VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES AUGUST 5
10:03
HCM City asked to focus on treating serious COVID-19
cases
Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam has
asked Ho Chi Minh City to focus on treating COVID-19 patients in
critical conditions at present. Dam, who is also head of
the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control,
made the request during a working session with municipal leaders and
representatives from the Health Ministry on August 4. He asked for pooling the involvement
of more hospitals in treatment and ensuring sufficient medical supplies for
them. Secretary of the municipal Party
Committee Nguyen Van Nen also required local hospitals to tap its existing
infrastructure to treat COVID-19 patients. Vice Director of the municipal
Health Department Tang Chi Thuong said the department set up a task force to
offer remote advice and on-the-spot support to hospitals. Deputy Minister of Science and
Technology Bui The Duy shared experience in operating a medical support
network in District 7, saying that young doctors offered remote health
check-ups to identify cases in need of emergency care. He also suggested using different
resources to ease pressure on the medical sector. Concluding the event, Deputy Health
Minister Nguyen Truong Son said the city will direct hospitals to actively
purchase medical equipment and supplies for COVID-19 treatment via its
concentrated procurement mechanism. In the afternoon the same day,
Deputy PM Dam inspected Gia Dinh People’s Hospital and a vaccination area at
Vo Thi Sau secondary school in Binh Thanh district. Additional 3,943 COVID-19
cases take national count to over 181,000 Additional 3,943 COVID-19 cases were
logged in Vietnam over almost 12 hours to 6am on August 5, a drop of 326
cases compared to that of the previous day, according to the Ministry of
Health. The figure, including two imported
cases, raised the national count to 181,756. HCM City remains Vietnam’s largest
coronavirus hotspot with 2,349 cases, followed by neighbouring Binh Duong
(497) and Tay Ninh (235). There are also 189 cases in Long An,
169 in Tien Giang, 110 in Dong Na, 92 in Da Nang, 66 in Ba Ria – Vung Tau, 58
in Vinh Long, 35 in Binh Dinh, 32 in Dong Thap, 21 in An Giang, 20 in Soc
Trang, 17 in Phu Yen, 12 in Kien Giang, nine each in Dak Lak, Quang Binh, and
Tra Vinh, six in Bac Lieu, two in Lang Son, and one each in Thanh Hoa, Lam
Dong, Quang Tri and Ha Tinh. The number of cases since Vietnam
was hit by the fourth COVID-19 wave reached 177,855, including 51,558 given
the all-clear. The total recoveries stood at 54,322. Among the patients, 470 are under
care at ICUs and 21 are receiving ECMO support. On August 4, more 263,272 doses of
COVID-19 vaccines were administered across the country, taking the total
shots given so far to more than 7.55 million, with 778,986 people fully
vaccinated with two jabs. HCM City is the largest recipient of
COVID-19 vaccines from the Ministry of Health with over 4.07 million doses so
far. It was followed by Hanoi which has been supplied with more than 2.94
million shots. Haiphong to stop accepting
people from social distancing localities from August 5 From 0:00 on August 5, Haiphong city
will temporarily bar the entry of people from localities that are
implementing Directive No.16/CT-TTg. Accordingly, from 0:00 on August 5,
the city will temporarily suspend the reception of citizens, including
Haiphong citizens from provinces and cities that are implementing social
distancing according to Directive No.16/CT-TTg of the prime minister, except
for those authorised by Haiphong People's Committee. The committee said that recently,
many people from other localities where Directive 16 is being implemented
still enter Haiphong city, posing the risk of spreading the disease. In addition, the city agreed to
support Haiphong people staying in Ho Chi Minh City and facing difficulties
with VND2 million ($87) a household, taken from the city's funding to support
the COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control. Haiphong’s authorities will
coordinate with related agencies to compile a list of Haiphong people who are
facing difficulties. According to preliminary statistics
of Haiphong authorities, there are currently about 1,500 Haiphong people in
Ho Chi Minh City who are coping with difficult situations and needing support. Haiphong also installed more
checkpoints at the gateways to the city, tightening measures to control the
inflow of people and vehicles from other cities and provinces to implement
social distancing according to Directive 16. Hanoi ready for hi-speed
massive COVID-19 vaccination campaign Hanoi has been preparing personnel
and infrastructure system to become ready for a hi-speed massive COVID-19
vaccination campaign as soon as vaccines arrive in the capital city. Secretary of the municipal Party
Committee Dinh Tien Dung said that the city has got plans ready to receive
and inject vaccines in a timely and effective manner. To reach the capacity of
administering 200,000 vaccine doses per day, the city has set up fixed and
mobile vaccination facilities throughout the city with a total of 1,200
