds, two silvers and one bronze won at the 2019 SEA Games will
form a solid foundation for Việt Nam when the coming SEA Games are held on
home turf. Việt Nam aims to protect its top
position at the regional Games which is delayed until next April or May in Hà
Nội. "Having chances to vie against
world leading athletes is great. I am so lucky. I have collected experience
throughout these matches. I will work harder for the coming tournaments,
especially the 31st SEA Games," said Vũ who will defend his mixed double
title. Việt Nam Sport Administration's
Deputy Director Hoàng Quốc Vinh said the archers would receive more support
to be successful in the future moving forward. "Their Olympic slots and
performance at the Games show promise that they could go much further. We
will create the best conditions for them to achieve better results.
International training camps and tournaments will be included when the
pandemic is controlled," said Vinh. "First of all, we will seek
sponsorship and organise more domestic events so that athletes can compete
frequently and improve their skills. "Later on, we will build up
programmes to develop the sport and make it more popular among the community
and will help to have a strong archery training movement and find our most
talented athletes. We will also cooperate with localities to set up training
programmes for juniors who can shoulder national team's obligations when the
current athletes retire," he said. Hanoi works to tackle newly-detected
COVID-19 outbreaks The capital city of Hanoi's
competent forces have worked with the health centre of Hai Ba Trung district
to tackle a cluster of 20 new COVID-19 infections detected at a food company
in the locality immediately after receiving a report on the cases. On August 1 afternoon, the forces
came to the district regarding the outbreak at Thanh Nga food company at No
82, Alley 651 (82/651), Minh Khai street, Thanh Luong ward. It identified that there are five
other firms located at the same alley with the company, which has two
premises. With 43 employees, Thanh Nga’s main
office is at 15/651, Minh Khai street, and its cold storage at 82/651, Minh
Khai street. All positive cases have been under
treatment, with the number of F1 cases amounting to 17 and 750 other people
with links to the epidemic spot had samples taken for COVID-19 testing. On August 1 evening, local
authorities of Thanh Luong ward decided to temporarily block the alley and a
number of surrounding locations to set up a medical quarantine area./. Binh Duong province urgently
responds to COVID-19 pandemic The southern province of Binh Duong
on August 1 recorded 2,179 new cases of COVID-19, 716 of whom were detected
in the community. Thuan An city is the epicenter of the pandemic with 1,254
cases. According to the provincial
Department of Health, the health sector is currently mobilising hundreds of
medical teams to carry out rapid testing on a large scale in many districts
and townships. It is forecast that the number of
COVID-19 cases in Binh Duong may exceed 20,000 in the next few weeks. Also on August 1, the provincial
People's Committee issued an express on continuing to enforce lockdown
measures across the province for two more weeks since August 2. The local administrations were asked
not to let residents leave their places of residence for another locality
after August 1 until the end of lockdown. They were also been told to organise
vaccinations quickly, to the right people in a safe and effective manner as
well as ensure food for poor workers and lost their income due to the
pandemic. The province has also mobilised a
contingent of health workers, both in the public and private sectors, to take
part in pandemic prevention and control in the locality. As many as 17,354 COVID-19 cases
have so far been recorded in Binh Duong province since the fourth wave of
COVID-19 infections which began in late April./. Officials check progress of
intensive care centres in HCM City Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City
Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen and Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long
inspected several hospitals treating COVID-19 patients in Ho Chi Minh City on
August 1. At the City International Hospital
run by Hoa Lam Group, Minister Long applauded the hospital for volunteering
to treat COVID-19 patients and decided to set up a 500-bed intensive care
centre at the hospital with staff to be provided by the University Medical
Centre Ho Chi Minh City. He promised to immediately provide the hospital with
50 ventilators from the Health Ministry’s warehouse in the city. The hospital is scheduled to begin
receiving COVID-19 patients on August 2 morning. Inspecting the progress of the
temporary COVID-19 hospital No.16 run by the Hanoi-based Bach Mai Hospital,
deputy head of the Bach Mai Hospital’s Emergency Department A9 Dr. Do Ngoc
Son said the temporary hospital is treating nearly 300 patients and its
staff, sent from Bach Mai's headquarters in Hanoi, are working hard to set up
a 500-bed intensive care centre to take care of patients in serious conditions. The health minister instructed
