VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES AUGUST 20
15:30
Additional 1.2 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine
arrive in Vietnam
Vietnam received an additional
1,209,400 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine on August 19, according to
the Vietnam Vaccine JSC (VNVC). This is the
ninth batch delivered to Vietnam under the VNVC’s order of 30 million doses
with AstraZeneca, which would be handed over to the Ministry of Health at a
not-for-profit price. The VNVC
earlier stated that starting from July, each week, AstraZeneca would ship
about 1 million doses of vaccine to Vietnam, and the commitment has been
largely kept. So far, over
6.7 million doses have been delivered, nearly six months after the first
batch reached Vietnam in late February. With the
latest batch, Vietnam has to date received about 14.3 million doses of
AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine through the VNVC's contract, the COVAX Facility
and donations from governments, accounting for 62 percent of the total number
of COVID-19 vaccines delivered to the country. During his
phone talks with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 19, CEO of
AstraZeneca Pascal Soriot pledged to deliver COVID-19 vaccines to Vietnam on
schedule as well as increase vaccine supplies to the country this month. AstraZeneca
will do its best to meet Vietnam’s requests, he said. The two
sides also discussed the progress of AstraZeneca's public health and sustainable
development programmes in Vietnam, which are part of the company's efforts to
reduce infectious and non-communicable diseases in the Southeast Asian
country. Chairman and
General Director of AstraZeneca Vietnam and emerging Asian markets Nitin
Kapoor said since July AstraZeneca has constantly made efforts to boost its
supply to Vietnam in order to support the country’s national vaccination
programme. Nearly 40 million USD in relief aid given to freelancers in 19
southern localities
Nineteen
southern provinces and cities have provided relief aid for more than
635,000 freelancers with a total amount of nearly 911 billion VND
(40 million USD). Of these, Ho
Chi Minh City assisted 462,000 freelancers with nearly 694 billion VND, Dong
Nai province supported 22,000 with 33 billion VND and Binh Duong province
aided nearly 98,000 with 134 billion VND. Nearly 42.46
billion VND was offered to 45,700 freelancers in Binh Phuoc province and over
60.2 billion VND was provided for more than 40,200 in Dong Thap as well as
over 22.7 billion VND for 20,100 others in Vinh Long. According to
statistics of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA),
the southern provinces and cities are home to more than 10 million
freelancers. To reduce
difficulties for people, southern provinces and cities have
issued assistance plans for those affected by
the COVID-19 pandemic, including supporting policies for
freelancers. Special policies have been designed for different groups such as
those selling lottery tickets, drivers of motorbike taxis, street vendors as
well as workers at business facilities without labour contracts. Social
distancing which is extended for nearly two months in many provinces and
cities has been greatly affected the lives of freelancers, mostly labourers
from other provinces, whose monthly income is unstable and does not have
saving money. Therefore,
the MoLISA suggested that provinces and cities pay attention to implementing
social assistance policies for these groups to help them stabilise their
lives./. Vietnam calls for international cooperation to deal with threat
of terrorism Deputy head
of Vietnam’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations Ambassador Pham Hai Anh
urged international cooperation and solidarity in order to seek the most
effective response to combat terrorism in the face of a serious threat posed
by the so-called Islamic State’s activities in recent times. He made the
statement at a UN Security Council (UNSC) meeting held on August 19 to
discuss the threat of the self-claimed Islamic State – also known as Da’esh
to international peace and security. It was chaired
by Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Minister for External Affairs of India - the
council's chair for August. The
ambassador underlined the need to promote comprehensive anti-terrorism
measures and ensure joint efforts are in line with the UN Charter and
international law. The Security
Council should effectively use available tools to detect and avert new
threats of terrorism, he said, calling attention to terrorists' use of
the Internet and new technologies to raise money, recruit and propagate their
agendas. Under-Secretary-General
for the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism Vladimir Voronkov, and Director of the
Counter Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED) Michele Coninsx said early
this year, the social distancing measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic had an
impact on the organisation of terrorist activities in areas without
hostilities. However, the terrorist threat is increasing in the war zones. Notably,
IS affiliates and related organisations have shown signs of extending their
presence in West Africa, the Sahel, East and Central Africa, Afghanistan and
other parts of South Asia. The
presenters also underlined the need for a definitive humanitarian solution to
the thousands of people in the camps in Iraq and Syria. Most of them are
women and children believed to have relations with terrorists. More
counter-terrorism efforts are needed from the national, regional to global
levels, they said, emphasising the central role of the Security Council on
the issue. UNSC members
shared concerns about the latest developments in Afghanistan, stressing the
need for comprehensive measures to prevent terrorists from using the area as
a "safe haven". Also on
August 19, the Security Council countries agreed to issue a press statement
on the content exchanged at the meeting, which reaffirmed the determination
of the international community in eliminating terrorism. The statement also
emphasised the need to strengthen international cooperation on
counter-terrorism in a comprehensive way to maintain
peace, stability, and development. Hundreds of health workers continue to support HCM City 122 health
workers from the Hanoi-based National Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
left for Ho Chi Minh City on August 19 to help in the Covid-19 fight in the
country's biggest epicentre. Tran Danh
Cuong, director of the National Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, said
this was an urgent time that needs collaboration from everyone and the health
sector in Vietnam should come together to help HCM City overcome the ongoing
Covid-19 wave. "It's
like I was seeing my family off. There will be a lot of difficulties and
challenges but it's our responsibility and ethics as a doctor," Cuong
said. "We can send more staff to HCM City if necessary." 122 health
workers were given VND122m and other gifts before the departure. On August
18, nearly 200 health workers at Bach Mai Hospital also left for HCM City.