injection stations and 100 mobile emergency teams, said Dung. Hanoi currently has 704 vaccination
teams, while additional 496 others will be formed soon. The Hanoi Capital high
command has completed vaccine storages with a total capacity of keeping 1.5
million doses and medical supplies and solvents serving vaccination
activities./. VN wants US to accelerate
Pfizer vaccine delivery: Health minister Health minister Nguyễn Thanh Long
asked Mission Director for USAID Việt Nam Ann Marie Yastishock to speed up
the delivery of the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer to Việt Nam in a meeting
late Tuesday. Việt Nam has signed a deal for
a total of 31 million doses of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. It is also
preparing to finalise another deal for additional 20 million
doses to be delivered by the end of 2021. The majority of the doses,
however, up to 47 million, will only arrive in the last quarter of the year,
despite the country currently seeing a severe wave of infections and the
lockdown of major cities nationwide. Only about 1 million doses from this
deal have reached Việt Nam so far. During the talks, Long thanked the
US Government for their support – especially for the donation of 5
million doses of Moderna via COVAX. However, given the highly contagious
Delta variant, Việt Nam is suffering from a serious shortage of vaccines. The health minister asked the
US representative to work with Pfizer to help accelerate vaccination in Việt
Nam. For her part, the USAID Director
said the US had struck a deal with Pfizer to provide 500 million doses of
Pfizer to various developing countries between 2021 and 2022, and that USAID
in Việt Nam is working with the US Government to secure donations of the
vaccine. Long insisted that if possible, the
donation should come between August and September as Việt Nam’s situation is
currently grave amid vaccine supplies limited. The health minister also said he
wants the US to help with high flow ventilators to treat critical COVID-19
patients and ultracold storage equipment to keep mRNA vaccines like
Pfizer and Moderna at the correct temperature. According to USAID, in early
September, 77 ultra cold chain storages are expected to arrive in Việt Nam.
This was announced by the US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin during his
July visit. The same day, during the meeting
with US CDC representatives in Việt Nam, health minister Long also reiterated
his calls for the US to give priority to Việt Nam in terms of vaccine access
amid an overwhelmed healthcare system. The health ministry has been setting
up new intensive care centres in the southern region to deal with a large
number of seriously ill patients in the ongoing wave of infections, but Long
wants the US CDC to help with ventilators and medical supplies in order to
reduce deaths. Noting that Việt Nam’s vaccination
rate has increased rapidly, the US CDC representative said that this is an
important basis for the agency to mobilise other organisations to bring more
vaccines to Việt Nam. Minister Long also said he believed
that the vaccines delivered to Việt Nam will be administered “quickly and
effectively”. To date, Việt Nam has received some
19 million doses of vaccines, and more than 7.29 million doses have been
administered with about 744,330 people fully inoculated. Quang Ninh closes
non-essential activities due to Covid-19 fear The northern province of Quang Ninh
has decided to suspend many non-essential activities from 12 pm on Wednesday
for Covid-19 prevention. The province is among four
localities in Vietnam that have experienced more than 14 days without any new
Covid-19 infections. However, amid the country’s ongoing pandemic, Quang Ninh
wants to tighten preventive measures. The temporary closure is applied to
beaches, tourist sites; cultural, religious and artistic events; sports and
entertainment activities. Outdoor food and drink stalls are
allowed to offer takeaways; while indoor restaurants are permitted to serve
customers on the spot, but must have to install shields to ensure safe
distance among people. They are also encouraged for delivery services. Gatherings of more than five people
at one place at one time at public places such as parks, squares, streets and
beaches and other public places are banned. People from other localities are
requested to show their negative Covid-19 test conducted no more than 72
hours to be permitted to enter the province. People who come to the province
from localities that are applying social distancing measures in line with the
Government Directive 15 and 16 are sent to local paid quarantine sites for 14
days. Later, they have to continue quarantining themselves at home for seven
days. Drivers from other localities who
transport goods to the province are asked to have negative Covid-19 tests
within 72 hours. The quick testing method is
conducted at Covid-19 check-points of the province. The province prioritises vehicles
that transport necessities and those serving Covid-19 prevention and control
activities. Vehicles carrying workers of companies and factories are also in
the priority list. Over 3,000 doctors volunteer
to join COVID-19 fight in southern Vietnam As of July 31, Ho Chi Minh received