providing 100 high-performance ventilators and 100 high-flow nasal cannulas
for the temporary hospital No 16. He requested that the intensive care centre
be set up within the next 48 hours, adding that at least 20 beds should be
reserved for pregnant patients. Checking the pace of the building of
an intensive care centre at temporary hospital No.13 run by the Hanoi-based
Viet Duc Hospital and another at temporary hospital No.11 operated by Hue
Central Hospital, the officials asked units concerned to step up their
construction, striving to receive patients in serious conditions by August 5,
initially with 200 beds and raising to 500 beds at the earliest. Nen also took the occasion to urge
local units concerned to simplify administrative procedures so that the
intensive care centres can immediately receive patients in serious
conditions, thus mitigating deaths. He also thanked leaders of the
Health Ministry and medical workers throughout the country for assisting the
city in the effort./. Hanoi asks local residents
not to move outside during social distancing period The People’s Committee of Hanoi on
August 1 issued an official dispatch asking localities across the city not to
allow local residents to travel outside the city during the period of social
distancing. The order was made amid complicated
developments of the pandemic when a number of COVID-19 clusters, which
originated from people returning to Hanoi from pandemic-hit regions, have
been spreading quickly. The municipal People's Committee
requested all localities to assess high-risk areas, especially hospitals,
industrial parks and clusters, populous residential areas and concentrated
quarantine facilities, while taking the initiative in making decisionss on
higher control measures during the period of social distancing. It also urged localities and
agencies to promptly roll out policies to support employees and employers who
are affected by COVID-19. The capital city’s administration
also asked central and local agencies, units and socio-political
organisations, as well as diplomatic corps and international organisations in
the city to strictly abide by social distancing regulations and only allow a
few staff to work at office. Localities and agencies were
requested to conduct COVID-19 vaccinations promptly, ensuring equal and
transparent vaccine access. On August 2 morning, the Hanoi
Department of Health reported an additional 45 COVID-19 cases in the past 12
hours to 6am, 38 of whom were found in the community./. Lam Gia Khang named among
leading emerging designers by Vogue Prestigious fashion magazine Vouge
has named local designer Lam Gia Khang in the list of its top eight emerging
international talents in the field of fashion. The list compiled Vogue has been put
together by some of the world’s top fashionistas who nominate several
designers, with each one representing the best in fresh talent from their
respective regions. The renowned publication quoted Lisa
Ruffle, buying manager (ready-to-wear) of Moda Operandi, as saying that she
originally discovered Vietnam-based Gia Studios on Instagram before falling
in love with designer Lam Gia Khang’s refined approach to reinventing the
everyday wardrobe. “Khang embodies the simplicity and
elegance of Vietnamese culture in a way that feels fresh and innately
feminine, drawing on traditional Vietnamese craftsmanship to deliver precise
tailoring and distinctive designs,” Ruffle noted. The 27-year-old Khang originally
launched Lam Gia Khang brand in October, 2014 before going on to launch four
collections and hold two fashion shows on his own. In 2015, Khang was named among the
“30 under 30” list by Forbes Vietnam to honour 30 outstanding people under 30
years old who are significant influencers in their business fields in the
nation. He was in the Top 3 of the Project Runway Vietnam in 2013 and
achieved the Upcoming Fashion Designer Of The Years at Elle Style Awards from
Elle Vietnam in 2015. The list of Vogue’s top eight
emerging international designers are Kika Vargas of Colombia, Australian pair
Juliette Harkness and Emma Nelson from Deiji Studios, Bevza of Ukraine, and
Gruzia Nina and Gvantsa Macharashvili from Mach & Mach of Georgia. This
is in addition to Sindiso Khumalo of South Africa, Thakoon Panichgul from Hommegirls
of the United States, and Dami Kwon and Jessica Jung from We11done of the
Republic of Korea. Documentary by
Vietnamese-origin director nominated for Emmy Awards “Be Water”, a film directed by
Vietnamese-American Bao Nguyen, has been listed among the nominees for the
42nd Annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards. This documentary will vie with four
others, namely “Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché”, “John
Lewis: Good Trouble”, “Feels Good Man”, and “The Last Ice”. Part of “30 for 30” - a series of
documentary film airing on ESPN, “Be Water” profiles the life of martial arts
legend Bruce Lee. It premiered at the 2020 Sundance
Film Festival of the US and then was screened in the Cannes Classics section
of the Cannes Film Festival 2020. It has also competed at many other film
festivals. The Emmy Awards are bestowed
annually by the US Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. This year, the News &