This is the fifth support team from Bach Mai Hospital. Many staff from Bach
Mai Hospital left for HCM City earlier to operate a 500 bed ICU centre. Nguyen Quang
Tuan, director of Bach Mai Hospital said, "The Delta Variant has caused
a deadly wave but we have faith to overcome it all." 51 staff
from the National Hospital of Ophthalmology has also left for HCM City. According to
the Ministry of Health, nearly 13,500 health workers from various provinces
and cities have been sent to HCM City and other southern provinces. Experts: Hanoi should deliberate ending social distancing order Hanoi should
not rush any decision regarding when to end social distancing measures as
scheduled due to a number of F0 cases still being among the community,
according to several medical experts. According to
a report detailed by the Hanoi Department of Health, the number
of local COVID-19 infections in the city has shown
positive signs of reduction, with new cases being detected
primarily in isolation facilities or areas currently under lockdown. However, the
second large-scale testing serves as the basis for the Government to make a
decision to end the social distancing order, slated for August 23. Regarding
the possibility of ending the order as planned ,
Assoc. Prof., Dr. Tran Dac Phu, former Director of
the Ministry of Health's Preventive Medicine Department, noted that the
capital should not make a hasty decision, while it is essential to
carefully evaluate each factor, especially the results of the F0 tracing work
and mass COVID-19 testing campaign this week. Prof. Dr.
Nguyen Anh Tri added that Hanoi should monitor the progress of the pandemic
within the community for another two to three days before coming to a final
conclusion on the matter. "If the
results of mass testing show that the rate of F0s in the community is low,
the city can temporarily end the social distancing order. On the contrary, if
the rate of newly-injected cases increases, Hanoi should still extend social
distancing,” he stressed. The capital
has finalized its first week of a mass testing campaign for high-risk
people and people living in high-risk areas, with 300,000 samples being
taken. An additional 800,000 samples are due to be collected ahead in the
next stage, which started on August 18. Hanoi has
documented a total of 2,389 infections since the fourth wave of COVID-19
erupted on April 27. Of these, 1,238 cases were detected in the community
whilst 1,151 others were found in quarantine sites or locked-down areas. Vietnam to have two days off for National Day from this year Vietnam
would have two official consecutive days off for National Holiday, September
2, from this year. According to
the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, the National Day holiday
for September 2 will also include another day either right before or after,
depending on the government’s decision every year. This year,
Vietnam will have two official days off for the National Day on September 2-3
or Thursday and Friday. With the weekend, this would mean four consecutive
days off. Under the
Labour Code, people who work during holidays would enjoy a 300% payment
compared to normal. Last year,
the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs proposed the selection of
September 3 as the second official day-off for the National Holiday. Gifts presented to foreigners in HCM City The Steering
Committee on COVID-19 Prevention and Control of Ho Chi Minh
City’s Thu Duc city presented gifts to foreigners living in the
city who are hit by the pandemic. Chairman of
the Thu Duc city’s Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee Tran Huu Phuoc offered
sympathy over the difficulties facing the foreigner residents at a time when
Thu Duc is enforcing prevention and control measures. He wished that they
would continue supporting the city’s policies and follow local regulations on
pandemic prevention and control, thus contributing to curbing its spread. The city's
officials handed over the gifts, each worth 2.5 million VND (108 USD)
including cash and essential goods, to the foreign residents in Thu Duc. Ho Chi Minh
City is home to the largest number of foreigners in Vietnam, with many of
them living in Thu Duc city. The
municipal authorities recently also approved a policy of vaccinating
foreigners living and working in the city within its own capacity and
resources. Bac Giang reports six fresh Covid cases after one month The northern
province of Bac Giang reported six new locally-infected cases of Covid-19
today, August 19, after over a month seeing no new infections, according to
the provincial government. Among these
six fresh cases, the first patient is a local man from Le Loi Ward of Bac
Giang City. He works at the provincial Police Department, reported Thanh
Nien newspaper. The
provincial anti-Covid-19 steering committee decided to lock down and
disinfect areas linked to the patients. The local competent forces are
tracing the contacts of the confirmed cases. Bac Giang
used to be the biggest coronavirus hotspot in Vietnam during the fourth wave,
which began in late April. Up to now,
Bac Giang has reported 5,780 infections, with seven active cases now under
treatment in the provincial General Hospital and another one being treated at
the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Hanoi. Some 1,070 others are
under quarantine. HCMC is
currently the country's biggest Covid-19 hotspot with nearly 160,000 cases. Hanoi bans trading activities around major market Authorities
in Hanoi have asked traders to stop selling on some streets around the old
Hang Be Market including Gia Ngu, Cau Go, and Trung Yen amid tightened
measures for virus prevention. According to
an announcement by chairman of Hang Bac Ward People's Committee, Nguyen Hong
Dung, all trading activities in this area will be banned from August 19 until
further notice. A leader of
Hoan Kiem District People's Committee told Dantri/Dtinews that the move came
after local authorities tightened virus prevention rules as the pandemic was
still complicated in the area. Since the
social distancing rules were applied in Hanoi, traders around the old Hang Be
Market have increased advertising at checkpoints to reach their customers.