support from 44 centrally-run, city- and provincial-level hospitals with
2,521 doctors, nurses and technicians, and over 5,000 volunteers across the
country. NA Chairman Hue thanked the entire
medical staff, healthcare workers and volunteers for their great
contributions to not only fighting the pandemic but also treating patients
with other diseases. In order to curb the virus spread,
he asked Ho Chi Minh City and southern provinces to fully follow social
distancing rules, uphold the role of residents in residential areas,
considering it a decisive factor to fight the pandemic. He suggested consolidating the
treatment system, especially intensive care system, supplying more medical
equipment, focusing on treating patients in serious conditions to minimise
deaths, rolling out vaccinations in the quickest manner, and caring for
people’s health. The top legislator underscored the
importance of continuing to strengthen the social welfare system, caring for
people’s lives, ensuring the supply of food and necessities to people,
further reinforcing political security, ensuring social safety and order, and
better performing information and communications work. The Health Minister was assigned to
propose more support policies for frontline staff and ensure health safety
for them. At the event, the VFF Central
Committee donated over VND8.5 billion (US$369,000) raised by itself to
support medical staff there. Blood donation campaign
launched in HCM City amidst shortages due to COVID-19 A blood donation campaign was
launched in Ho Chi Minh City on August 4 to supplement for the blood banks of
nearly 150 hospitals in the city. Nearly 100 people came to
Continental Hotel in District 1 to donate their blood, despite complex
developments of the COVID-19 pandemic in the city, which is Vietnam’s current
largest COVID-19 hotspot. Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s
Committee Duong Anh Duc, who also donated his blood this time, said that the
city will create the best conditions for donators. The blood donation events must be
organised in accordance with pandemic prevention and control regulations,
especially the Health Ministry’s 5K message - khau trang (face mask), khu
khuan (disinfection), khoang cach (distance), khong tu tap (no gathering),
and khai bao y te (health declaration). Regarding the current blood reserve
in the city, Dr. Phu Chi Dung, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital of
Hematology and Blood Transfusion, said that the application of social
distancing measures in the past two weeks has made most of the blood donation
activities cancelled, leading to a decrease in blood reserves at the blood
banks. The blood reserve is decreasing and
is expected to reach an alarming threshold, below 3,000 blood units, in the
next seven days. Deputy PM inspects COVID-19
prevention, control in Hanoi Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam
inspected COVID-19 prevention and control work in Hanoi on August 4. During a working session with the
municipal Command for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, Dam said as
the highest-risk area, Hanoi has so far put the pandemic under control,
which is attributable to efforts of the entire political system and people. He noted that as the pandemic
remains complicated with the rapid and dangerous spread of the new variant,
Hanoi needs to take more drastic actions, collect public feedback and closely
monitor activities during social distancing period. Quickly tracing down infections, and
especially protecting pandemic-free areas are key to success, he said. As COVID-19 testing is
especially important, deciding on the success of the work, Dam urged the city
to review and enhance its testing capacity, as well as pool the involvement
of private hospitals in the effort. Hanoi needs to fully tap its
existing infrastructure to fight the pandemic, he stated. Chairman of the municipal People’s
Committee Chu Ngoc Anh affirmed that the city will roll out vaccinations for
residents after receiving vaccines. The same day, Dam inspected a
vaccination area at the headquarters of FPT Group in Cau Giay district. As
scheduled, 5,000 shots are being administered there within a week, starting
from July 31./. HCM City starts sixth phase
of COVID-19 vaccination drive HCM City plans
to provide vaccinations to 70 per cent of residents aged
18 and over in the sixth vaccination phase, the vice
chairman of the city’s People Committee, Dương Anh Đức, said at a press
conference on Tuesday. The sixth phase of the vaccination
drive, which began on Tuesday, will take place until the
end of this month. The city has asked the
Government to allocate more than five million doses of vaccines for the sixth
phase. The city has deployed 1,200
vaccination teams. If each unit delivers 250 injections per day, the
city will reach the target of 300,000 shots a day, according to
Đức. According to the plan, 800,000
individuals will get the second shot of the AstraZeneca vaccine,
and 200,000 people will receive the second shot of the Moderna vaccine
by the end of this month. The city, which has 6,966,626
residents aged 18 and older, needs 13.8 million vaccine shots to