Documentary Emmy Awards will feature honorees in more than 60 categories and
be live-streamed in two ceremonies on September 28 and 29. Covid-19 outbreak found at
Hanoi food company Up to 21 staff at Thanh Nga Food
Company in Hanoi’s Hai Ba Trung District have tested positive for Covid-19. Chairman of Thanh Luong Ward, Bui
Quang Khai, told Dantri/DTiNews that local authorities locked down Alley 651
on Minh Khai Street with around 300 households from 3pm on Sunday after
finding 21 Covid-19 infections in the area. People in the sealed-off area are
requested to stay at home until further notice. Food and necessities
delivered to them must be left at check-points and the security force will
help send to every household. Khai added that disinfection was
carried out in the alley and tracing for people who had come into close
contact with Covid-19 cases are underway. The first Covid-19 patient at the
company was a 21-year-old female intern who tested positive for Covid-19 on
July 31. Five other employees including Tan
Ngoc Lan Company, Thien Linh Company, Minh Long Company, Lien Thai Binh
Company and Hoang Minh Century Company who live in Alley 651 then tested
positive for the virus. The firm has been asked to inform the staff who live
in the alley to make health declarations and quarantine themselves at home. Literary and artistic
creation campaign on the fight against COVID-19 launched The Ho Chi Minh City Department of
Culture and Sports has officially launched a campaign for the creation,
staging and dissemination of literary and artistic works on the fight against
COVID-19 epidemic. The campaign aims to introduce literary
and artistic works with profound contents and high aesthetic and artistic
values that will contribute to spreading noble values to the public and
raising public awareness of epidemic prevention and control. As such, they call for all people to
join hands to overcome difficulties and challenges due to complicated
developments of COVID-19 as well as to always trust the wise leadership of
the Party and effective policies of the State in the epidemic prevention and
control. The entries, which must be created
between August 2019 and November 2021, can be sent to the organising board
from August 1, 2021. The campaign covers seven fields,
including literature, music, stage, dance, photography, fine arts and cinema. A total of 70 prizes are expected to
be awarded. The organisers will select the most outstanding works to being
staged and introduced to the public, with the participation of a large number
of artists. Dong Nai Province extends
isolation for five wards of Bien Hoa City by August 15 The People’s Committee of Dong Nai
Province yesterday decided an extension of isolation for all five wards of
Hoa An, Tan Hanh, Tan Hoa, Tan Bien and Ho Nai in Bien Hoa City from midnight
of August 2 to August 15 in order to prevent and control the Covid-19
pandemic. Accordingly, the total number of
residents under the isolation process was 55,000 households, equaling 256,000
people. The statistics showed that Bien Hoa
City has recorded 2,269 positive cases with SARS-CoV-2. On the other hand, 5,476 close
contacts with Covid-19 patients are performing centralized isolation and
28,265 cases have been isolated at home. In addition, six confirmed cases
have died from Covid-19 so far. Hoa An Ward topped with the most
numerous Covid-19 patients with 344. Up to now, Dong Nai Province has
been experiencing the fourth pandemic wave with 4,738 infectious cases, of
which Bien Hoa City has occupied nearly 50 percent. Teachers continue to enjoy
seniority allowance According to the Government’s Decree
77/2021/ND-CP, teachers will continue to enjoy seniority allowance. This Decree takes effect from August
2021. Localities and public educational institutions that have paid teachers'
seniority allowances from July 1, 2020, up to now, shall continue to comply
with this Decree. Accordingly, teachers with
compulsory social insurance payment for full 5 years ( or 60 months) are
entitled to a seniority allowance equal to 5 percent of their current salary
plus allowances for leadership positions and seniority level. From the sixth year onwards, each
year ( with full 12 months) will be added 1 percent more. The seniority
allowance is paid together with teachers’ monthly salaries. Moreover, it is
used to calculate the payment and enjoyment of social insurance, health
insurance, and unemployment insurance Teachers who are teaching in public
educational institutions still hold the rank of a public employee in the
education and training sector (with the first 2 digits of the rank code being
15) but have not yet been classified into the professional title of
specialized education and training majors (code V07) and vocational education
majors (code V09) are still entitled to enjoy teacher seniority allowance
according to the provisions of this Decree. The Decree stipulates the time for
eligibly to receive the seniority allowance. It is the time of teaching and
education with compulsory social insurance payment in public educational
institutions; time of teaching and education with compulsory social insurance