They quickly put up various advertising banners at the barriers with mini
menus of their famous prepared food and phone numbers of the shops. Customers
can call the shops to order the food and wait for the delivery at the
checkpoint. With these
methods, the checkpoints were usually crowded with buyers and sellers, which
posed a threat of virus spreading. Dialogue looks into sea-related issues from perspective of
international law The seventh
dialogue with the theme of evaluating arising sea-related issues from the
perspective of international law has recently been held virtually, drawing
over 250 domestic and foreign experts, as well as delegates from foreign
representative agencies in Hanoi and the media. The event
was jointly organised by the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV),
the British Embassy in Vietnam and the Kondras Adenauer Stiftung
Foundation (KAS). In his
opening speech, Deputy Director of the DAV Dr. Nguyen Hung Son said the
academy wants to promote dialogues on emerging legal issues to raise public
awareness of and reach consensus on the interpretation and application of
international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law
of the Sea (UNCLOS), thereby laying a foundation for marine cooperation activities
in the region. The
organisers hoped that via the dialogue, parties will offer initiatives in
line with international law to promote cooperation in the field, he said. British
Deputy Ambassador to Vietnam Marcus Winsley highlighted the 1982 UNCLOS as a
foundation for ocean governance. The UK considers freedom of navigation as
the most important as its trade with Asia relies on key marine routes in the
region, he said. The UK also
shares the same concern with countries, especially Pacific island nations,
over the sea level rise, the diplomat said. Florian
Constantin Feyerabend, from the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Foundation,
affirmed that Germany always considers safety and freedom of maritime trade
routes as common important benefits, supports rules-based order at sea and
pledges to protect international law. Participants
at the event shared the impacts of the sea level rise on coastal nations in
the region and the world. They underscored the importance of ensuring the
stability of international law and suggested measures and scenarios to cope
with the sea level rise from national, regional and international
perspectives. According to
them, freedom, safety and security of navigation have been stipulated in
important international conventions such as the 1982 UNCLOS and guidelines
within the framework of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). Scholars
expressed their interest in the East Sea and concerns over marine claims that
run counter to the 1982 UNCLOS and the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA)'s
ruling on the Philippines' lawsuit in 2016. They
stressed need to continue maintaining rules-based order at sea in the
Indo-Pacific and suggested ASEAN reach common consensus on rights to
travelling at sea. Via seven
editions of the dialogue, the DAV published quality publications about
fishing cooperation, marine governance in the East Sea, dealing with plastic
wastes, enhancing ASEAN cooperation in the East Sea, and the European Union’s
sustainable development experience./. 12 prosecuted for allegedly falsifying, trading in Covid-19 test
certificates The Bac Ninh
People’s Procuracy today, August 19, approved the provincial Police
Department’s proposal to file charges against 12 people for allegedly forging
Covid-19 test certificates and providing them to interprovincial drivers and
workers at industrial parks. The
provincial police and procuracy had earlier launched an investigation into
the falsification of documents relating to the fight against the Covid-19
pandemic. They later
arrested Tran Tan Duong, 34, a resident of Dong Thap and director of the
Thien Nhan Advertisement Printing Design Co., Ltd., headquartered in Bac
Ninh. Duong said
he knew that workers and drivers needed Covid-19 test certificates to pass
through checkpoints, so he forged the certificate samples of the Hoan My
International Hospital and sold them to those in need to earn profits. He collected
real Covid-19 test certificates, scanned and saved them. He later modified
their template on his computer and filled in the personal information of his
customers, before printing them out and faking the signatures of the Hoan My
International Hospital’s employees and leaders. Duong sold
some 150 fake Covid-19 test certificates. Quick test certificates were priced
at VND150,000 each, while PCR test certificates cost VND250,000 each. Two groups
of people regularly bought the certificates from Duong, including a group of
four people, who bought fake certificates and provided them to long-haul
drivers of the HG Trading and Transport Services Company in Lang Son Province
as well as some employees and collaborators of laborer supply companies Anbin
Vina and HT Vina. Under the
prevailing regulations, workers must have negative Covid-19 test certificates
to be allowed to work at factories in industrial parks in Bac Ninh.
Therefore, employees and collaborators of Anbin Vina and HT Vina bought
nearly 100 fake certificates from Duong and provided them to laborers. According to
the Bac Ninh People’s Procuracy, the violations of these people have caused
serious consequences, increasing the pandemic transmission risk and affecting
the fight against the pandemic in Bac Ninh and the entire country as a whole. Vietnam Design Week 2020 to open in November Vietnam
Design Week 2021 is expected to kick off on November 15 with the theme
"Awakening Tradition". Co-organised
by the Vietnam National Institute of Culture and Arts Studies in coordination
with many organisations, the event will take place in three cities: Hanoi,
Hue, and Ho Chi Minh City. The opening
ceremony of the event is expected to take place at the creative space R8
Factory (Bo De, Long Bien District, Hanoi). Accordingly,
Vietnam Design Week 2021 is a programme to honour excellent Vietnamese
products and designers in the fields of: communication design, furniture
design, decoration design, costume design, and public design. The
highlight programme of Vietnam Design Week 2021 is the "Designed by
Vietnam" contest, inspired by cultural traditions and folk knowledge to
create highly applicable products bearing the value of the Vietnamese design
brand. Also within
the framework of the programme, a series of activities including exhibitions,
seminars, workshops, and performances will also feature the participation of
many experienced and well-known designers in the design fields, aiming to
encourage a change of thinking in exploitation, renewing traditional values,
and promoting sustainable design trends; thereby promoting the development of
the design industry in particular and the cultural and creative industry in
Vietnam in general, while increasing the value of Vietnamese creative
products in the international market. Ninh Thuan to expand protection-forest cover The south-central
province of Ninh Thuận this year plans to increase its forest-cover
rate to nearly 50 per cent, including 330 hectares of new
special-use forest and protection-forest planted
in response to climate change. The province
targets restoring 4,000ha of damaged forest and 71,400ha of
forest under forest-protection contracts this year. Promoting
forest protection and development plays an important role in protecting water
and soil resources, preventing erosion, limiting the
impact of natural disasters, conserving biodiversity, and
maintaining natural habitats. The province
has 116,172 ha of protective forest land, accounting for 59 per cent of its
entire forest land. Of the figure, more than 30,192ha of land has
no trees. The province
is focusing on afforestation, and management of protection- and
special-use forests. Training
courses in forest-fire prevention and fighting have been offered