vaccinate 99 per cent of this group. In the fifth phase of the city's
COVID-19 vaccination programme from July 22 to August 3, as many
as 920,329 doses of vaccines, including AstraZeneca, Moderna and Pfizer,
were administered to residents. About 1,039 people had mild allergic
reactions after the vaccination and received immediate medical
treatment. The city has received 2.5 million
doses of vaccines. About two million people have been vaccinated with one
jab, and 70,000 people have received two shots. Since late April when the fourth
wave began, there have been 161,482 locally transmitted cases in 62
provinces and cities, with HCM City accounting for more than 100,000 cases. More than 6.2 million vaccine doses
have been administered across the nation since inoculation began on March 8,
with 712,860 people fully vaccinated. U.S. pledges to provide
additional US$500,000 to COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund U.S. Secretary of State Antony
Blinken pledged that the U.S. will provide additional US$500,000 to COVID-19
ASEAN Response Fund while he was addressing the ASEAN-U.S. Ministerial
Meeting held virtually on Wednesday. Foreign Minister from ASEAN member
States and the U.S. to the ASEAN-U.S. Ministerial Meeting held digitally on
August 4, 2021 Earlier, the U.S. contributed US$160
million to the fund which was established last March to address both the
immediate needs and long-term goals of the ASEAN member states arising from
the pandemic. Blinken affirmed President Joe
Biden’s Administration commits to continue pushing for multilateral
cooperation in COVID-19 response and expanding production capacity to ensure
sufficient supply of safe vaccines. On behalf of ASEAN, Lao’s Foreign
Minister Saleumxay Kommasith, who is co-coordinator of the ASEAN-U.S.
relations, welcomed the U.S.’ expression to fortify cooperation with ASEAN
and the region, uphold multilateral cooperation, and support ASEAN countries
to further enhance their health care capacity. Kommasith spoke highly of the U.S.’
move to temporarily lift patent protections on Coronavirus vaccines. Foreign ministers to the meeting
welcomed positive advancements in the ASEAN-U.S. relations despite negative
impacts posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. has emerged to become the
second largest trade partner of ASEAN and one of the top investors in ASEAN
with US$34.7 billion. ASEAN and the U.S. agreed to
continue placing high priority on containing COVID-19 and fostering
sustainable recovery, with a focus on strengthening cooperation in trade,
investment, digital transformation, and energy. The bloc expects the U.S. would
continue assistance in research, development, production and distribution of
COVID-19 vaccines while the U.S. suggested the sides enhance cooperation in
energy, transport, women empowerment , and climate change adaption among
others, in a bid to contribute to sustainable recovery. Given complicated developments and
newly emerged challenges in the region and the world, both sides affirmed
that they work closely together to contribute to peace, security, and
stability in the region, including maritime security and safety in the East Sea. The U.S. reiterated support for
ASEAN’s principled positions on the East Sea issue and welcomed ASEAN’s
greater role in accelerating cooperation, dialogue and trust building in the
region, and in ensuring full and effective implementation of the Declaration
on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and conclusion of an
effective and efficient Code of Conduct in the East Sea in line with the 1982
UN Convention on the Law off the Sea, in which rights and legitimate
interests of relevant parties are respected. Blinken welcomed ASEAN’s role and
efforts to step up dialogue and reconciliation in as well as support for
Myanmar in order to seek solutions to stabilize the situation in Myanmar,
voicing support for ASEAN to successfully realize the five-point consensus
reached by the bloc’s leaders at their summit on April 24, 2021./. New vaccination centre opens
in Lâm Đồng Province The Việt Nam Vaccination Joint Stock
Company has set up a vaccination centre on National Route No 20 in Central
Highlands Lâm Đồng Province’s Đức Trọng District. It is its 57th centre. According to Phạm Ngọc Khoa Nguyên,
director of the centre, it is the first such large centre in the
province, and can handle 500-1,000 people a day. It helps save people the effort and
cost of travelling to Đà Lạt City for shots. It also targets vaccinating ethnic
people living in remote areas. In the mountainous terrain, which
hampers travel, especially in remote areas where many ethnic minorities live,
the centre is expected to help prevent certain infectious diseases. With its good storage practice (GSP)
standard vaccine warehouse, the centre can store many vaccines in large
quantities. Nguyên said all the vaccines are
genuine and imported from leading corporations in the country and world. HCMC collects 78 tons of
Covid-related waste each day Some 1,500 tons of Covid-19-related
waste was discharged in HCMC between July 9 and 28, equivalent to some 78
tons each day, according to statistics from the municipal Department of