payment in non-public educational institutions (for teachers who are teaching
or educating in public educational institutions that have previously taught,
education in non-public educational institutions). Additionally, teachers are working
in specialized customs, court, procuracy, audit, inspection, examination,
civil judgment, forest ranger, national reserve, party inspection; army
force, police, cipher, and working time are entitled to get the allowance. However, those who are in
apprenticeship time, in sick and maternity leave exceeding the time limit prescribed
by the law on social insurance, and temporarily suspended from work or being
held in custody or temporary detention in service of investigation,
prosecution, and adjudication are not entitled to the special
allowance. HCMC runs emergency hotline
No.115 on Covid-19 pandemic prevention, control The Ho Chi Minh City Department of
Information and Communications in coordination with the 115 Emergency Center,
VNPT Ho Chi Minh City and the Quang Trung Software City Development Company
(QTSC) has officially run the emergency hotline No.115 for receiving phone
calls and handling information related to the Covid-19 pandemic following the
direction of the Municipal People's Committee. Amid the current complicated
Covid-19 pandemic in the city with a growing number of coronavirus infected
cases, Ho Chi Minh City needed to improve the capacity of receiving phone
calls related to the Covid-19 pandemic from residents, medical facilities to
timely contact with forces and vehicles for emergency situations. The system equipped with a large
number of computers with stable internet connectivity and backup telephone
system, includes 40 tables for 24-hour hotline operators increasing 10 times
compared to the pre-pandemic outbreak period. Helicopter transports
Covid-19 vaccines to Con Dao Island A helicopter of the Southern Vietnam
Helicopter Company carrying Covid-19 vaccines took off from Vung Tau Airport
to Con Dao District, Ba Ria- Vung Tau Province at noon on August 1 to
implement the third phase of Covid-19 vaccination for local people, starting
from August 2. Previously, on July 30, the People's
Committee of Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province proposed the Southern Vietnam
Helicopter Company to support the flights on Vung Tau- Con Dao route and vice
versa to transport vaccines, medical equipment and people trapped in Vung Tau
City to the island. Accordingly, 1,460 people will be
vaccinated against Covid-19 from August 2 to August 11. Of which, 754 people
will get their first doses and 706 people will be vaccinated the second
shots. From May to June, Con Dao District
organized two phases of vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 for prioritized groups
following the Government’s Resolution No. 21. Blood donation drops by up to
40 percent The National Steering Committee for
Voluntary Blood Donation, on July 31, sent an official dispatch to the
steering committees for voluntary blood donation in provinces and cities,
asking them to continue promoting voluntary blood donation, ensuring the
prevention of the Covid-19 pandemic, and providing enough blood for emergency
and treatment of patients at medical facilities across the nation. At the same time, they should
continue to maintain blood donation schedules in response to the ‘Red Blood
Drops Campaign’ in summer and the ‘Red Journey’ program in 2021. According to the National Institute
of Hematology and Blood Transfusion (NIHBT), the amount of blood received
nationwide from the beginning of July to now has decreased by about 40
percent compared to the plan. Most localities and units have delayed or
canceled blood donation schedules. It is forecasted that shortly, there will
possibly be a serious blood shortage nationwide. Noticeably, although blood reserves
are low, recently, the NIHBT promptly transported 1,000 blood units by air to
Ho Chi Minh City to replenish the blood bank of Cho Ray Hospital. According
to NIHBT’s Director Bach Quoc Khanh, all fixed blood donation points will
accept blood donation daily. At the institute alone, blood will be received
until 8 p.m. every day, including Saturday and Sunday. Functional agencies proposed
to issue immigration instructions for Vietnamese The Civil Aviation Authority of
Vietnam (CAAV) has just proposed the Ministry of Transport closely work with
relevant ministries and agencies to remove the difficulties in performing and
managing international flights to Vietnam. Accordingly, the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs has been proposed to soon issue detailed guidance to the airlines
carrying passengers from Vietnam to other countries which have been forced to
return to Vietnam due to immigration refusal for the passengers. Besides that, the Ministry of Health
should impose isolation regulations for international arrivals who were fully
vaccinated against Covid-19 or recovered from SARS-CoV-2 so that CAAV would
consider granting appropriate flight permit for the airlines. Vietnamese citizens who are living
and working overseas to enter the country as currently, there is only the