to local households responsible for protecting planted forests. The province
has in recent years detected and handled many cases
involving illegal forest exploitation and forest land encroachment. It
has been growing drought-resistant trees with high economic
value such as trôm (Sterculia foetida), thanh
thất (Ailanthus triphysa), muồng đen (Senna siamea)
and keo lai (Acacia mangium x Acacia auriculaeformis)
in protection and special-use forests. The quality of
local forests has improved, with poor forest areas
restored and forest cover increased. Barren land
and bare hills are now covered with trees. For
example, thanh thất trees which can adapt to a dry
climate have been planted on more than 650ha of rocky mountains in Thuận Nam
District’s coastal areas for protection forests since 2015. Lê Xuân Hòa,
deputy head of the district’s Protective Forest Management Board, said the
planting of thanh thất trees was supported by the JICA 2 afforestation
project under the Việt Nam’s
Support Programme to Respond to Climate
Change (SP-RCC). Many trees
are now 2.5-3m in height and will cover the rocky mountains in
the next 10 years. The province
has also allocated forest land to local households for protection under
contracts. On average, each local household receives about 30ha of
forest to protect under a forest protection contract for VNĐ400,000
(US$17.4) per hectare each year. Since 2016,
local households have used additional income earned from forest protection
contracts to develop forest-linked livelihoods such as breeding cows,
goats and sheep, and planting more than 22,500 fruit trees. The
department is expanding these effective forest-linked livelihood models. However,
forest management faces many challenges, including financial constraints and
various policies. The province
regularly experiences dry and hot weather that significantly
impacts forest fire prevention and control, and afforestation. Dangerous
terrain also causes problems for forest management and protection,
according to the director. Đặng Kim
Cương, director of the provincical Department of Agriculture and Rural
Development, said the department would continue to raise the awareness
of local residents about the importance of protection
forests as well as legal regulations. It is also
continuing sustainable forestry development to help local
residents earn additional income by participating in forest
protection under signed contracts. Programmes
on how to plant special-use, replacement and protection
forests are also being strengthened. Better
coordination among forest-prevention forces, armed forces, local
authorities and residents is also being implemented. Son La schools closed as new Covid-19 cases detected The northern
province of Son La has closed schools just two days after reopening after
some Covid-19 infections were detected. Nguyen Huy
Hoang, director of Son La Department of Education and Training said they
started the school year early on August 16 because no cases had been reported
and they hoped to take advantage of such time to let students study
face-to-face with teachers as much as possible. "However,
we detected two Covid-19 infections in Phu Yen District on the evening of
August 17," the official said. "And we had to urgently close all
schools in the province from August 18. Most students were sent home and
students at boarding schools were asked to stay at school until further
notice. Social distancing rules have been applied in Phu Yen District." "Teachers
and the staff were also asked to stay at schools and fill in their medical
declaration forms for better monitoring," Hoang added. He went on
to say that they already have plans for the new school year in case of
emergency. If the situation worsens, students will study online and via TV.
Teachers will give more homework and studying materials to students living in
mountainous areas. Vietnam seeks stronger cooperation with Middle East nations Deputy
Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Quang Hieu on August 19 held an online
meeting with nine resident and non-resident ambassadors and chargé d'affaires
of Middle East countries to Vietnam. Speaking at
the event, Hieu underscored the importance of maintaining regular
communications channels and coordination to foster ties between Vietnam and
the regional countries. He
highlighted encouraging results of cooperation between Vietnam and the Middle
East countries despite the COVID-19 pandemic, with nearly 7.3 billion USD
in two-way trade in the first half of this year, up 33.5 percent
year on year. The two
sides offered mutual support in the fight against the pandemic in various
forms, including sharing experience in COVID-19 prevention and control,
providing medical supplies and discussing the possibility of cooperation in
vaccines and treatment. The
diplomats congratulated Vietnam on its political, diplomatic and
socio-economic achievements, as well as its successful organisation of the
13th National Party Congress and the election of deputies to the 15th
National Assembly. The
diplomats affirmed that they have always attached importance to promoting
multifaceted collaboration with Vietnam and suggested measures to boost
bilateral ties in the near future, such as enhancing online meetings between
ministries and agencies, sharing information and consultations regarding
COVID-19 prevention and control, offering mutual support at multilateral
forums and international organisations, upholding existing mechanisms and
soon finalising negotiations to sign new deals and agreements, and organising
activities to connect businesses and promote trade and investment. Concluding
the meeting, Hieu applauded the practical and wholehearted opinions of the
diplomats and affirmed that the Vietnamese Government and people treasure
cooperative ties with Middle East nations, as well as huge potential for
bilateral cooperation, especially in politics-diplomacy, trade, investment,
energy, science-technology, and labour. He proposed
both sides step up measures in four priority fields, including
politics-diplomacy, economy-trade, COVID-19 prevention and control, and
perfecting the legal basis to further improve the efficiency of bilateral
cooperation. Upholding national unity from August Revolution in Covid-19
fight
Seventy-six
years ago, Vietnamese people gained the first remarkable accomplishment of
the nation in the 20th century: successfully carrying out the August
Revolution to seize back national independence, giving birth to the
Democratic Republic of Vietnam. History has
shown that there are two significant factors deciding victory - leadership
and solidarity. During
the August Revolution as well as following wars of resistance, the
people rallied and fought under the words of late President Ho Chi Minh:
“Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom”, and when it comes
to the fight against the invisible enemy - COVID-19 - the guideline for
action from the Party and the State is to “put the people’s health and lives
first and foremost”. The whole
nation is a great unity bloc, and everyone is joining hands with the Party
and the government to fight the pandemic, protect health and lives, and
provide the best care for the people. The
affirmation of the Party, State, and government about the goal of protecting
people’s health and lives amid the COVID-19 pandemic has once again promoted
the joint effort, consensus, and great solidarity of the entire nation. With
unanimity, solidarity, and absolute trust from the people, the country will
definitely win its fight against the pandemic in the near future. Flight crew required to be fully vaccinated starting September 1
Only
pilots and flight attendants who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with
two jabs are eligible to be onboard starting September 1. The
directive requires flight operators to strictly adhere
to COVID-19 preventive rules. It said
vaccination must be prioritised to frontline workers, including pilots,