Natural Resources and Environment. The city has assigned four waste
treatment firms to collect the waste from 280 quarantine facilities and field
hospitals, using 95 garbage trucks. As many as 417 employees have been
joining the medical waste treatment operations each day. The Covid-related waste is collected
each day and taken to the area for hazardous waste for incineration, the
local media reported. The Ministry of Natural Resources
and Environment had earlier given the green light to the municipal
department’s proposal to add three firms to the list of units in charge of
treating Covid-related waste in the city. The three firms are Moc An Chau
Logistics Corporation, which has two industrial waste incinerators with a
daily capacity of 1,000 kilograms each; Green Saigon Company with two waste
incinerators and Tam Sinh Nghia Investment Development JSC, which has 14
solid waste incinerators. The Moc An Chau Logistics
Corporation and Green Saigon Company have started to collect and treat
Covid-related waste in the city, with a daily capacity of some 10 tons each,
joining hands with the HCMC Urban Environment Co. and the Vietnam Australia
Environment JSC in medical waste treatment operations. India urged to continue
support for ASEAN in vaccine supply, innovation Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son urged
India to continue its prompt and stable vaccine supply for ASEAN member
states at the ASEAN – India foreign ministers’ meeting held on August 4 as
part of the 54th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM-54) and related
meetings. In his speech at the event, Son
considered India a close neighbour and long-term partner of the bloc and
encouraged the nation to assist ASEAN countries in applying IT and innovation
advances in contribution to efforts toward recovery and growth. ASEAN hopes to work closely with
India to facilitate trade and investment and sustain the regional supply
chain, the diplomat said. Highly evaluating India’s support
for ASEAN’s stance on the East Sea issue, he asked the country to back the
bloc’s efforts in making the sea an area of peace, stability, cooperation,
security, safety, and environmental friendliness. At the meeting, ASEAN nations
praised India’s contribution of 1 million USD to the COVID-19 ASEAN Response
Fund and wished to strengthen cooperation with India in stepping up efforts
for comprehensive and sustainable recovery in the region. They lauded India’s proposal for
making 2022 a year of ASEAN – India friendship to mark important development
milestones in their relations, including the 30th anniversary of their dialogue
relations and the 10th anniversary of strategic partnership. India affirmed its support for
ASEAN’s role and efforts in boosting dialogue and reconciliation in Myanmar
and support for the country. Both sides highlighted their mutual
assistance in responding to COVID-19, minimising its negative impacts, and
fostering recovery. They agreed to maintain and step up
cooperation via the effective implementation of the ASEAN – India Plan of
Action for 2021-2025. They said they will prioritise promoting trade, investment,
connectivity, marine collaboration, blue economy, science and technology,
innovation, digital transformation, natural disaster prevention, climate
change response, and narrowing development gap, among other matters. ASEAN and India stated they will
work closely together to contribute to efforts made for sustaining peace,
security, and stability in the region, including maritime security and safety
in the East Sea. India affirmed its support for
ASEAN's principle stance on the East Sea, backing the bloc’s promotion of its
role in fostering dialogue, building trust, and ensuring the full and
effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the
East Sea (DOC) toward building an efficient and effective Code of Conduct in
the East Sea (COC) in accordance with international law and the 1982 United
Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The sides agreed to jointly compile
cooperation documents within the framework of the ASEAN Outlook on the
Indo-Pacific (AOIP). At the end of the meeting, Thailand
transferred the role of coordinator of the ASEAN – India relations to
Singapore. NA Chairman meets medical
staff supporting southern localities National Assembly
Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue chaired a meeting in Hanoi on August 4 with
medical staff from centrally-run hospitals supporting southern
cities and provinces in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic. At the event, President of the
Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Do Van Chien said about 3,000
doctors and healthcare workers from 22 centrally-run hospitals are
preparing to travel to Ho Chi Minh City and southern provinces to help with
the effort. As of July 31, Ho Chi Minh received
support from 44 centrally-run, city- and provincial-level hospitals with
2,521 doctors, nurses and technicians, and over 5,000 volunteers across the
country. NA Chairman Hue thanked the entire
medical staff, healthcare workers and volunteers for their great
contributions to not only fighting the pandemic but also treating patients