instruction of immigration permit for foreign experts and foreigners. A huge number of Vietnamese are
wishing to return to their homeland, including those who were granted
Covid-19 vaccination records with two doses or the certificates of recovering
from SARS-CoV-2 and negative results with novel coronavirus by RT-PCR method. Officials check progress of
intensive care centres in HCM City Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City
Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen and Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long
inspected several hospitals treating COVID-19 patients in Ho Chi Minh City on
August 1. At the City International Hospital
run by Hoa Lam Group, Minister Long applauded the hospital for volunteering
to treat COVID-19 patients and decided to set up a 500-bed intensive care
centre at the hospital with staff to be provided by the University Medical
Centre Ho Chi Minh City. He promised to immediately provide the hospital with
50 ventilators from the Health Ministry’s warehouse in the city. The hospital is scheduled to begin
receiving COVID-19 patients on August 2 morning. Inspecting the progress of the
temporary COVID-19 hospital No.16 run by the Hanoi-based Bach Mai Hospital,
deputy head of the Bach Mai Hospital’s Emergency Department A9 Dr. Do Ngoc
Son said the temporary hospital is treating nearly 300 patients and its
staff, sent from Bach Mai's headquarters in Hanoi, are working hard to set up
a 500-bed intensive care centre to take care of patients in serious
conditions. The health minister instructed
providing 100 high-performance ventilators and 100 high-flow nasal cannulas
for the temporary hospital No 16. He requested that the intensive care centre
be set up within the next 48 hours, adding that at least 20 beds should be
reserved for pregnant patients. Checking the pace of the building of
an intensive care centre at temporary hospital No.13 run by the Hanoi-based
Viet Duc Hospital and another at temporary hospital No.11 operated by Hue
Central Hospital, the officials asked units concerned to step up their
construction, striving to receive patients in serious conditions by August 5,
initially with 200 beds and raising to 500 beds at the earliest. Nen also took the occasion to urge
local units concerned to simplify administrative procedures so that the
intensive care centres can immediately receive patients in serious
conditions, thus mitigating deaths. He also thanked leaders of the
Health Ministry and medical workers throughout the country for assisting the
city in the effort./. Tokyo Olympics: Vietnamese
runner to compete in semi-final of women’s 400m hurdles Runner Quach Thi Lan is the last
Vietnamese athlete to compete at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics on August 2, as she
enters the semi-final of the women’s 400m hurdles. She will compete against 23 rivals
from 20:35 (loca time) for the top eight places to advance to the final. Lan is the sole Southeast Asian
athlete and the only of the Asian origin to compete in the category. In Heat 3 of the category’s Round 1
held on July 31, Lan ranked fifth out of the eight competitors, with a result
of 55.71 seconds. However, Leah Nugent of Jamaica was
disqualified for running in the wrong lane, so she earned the fourth place
and thus entering the semi-final. The Tokyo 2020 Olympics, started on
July 23, will close on August 8. China is currently leading the medal tally. The Olympics is the largest sporting
event in the world. It is held every four years, bringing together the top
athletes from countries and territories all over the world./. Vietnam congratulates South
African Communist Party on 100th anniversary Head of the Party Central
Committee’s Commission for External Relations Le Hoai Trung has cabled a
congratulatory message to the South African Communist Party (SACP) on the
occasion of its 100th founding anniversary. In the message, Trung hailed the
birth of the SACP is an important milestone in the fight for national
independence of African people in general and South African people in
particular, and praised the party's contributions to the South African
people's cause of national building. He expressed his belief that with
the time-honoured revolutionary tradition and support of the public, the SACP
will continue reaping more successes in the cause of national construction,
for the sake of peace, independence, democracy and social progress, and for
the benefit of the entire South African people. Talking with a Vietnam News Agency
(VNA) reporter, SACP’s spokesperson Dr. Alex Mashilo spoke highly of the
presence of representatives from the Vietnamese Embassy in South Africa and
VNA reporters at the celebration of the party's anniversary amid the COVID-19
pandemic, which he said is evidence of the Communist Party of Vietnam’s
attention to the international communist movement as well as its support for
the SACP. He noted that the two Parties have
facilitated the regular exchange of high-ranking delegations and cooperation
at bilateral and multilateral forums to discuss the situation of each side./. Source:
VNA/VNS/VOV/VIR/SGT/SGGP/Nhan Dan/Hanoitimes |
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