flight attendants, and technical engineers, who are considered high-risk
because of regular contact with passengers. As part of
the directive, airlines are asked to evaluate their compliance with
regulations on maintaining the aircraft control ability and skills as
prescribed in the code of civil aviation safety regulations. Prime Minister wants elite, strong public security forces Prime
Minister Pham Minh Chinh visited and held a working session with the Ministry
of Public Security’s Institute of Forensic Sciences on August 19, on the
occasion of the 76th founding anniversary of the people’s public security
forces and the 76th anniversary of National Day of Vietnam (September 2). Speaking at
the session, the Government leader hailed the public security forces for
their outstanding achievements in each and every revolutionary period, making
important contributions to the nation’s common victories. He said in
the past tenure, the forces effectively implemented the Party's resolutions
on streamlining personnel, restructuring apparatus, towards building elite
and strong forces from ministerial to provincial, district and grassroots
levels. The PM
recognised the specific actions taken by the Institute of Forensic Sciences
to carry out the Resolution of the 13th Party Central Congress towards
building revolutionary, regular, elite and modern public security forces by
2030 and realise the target set by the Central Public Security Party Committee
to build a contingent of professional forensic science technicians by 2025. He suggested
the Central Public Security Party Committee regularly pay attention to
training, building and consolidating the forensic science force from ministry
to district levels, contributing to not only the fight against crime but also
the country’s science-technology development. As the
country is facing tremendous difficulties and challenges caused by COVID-19
pandemic, the Central Public Security Party Committee and leaders of the
Ministry of Public Security must direct all the public security forces to
continue performing well their role at the front-line of the fight against
the pandemic, thus together with the political system, driving it back as
soon as possible, he said. The PM also
required the forces to proactively forecast the situation and have plans
readied to safeguard national security and ensure social safety and order. Deputy spokeswoman clarifies issues of public interest Foreign
Ministry’s Deputy Spokeswoman Pham Thu Hang talked about several issues of
public concern during the ministry's regular press conference held
virtually on August 19, one of which is the upcoming visit by US Vice
President Kamala Harris to Vietnam this month. Hang said
the visit is being arranged by Vietnamese and US agencies concerned. She stressed
that all visits by the two countries’ high-ranking leaders and the exchange
of delegations at all levels aim to further deepen the Vietnam – US
comprehensive partnership, for the benefits of the two peoples, and for
peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world. Regarding
reports that the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) has sent
a letter to Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to express their support of
Vietnam's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hang said Vietnam welcomes and
appreciates every support by countries and partners in pandemic prevention
and control work. "We
hope that countries and international organisations would continue sharing
information, technology, finance, health care and vaccines so as to soon
control and wipe out the pandemic," the deputy spokeswoman said, adding
that Vietnam, for its part, has been actively cooperating with and
contributing to the international community’s common efforts in the regard. Referring to
immigration regulations for fully vaccinated passengers, Hang informed that
on August 4, the Health Ministry issued guidelines on quarantine for people
entering Vietnam who have been fully vaccinated or have recovered from
COVID-19, which requires them to undergo concentrated quarantine for seven
days and health monitoring for the next seven days. The Foreign
Ministry is working with the Health Ministry and the Ministry of Information
and Communications to build criteria, a mechanism to recognise and allow the
use of vaccination certificates and vaccine passports of other countries,
thus creating favourable conditions for people entering the country that suit
the domestic situation and comply with Vietnamese and international laws,
Hang said. To make it
easier to follow the Health Ministry’s guidelines, the Foreign Ministry in
collaboration with the Health Ministry has issued temporary guidelines on
checking and recognising foreigners’ COVID-19 vaccination and recovery certificates
which are officially introduced to Vietnam via diplomatic channels of 44
countries and territories. The list of
countries and territories with officially introduced certificates are
regularly updated on the website lanhsuvietnam.gov.vn The deputy
spokeswoman added that those not coming from the above countries and
territories could contact Vietnamese representative agencies in their
countries to certify such papers. Vietnam strongly commits to responding to climate change Vietnam
calls on the international community to strengthen cooperation to jointly
respond to climate change, Deputy Spokeswoman of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs Pham Thu Hang said at a regular press briefing held via
videoconference in Hanoi on August 19. While
answering reporters' questions on Vietnam’s reaction to the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)'s report on climate change in 2021
which was released on August 9, Hang said climate change is a global
challenge, causing negative impacts on the world. "As one
of the countries most heavily affected by the impacts of climate change,
Vietnam is determined and strongly committed to responding to climate change,
including proactive adaptation and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in line
with the country's international commitments," she said. According to
the deputy spokeswoman, the IPCC's report on climate change in 2021 is an
important scientific basis for countries to develop and update policies and
scenarios related to climate change. It provides input information for
reference for countries in conducting international negotiations on climate
change. Currently,
Vietnamese authorities are actively studying the contents of the report to
review and update its climate change scenarios and include them in the
country's National Strategy to Respond to Climate Change in the coming
period. Vietnam closely follows situation in Afghanistan: Deputy
Spokeswoman Vietnam has
closely followed the situation in Afghanistan and hoped that
Afghanistan will soon stabilise for the benefit of its people and for peace
and stability in the region, said Deputy Spokeswoman of the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang. Hang made
the statement while responding to reporters' questions regarding complicated
developments in Afghanistan at the ministry's regular press
briefing held virtually on August 19. “As a
non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, Vietnam calls on
involved parties not to use force, ensure security, order, essential
infrastructure, the lives and properties of Afghanistan people and
foreigners, especially women and children, as well as guaranteeing access to
humanitarian aid when necessary," she said. Viet Nam futsal team prepare for World Cup Coach Phạm
Minh Giang said his team were doing well in preparation for the
Futsal World Cup in Lithuania in September. The team
moved to Hà Nội last week and are working hard to improve their physique. At
the same time, a coaching board has set up different situations for
players to make sure they are ready for whatever happens during the
matches. "Currently,
players are catching up with the high pace and speed of training exercises.