with other diseases. In order to curb the virus spread,
he asked Ho Chi Minh City and southern provinces to fully follow social
distancing rules, uphold the role of residents in residential areas,
considering it a decisive factor to fight the pandemic. He suggested consolidating the
treatment system, especially intensive care system, supplying more medical
equipment, focusing on treating patients in serious conditions to minimise
deaths, rolling out vaccinations in the quickest manner, and caring for
people’s health. The top legislator underscored the
importance of continuing to strengthen the social welfare system, caring for
people’s lives, ensuring the supply of food and necessities to people,
further reinforcing political security, ensuring social safety and order, and
better performing information and communications work. The Health Minister was assigned to
propose more support policies for frontline staff and ensure health safety
for them. At the event, the VFF Central
Committee donated over 8.5 billion VND (369,000 USD) raised by itself to
support medical staff there. HCMC converts passenger
coaches into ones transporting Covid-19 patients The HCMC Department of Health is
collaborating with the HCMC Department of Transport and FUTA Bus Lines to
convert 15 passenger coaches into vehicles transporting Covid-19 patients,
due to shortages of ambulances. This is also aimed at helping to
transport patients to treatment facilities quickly amid the rising number of
Covid cases, the local media reported. These vehicles will be equipped with
the necessary medical equipment such as stretchers, masks, oxygen masks and a
plastic divider curtain placed between the driver’s compartment and the other
for patients. Besides, the drivers will be vaccinated against Covid. The municipal Heath Department asked
the districts and Thu Duc City to set up a hotline for patient transport and
publicize it among residents. In addition, the hotlines must be operational
round the clock. The vehicles were told to
proactively transport severely-ill patients to the nearest hospitals and
contact a hospital transfer team on 0989401155 for support. As of this morning, HCMC, the
country’s biggest coronavirus hotbed, had reported 100,557 Covid-19 cases in
the fourth wave of the disease, which began in late April. Online painting exhibition
cum charity auction helps people affected by Covid-19 An online painting exhibition cum
charity auction raising funds for disadvantaged people who are affected by
Covid-19 outbreak in HCMC has been organized from now until August 15. The event called “Forever green life
tree” organized by painter Ngo Tran Vu and his friends who are members of the
Vietnam Art Space is opened on the Facebook pages, “All about art and
artists” and “Vietnam art space” groups and the Facebook page of painter Ngo
Tran Vu. More than 60 painters throughout the
country have sent their artworks to the display, such as Le Trieu Dien, Nguy
Dinh Ha, Nguyen Manh Hung, Binh nhi, Nguyen Quoc Thang, Ha Hung Dung and
others. 50 to 100 percent of the proceeds from
the sale of painting will be donated to the fund to help needy people. As of
present, the fund has collected over VND500 million (US$21,805). The Vietnam Art Space group
previously held a similar event raising more than VND400 million for charity
groups in HCMC. Vietnam welcomes development
of ASEAN-Australia ties Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui
Thanh Son attended the virtual ASEAN Post Ministerial Conference with
Australia on August 4 as part of the 54th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting
and related meetings. Minister Son welcomed the
ASEAN-Australia strategic partnership’s new development stage with the
official organisation of their annual summit from this year. At the meeting, ASEAN proposed that
Australia continue to effectively cooperate with the association in
prioritised areas such as terrorism and trans-national crime combat, education,
and climate change. The two sides pledged to continue
working closely to contribute to peace and stability in the region, including
security and stability in the East Sea – a major maritime route of the world. Concluding the event, Malaysia handed
over the role of coordinator of the ASEAN-Australia relations in
the 2021-2024 to Laos. Overcoming war consequences
significant to Vietnam-US relations: Ambassador Vietnamese Ambassador to the United
States Ha Kim Ngoc has underscored the importance of overcoming
the consequences of war, especially the search for Vietnamese soldiers
who died or missing in the war, to the process of reconciliation and healing
war wounds between the US and Vietnam, thus promoting the comprehensive
development of Vietnam - US relations. He made the statement at a debate in
the framework of a webinar on “Overcoming the consequences of war, moving
forward together" which was organised by the United States Institute of
Peace (USIP) on August 3. The ambassador said he hopes the US
Government, Congress, veterans' organisations, the press, and the American
people will continue to pay attention to and support of cooperation in
settling war aftermaths in Vietnam in general and searching for