They are getting better and better every day. We will try to overcome
our limitations to get closer to world leading teams at the World Cup
finals," said Spanish fitness coach Miguel Ledesma Carrasco. Players have
another week to show their ability before Giang finalises a list of 17
members to travel to Spain for an intensive training course on August
27. Việt Nam
will compete in a four-side tournament on August 28-31 and a friendly match
again local club Cordoba on September 3. They will
then move to Lithuania and have a final test against the Morocco
national team on September 6. "We
have made careful preparation. Our practice includes pressing,
counter-pressing, counter-attacking, and defence when having fewer
players. I am really pleased with our plan and players who are doing
well," said Giang. Việt Nam are
in a same group as Brazil, Panama and the Czech Republic, with their
matches on September 13, 16 and 19, respectively. "We
have researched our rivals. While Brazil and the Czech Republic are at a
higher level, Panama are a team vying for a berth in the next round with
us. They have taken part in several tournaments recently. We watched them and
have suitable plans. "We have
a chance to practise and compete in Spain which is really important for us to
sharpen our skills and mentality for the tough championship," Giang
said. Player Trần
Văn Vũ is also pleased with his form and preparation. "My
form and the team's are really good. We have nearly reached 100 per cent of
what we expect for the World Cup. We all strongly determined for these
finals," Vũ said. "Our
target is to reach last-eight like we did in 2016. I believe that if we
can compete with our real ability and as well as what we
have practised, we will definitely complete our mission." Steering committee discusses plan on developing grassroots Party
units The steering
committee for building a plan to develop grassroots-level Party organisations
and Party members convened the first meeting in Hanoi on August 19. Politburo
member Truong Thi Mai, Chairwoman of the Party Central Committee’s
Organisation Commission and head of the steering committee, chaired the
event. Participants
gave opinions on the steering committee’s work plan, task assignment, and
working regulations, along with the draft plan. Mai cited
data as showing that there are more than 5.2 million Party members operating
in about 52,000 grassroots-level Party units such as those of communal-level
localities and at agencies of the Party, the State, and the Vietnam
Fatherland Front; socio-economic organisations; businesses; military and
public security units; and overseas agencies. On February
2, 2008, the 10th-tenure Party Central Committee issued Resolution 22-NQ/TW
on enhancing the leadership and combative strength of grassroots-level Party
units and the quality of officials and Party members. Since then,
the Party Central Committee, the Politburo, and the Secretariat have issued
119 resolutions, directives, and conclusions on related affairs. Now, a new
resolution on grassroots-level Party units and Party members in the new
context is being drafted, Mai noted. The draft
plan on developing grassroots Party units and Party members needs to mention
issues in reality so as to help promote the quality and combative strength of
Party organisations, she stressed, adding that that it be submitted to the
13th Party Central Committee at its fifth session, slated for May 2022. HCMC effectively applies GIS in geology-based platforms,
Covid-19 fight Certain
prominent applications of GIS in HCMC are the 60-layer geographic
information platform suite developed by the Center for Applied GIS of HCMC
(HCMGIS), the tourism map for each district, the system to manage infectious
diseases, the system to monitor vegetable farms. For many
years, the HCMC Department of Science and Technology has run HCMGIS Portal to
provide an integrated platform to share geographic spatial data,
corresponding materials, and maps. This department has also organized various
consultation programs and delivered financial support in GIS implementation. When the
Covid-19 pandemic becomes more complicated in the city, the department help a
virtual conference to introduce the solution ‘Using GIS in District-level
Covid-19 Prevention and Control Tasks’, containing two useful GIS software
pieces, for 11 districts of 4, 6, 12, Binh Thanh, Tan Binh, Phu Nhuan, Go Vap,
Binh Chanh, Can Gio, Nha Be, and Cu Chi. Meanwhile, Thu
Duc City, highly aware of the effectiveness of this advanced technology, has
ordered HCMGIS to develop two specific software pieces for the city in order
to manage the virus spreading status in the area and help its residents go
shopping more conveniently and safely during the social distance period. The first
software is able to analyze data and prepare a detailed report on the
quantity of infections, suspected cases, and the development of Covid-19
in Thu Duc City. Layered maps are included for ease of understanding and
neighborhood, quarantine site management. The second
software helps citizens by updating information of stores and supermarkets in
the area daily. Users can also select the optimal route to their wished
stores or distribution points for relief items. Seeing the
success of the apps developed for Thu Duc City, HCMGIS is now more confident
in creating more similar software for other districts in accordance with
their specific requirements. “Until now,
6 districts have implemented GIS applications in their Covid-19 prevention
and control tasks. We are going to install the software, deliver proper
training and offer continuous software support to the rest to improve the
quality of Covid-19 prevention and control tasks all over HCMC”, said Pham
Quoc Phuong – Director of HCMGIS. Thai Nguyen holds online exhibition on General Vo Nguyen Giap A virtual
exhibition featuring General Vo Nguyen Giap and ATK Thai Nguyen – a
revolutionary land – opened in the northern province of Thai Nguyen on August
19, connecting with its nine localities, museums of Yen Bai, Lang Son, Son
La, Bac Giang and Dien Bien provinces and the late general’s family. This is the
first provincial-level cultural activity held online on the occasion of the
76th anniversary of the August Revolution Day (August 19) and National Day (September
2), 76 years of establishment of the revolutionary government of Thai Nguyen
province (August 20), and the 110th birth anniversary of General Vo Nguyen
Giap (August 25). With more
than 110 photos and nearly 500 documents, artifacts, books, newspapers,
magazines and publications, the exhibition introduces to the public about
General Vo Nguyen Giap - a loyal revolutionary soldier, an excellent and
close disciple of President Ho Chi Minh and the first general of the Vietnam
People’s Army. The exhibition
is divided into three parts, featuring activities of the Party Central
Committee, the Government and late President Ho Chi Minh at ATK Thai Nguyen,
General Vo Nguyen Giap’s activities at ATK Thai Nguyen; and the general with
ethnic minorities in the province. General Vo
Nguyen Giap, whose real name is Vo Giap (alias Van), was born in Loc Thuy
commune, Le Thuy district, the central province of Quang Binh on August 25,
1911. He passed away in Hanoi on October 4, 2013 at the age of 103. He once
served as a Politburo member, Secretary of the Central Military Commission,
Standing Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of National Defence,
Commander-in-Chief of the Vietnamese People’s Army and a National Assembly
deputy from the first to seventh tenures. The General,
whose military career starting with his appointment to lead the first
Vietnamese revolutionary army unit with only 34 soldiers in 1944, led the
Vietnamese people's army from victory to victory during the resistance war
against French colonialists and then American imperialists. Good planning helps promote national development: PM Good
planning will make it possible to design good projects and draw good
investors, thus promoting public investment efficiency and boosting
socio-economic development, stated Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at a
national conference on planning held virtually on August 19. Stressing
that planning must go one step ahead of other activities, the PM said that
the national, regional, provincial and sectoral planning should be made simultaneously. He requested
ministries, sectors and localities to work closely together and exchange
information with each other to ensure best efficiency of the work. He noted
that since 2017 when the 14th National Assembly adopted the Planning Law, the
Government has issued various resolutions, directives and directions to
realise the law. However, the results have yet to meet expectations, he said,
asking participants to seek measures to speed up the implementation of the
law. Chinh also
asked ministries, sectors, localities and planning design agencies to stick
to the 13th National Party Congress’ Resolution and the socio-economic
development plan for the next 10 years as well as the Planning Law and
related resolutions and decrees of the Government in the field. They should
form their own steering committee on planning which is headed by the leader
of the locality, sector and agency to take the charge of making planning for
the locality, sector and agency, he said. The Party
Committee and authorities at all levels should consider it as one of the
major political tasks for 2021 and following years, he added. Participants
gave a number of ideas to speed up the progress and improve the efficiency
and quality of the design of planning in the 2021-2030 period, including
strengthening instruction in the work, reviewing and supplementing documents
guiding the implementation of related legal regulations to match the Planning
Law. PM Chinh
said that opinions given at the conference will be sumarised by Government
agencies to serve the amendments of a number of decrees related to planning,
thus removing difficulties in the work, ensuring progress and quality of
planning as well as the close connectivity among sectoral, provincial,
regional and national planning. Vietnamese Ambassador to UN affirms importance of technology in
peacekeeping Ambassador
Dang Dinh Quy, Vietnam’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, has
spotlighted the important role of new technology in peacekeeping, affirming
that technology is an efficient tool to enhance the capacity to protect
civilians and protect peacekeepers themselves in conflict hotbeds. Talking to
Vietnam News Agency (VNA) correspondents after the United Nations Security
Council (UNSC) open debate regarding this issue on August 18, Ambassador Quy
said that peacekeeping forces are currently one of the targets of attacks by
terrorists and illegal armed groups using new technology, including the use
of flying objects to carry weapons. Therefore,
it is necessary for peacekeepers to adopt new technology, even more advanced
than that of the hostile forces, he noted. In addition,
with the application of technology, peacekeepers can perform their duties
more effectively in a wide range of aspects, from information collection and
analysis to early warning and control, the formation of strategies to deal
with conflict hotspots and consequences, Quy stated. However, the
Vietnamese diplomat also emphasised the importance of technology transfer and
continuous training for peacekeepers as well as cooperation forces of the
recipient country. According to
him, Vietnam currently has two groups of peacekeepers: staff officers and
soldiers working at level-2 field hospitals. Vietnamese
officers and soldiers in both forces have well mastered technology, and made
full use of technologies that the UN is applying at its missions and field
hospitals. The UN
agency specialising in monitoring this field appreciates the capabilities of
Vietnamese officers and soldiers in grasping and applying technology
efficiently, especially in information analysis and early warning, Quy added. During its
open debate, the UNSC adopted the first presidential statement on the use of
technologies to improve the safety of peacekeepers, and a resolution that
promotes accountability for the killing of, and all acts of violence against
UN peacekeeping personnel. Tan Binh exhibition center transformed into Covid-19 treatment
hospital The Tan Binh
Exhibition and Convention Center in HCMC has been transformed into a field
hospital for Covid-19 treatment and was put into operation on August 18. The field
hospital is located at No. 446, Hoang Van Thu Street, Ward 4, Tan Binh
District, and is monitored by the Thong Nhat Hospital. With 1,000
beds, the hospital can treat Covid-19 patients with all symptoms from mild
and moderate to serious ones. Associate
Professor Doctor Le Dinh Thanh, director of Thong Nhat Hospital, said as the
number of Covid-19 patients in the city has risen drastically, transporting
patients with symptoms of various severity levels to different hospitals
becomes time-consuming. Therefore,
the steering committee for Covid-19 infection prevention and control of Tan
Binh District and the Thong Nhat Hospital decided to set up a field hospital
that is able to treat Covid-19 patients with all kinds of symptoms. The new
field hospital set up at the Tan Binh Exhibition and Convention Center has 300
beds on the first floor for Covid-19 patients with mild symptoms, 650 beds on
the second floor for those with moderate symptoms and 50 beds on the third
floor for critical patients. Together
with support from other hospitals in the city and the Tan Binh District
Medical Center, the Thong Nhat Hospital has sent 139 doctors and nurses as
well as ventilators, testing equipment and X-ray machines to the new field
hospital. Deputy
Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son said the field hospital will provide the
residents in Tan Binh District with the fastest and safest medical services. HCMC speeds up vaccination campaigns to soon achieve community
immunity Amidst the
complicated and unprecedented fourth pandemic outbreak, the districts and Thu
Duc City are focusing on accelerating the Covid-19 vaccination campaigns to
soon achieve community immunity, control the pandemic and turn them into
new-normal. The city
sets to complete the vaccination process with more than three million doses
to ensure over 70 percent of the population aged over 18 years receiving the
first shot and 15 percent of city residents getting their second dose from
August 15 to August 31. In the first