Vietnamese soldiers missing in action (VMIA) in particular. He suggested relevant US agencies,
especially the US Agency for International Development (USAID), spend more
resources on building a high-tech centre in the country to assist with the
identification of VMIAs. The ambassador took the occasion to
thank the US Government for providing vaccines to Vietnam. He affirmed that
the US' provision of vaccines, medical equipment, and medicines to help
Vietnam combat the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates the friendship and
comprehensive partnership between the two countries. Addressing the webinar, US
Senator Patrick Leahy said during the visit to Vietnam by US Secretary of
Defense Lloyd Austin on July 29, the two sides signed a Memorandum of
Understanding on gathering and searching for remains of Vietnamese soldiers
missing in the war, adding that it opened up a new chapter in the cooperation
in overcoming war aftermaths between the two countries. He said the VMIA project, launched
by the USIP at the start of the webinar, reflects the US's wish to respond to
the good will of the Vietnamese Government and people in helping the US
search for its missing in action soldiers over the past more than 40 years. During a talk to the press within
the framework of the event, Ambassador Ngoc said there are three factors for
the two sides to make substantive progress in cooperation in overcoming the
consequences of war. The first factor is the consistent,
long-term, and effective cooperation of the Government and people of Vietnam
to help the US search for the remains of American soldiers missing during the
war in Vietnam. The second one is the development of the relationship
between Vietnam and the US over the past 26 years since the normalisation of
relations. And the last one is the efforts of Senators Patrick Leahy, Tim
Riser, and American and Vietnamese officials and friends. Tim Rieser said the webinar
contributed to promoting the search for Vietnamese soldiers missing in the
war, and also to raising the awareness and interest of people in the US,
especially the young generation, about their responsibility to contribute to
dealing with the consequences of war and further promoting the comprehensive
partnership between the two countries. Binh Duong to pilot home
quarantine for asymptomatic Covid-19 patients The People’s Committee of Binh Duong
Province yesterday approved the policy of piloting home quarantine for
asymptomatic novel coronavirus cases and assigned the Department of Health to
issue detailed guidance about the specific conditions, subjects, process to implement
the plan. The self-isolation will be applied
for Covid-19 patients who are under treatment at medical facilities, Covid-19
cases and close contacts with coronavirus infectious patients without
symptoms. As for close contacts with Covid-19
cases who have fully performed seven-day isolation, if the test results in
the first and seventh days under the PCR method are negative, they will be
considered to self-isolate at home in the next seven days and shall carry out
sample test again in the fourteenth day following the health sector. According to a report of the
Provincial Department of Health of Binh Duong, from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. on
August 2, the whole province recorded 453 more coronavirus cases, bringing
the total infectious cases to 949 ones, a reduction of 1,230 cases compared
to August 1. Since the fourth Covid-19 pandemic
wave, there have been 17,807 coronavirus infectious cases in the Southeastern
province, of which 1,792 have been recovered from the disease and 94 people
have died due to Covid-19. Vietnamese fashion designer
becomes ambassador for Italian cuisine After being conferred the honorific
title of Knight of the Order of Star of Italy by the Italian government, Le
Thi Quynh Trang or Trang Le, chairwoman of Vietnam International Fashion Week
and President of the Council of ASEAN Fashion Designers was proposed to
become an ambassador for Italian cuisine in the “True Italian Taste 2021”
program. The Italian Chamber of Commerce in
Vietnam (ICHAM) and the Embassy of Italy will jointly organize “True Italian
Taste 2021” program, first launched by the Italian Government in 2018 in 40
countries and territories, aiming to promote Italian cuisine and consumption
of products. So far, the program has collaborated
with 36 Italian Chambers of Commerce in 23 countries in the Americas, Europe,
Asia and Australia. Not only cooperating in the fashion
field with Italy, Ms. Trang Le has collaborated with the Italian Chamber of
Commerce to organize a successful Italian-style Food Week. She said: “I feel honored to be
invited to this position by the Italian Ambassador. For me, Italy is not only
the cradle of human culture and civilization, but also a country of countless
delicate beauties, from fashion, architecture to cuisine. I have had the
opportunity to set foot in this country many times, very interested in
Italian dishes. Hopefully, my love and culinary knowledge will help me better
promote Italian cuisine to Vietnamese people in the near future.” President of the Italian Chamber of
Commerce in Vietnam Michele D'Ercole said that he had cooperated with Ms.