half of September, HCMC will continue to organize the vaccination against
coronavirus for the rest people and 400,000 people being subjected to the
second doses of vaccination as scheduled. HCMC promises to deliver support package to each resident in
need Chairman of
HCMC People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong once stated that in the peaceful
time, laborers from different provinces work in the city and actively
contribute to its impressive socio-economic development; so now in the harsh
time, when they have lost their job, the city must take good care of them. Secretary of
the HCMC Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen also pointed out that laborers from
other provinces want to return to their hometown because they cannot endure
this harshness any longer due to financial trouble. Therefore,
HCMC has continuously introduced support campaigns with the contribution of
the state budget and charity funds. Right now,
the city is launching the third support campaign, worth VND1,000 billion
(approx. US$43.6 million) for the poor, each receiving VND50,000 ($2.2) per
day in two weeks from August 15. The HCMC
Center for Social Security immediately advances each district VND1 billion
($43,600) and Thu Duc City VND3 billion ($130,800) to timely help poor
households in the areas. There are also 1 million meals to be delivered to
the poor, along with 0-dong bus rides to provide essential goods free of
charge to the needy and 2,500 gift packages of essential items distributed to
disadvantaged families a day in one month. The program
to deliver 1 million social security packages in HCMC’s latest social
distance extension will be launched on August 19 as well. To prepare a
list of eligible people for the above support campaigns, police offers in
charge of each neighborhood call related people to verify necessary
information. Thai Duc Do, a landlord in District 1, shared that yesterday
morning, the police officer in his neighborhood contacted him to ask whether
his two tenants need help of essential commodities. He then checked with his
tenants and responded back that they are current working and can manage their
life, and that the packages should be saved for others in need. Sadly, in
certain places in HCMC, there still exist vulnerable people who have not
received any help from the three formal support campaigns of the municipal
authorities. At a rented
room in Quarter 4 of An Lac Ward in Binh Tan District, Huynh Bich Phung
confined that her husband is the bread winner of the family with an income of
VND6 million ($262) a month. This is enough for the rent, foodstuff for a
family of 3 children. Unfortunately, due to the latest Covid-19 outbreak, he
has lost his job, but still received no financial aid for 3 months already. Living in
the same neighborhood is the family of Nguyen Thi Kim Dung. Both she and her
husband cannot go out to work because of Directive 16. Even having a rent
discount of 50 percent, she still cannot manage enough money to pay her
landlord. Her name is written in the list for support package, but after 2
months, the money is nowhere to be seen. The
localities of Binh Tan District admitted that there are still cases of poor
people not having obtained financial aid from the government. In the former
support round, the district listed over 16,100 individuals and 19,000
laborers without contract. This turn, the district reviews and adds nearly
180,000 more cases that need urgent help. Other
districts also acknowledge that there are cases of poor people not satisfying
the requirements of the support package campaigns. Meanwhile, leaders of each
neighborhood have to endure pressure of complaints from poor people even
though they have already included the names of these people in the list. The
reason is that the packages distributed to each neighborhood are rather
limited. Associate
Prof. Dr. Le Thanh Sang, Head of the Southern Institute of Social Sciences,
commented that the authorities should total erase all requirements in
delivering support packages to the disadvantaged. Since the basic needs of
all people in HCMC at the moment are sufficient food, stable accommodation,
and health safety, the municipal authorities should provide them to all in
need, regardless of the accommodation status or job. This help must be
constant. The Standing
Committee of HCMC People’s Council yesterday asked that delegates must
monitor the distribution of social security packages in their neighborhoods.
When detecting a case of poor people with no help, these delegates must
promptly inform the localities to ensure no one is left hungry. Dr Huynh
Thanh Dien from Nguyen Tat Thanh University proposed that the authorities can
mobilize possible resources from the community to aid the poor to pay their
rent, electricity and water bills so that they stay safe through the
pandemic. A citizen
from District 3 suggested that the localities must become the leader to gather
relief items or charity funds from philanthropists and direct the
distribution process logically. In addition, the city should have a long-term
social security plan for at least six months with clear goals and operation
methods. Meanwhile,
the whole country is still continuously sending help to HCMC. The People’s
Committee of Hai Phong City has just decided to deliver VND2 million ($87)
for each needy family from Hai Phong City living in HCMC. The first money
delivery round is according to the list made on August 3. This list will be
gradually updated in the following rounds. People from
An Giang Province living in HCMC that need help can contact Tran Van Hao, the
General Secretary of the An Giang Province-men in HCMC, at the number
0849.478889. Vice Chairman
of the Committee for Vietnam Fatherland Front in Ca Mau Province Phan Mong
Thanh informed that the province is distributing help to needy individuals
from the province living in HCMC in three rounds. The first round is the
delivery of 12 tonnes of shrimp. The second supports 2,000 students with
VND500,000 ($22) each and rice, dried seafood. The third supports nearly
3,000 laborers with VND1 million ($44) each and rice, essential commodities. Other
provinces like Bac Lieu, Vinh Long, Ha Tinh are also going to deliver
financial aid and essential items to people from their own provinces coming
to live in HCMC. Besides
financial help, the provinces of Quang Tri, Quang Ngai, and Da Nang City have
organized many patrolled trips for people from their provinces wishing to
return to their hometown. The Catholic
Bishops’ Conference of Vietnam informed that so far, it has received VND60
billion ($2.6 million) from charity groups and benefactors. This is the
result of the campaign launched by Archbishop Joseph Nguyen Chi Linh,
President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Vietnam, to mobilize support
from all Catholics Vietnamese people, both domestic and overseas. Parishes,
religious orders, and Catholic charity groups all over the nation and in
other countries have sent money, foodstuff, medication, medical equipment,
and essential commodities to HCMC for distribution to the needy here,
regardless of religion. Source:
VNA/VNS/VOV/VIR/SGT/SGGP/Nhan Dan/Hanoitimes |
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