Trang Le through series of the Consul General of Italy in Vietnam’s
activities finding that she was fully engaged for this position. “We fully
believe and hope Ms. Trang Le better promote the True Italian Taste 2021
project in the near future,” said Mr. Michele D’Ercole. Prior, the chairwoman was appointed
Honorary Ambassador of Eurosphere. Quang Binh safely removes
wartime bomb  Relevant forces in the central
province of Quang Binh have safely removed an unexploded bomb left from the
war from a densely populated area in Ly Trach commune, Bo Trach
district. According to the commune's People's
Committee, local residents discovered the bomb while working in their garden
on July 30. The MK82 bomb, weighing more than 200kg, was found 1.2m under the
ground. The provincial Military Command
coordinated with the MAG Mine Clearance Team and related units to move the
bomb to a safe area for detonation. According to the Ministry of Labour,
Invalids and Social Affairs, Vietnam is one of countries most
contaminated with unexploded ordnances (UXOs). It is estimated that about 800,000
tonnes of UXOs were left across the country after the war ended in 1975,
mostly in the central region. Some 6.13 million hectares of land are polluted
with or suspected of being polluted with UXOs, accounting for 18.82
percent of the country’s total area. Since 1975, UXO incidents have
killed more than 40,000 people and injured 60,000 others, most of whom were
breadwinners of their families or children./. Earth Overshoot Day 2021
calls for good-enough life Many Vietnamese celebrities, travel
blogger, popular Youtuber and TikToker stars join the Earth Overshoot Day
2021 to call for environmental protection activities, the good-enough life to
reduce the human impacts on the planet. Miss Universe Vietnam 2017, H'Hen
Nie, singers Dong Nhi, actor Jun Pham, dancer Quang Dang and more have shared
information of the event and sent calls to their fans on their pages,
channels and social platforms. Earth Overshoot Day marks the date
when humanity’s demand for ecological resources and services in a given year
exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that year. Soc Trang General Hospital
put in quarantine as 14 coronavirus cases reported The entire Soc Trang Provincial
General Hospital in Soc Trang Province was placed under quarantine for 14
days starting at 5 p.m. yesterday, August 2, as 14 Covid-19 infections were
detected at the hospital. The Mekong Delta province yesterday
afternoon reported 26 new cases, including 14 cases at the hospital, five
cases having direct contact with previously confirmed cases, five cases
returning from virus-hit Long An, Binh Duong and HCMC and two cases in a
locked down area, according to the provincial Department of Health. Tran Van Lau, chairman of the
provincial government, asked the Health Department to issue guidelines for
the hospital to map out a quarantine plan and take measures to ensure safety
while receiving patients in need of emergency treatment, kidney dialysis and Covid-19
PCR tests. The chairman also tasked the
provincial government, the Police Department, the Military Command, and the
relevant agencies with supporting the hospital during the quarantine period. By this morning, Soc Trang reported
33 fresh cases, raising the province’s total number of locally-infected cases
in the current fourth coronavirus wave since April 27 to 207. Hoa Lo Prison launches
exclusive radio channel on Spotify to lure younger audience Hỏa Lò Prison historical relic site
in Hà Nội has launched an exclusive radio channel on Spotify to help
audiences learn more about history in an easier and more interesting way. According to the prison relic's
Management Board (MB), the channel opened after a period of careful
deliberation with the goal of bringing history closer to the public through
social networks. Spotify is an online music, podcast
and video streaming platform. It hosts music and other content from artists
around the world and gets millions of hits every day. The prison relic site broadcast
channel includes podcasts that are produced by an experienced, skillful, and
creative team with a lot of passion and love for the historical site, the MB
said. The radio channel aims to create
excitement within the community, particularly among young people. Currently,
the prison relic Facebook fan page has more than 60,000 likes with regular
posts on the social network. This is the first time that a media
channel about Vietnamese history has attracted the attention of so many young
people, according to a report from the MB. The board said the exclusive
appearance on Spotify is a spectacular breakthrough in the preservation work
and that it will attract younger generations and help them learn more about
the country's history. Moreover, it said, as the COVID-19
pandemic becomes more intense, people are advised to limit going out. The MB
said those staying home will be able to improve their historical knowledge
while ensuring their safety, as well as alleviate their boredom. "I think the prison relic site’s
channel on the Spotify platform is an interesting use of digital technology
in historical preservation. It helps spread to all audiences the images and
stories of prisoners, in particular, and Vietnamese history in general,
including those who cannot directly go to this site," said Ngọc Tiến, a
student from the Việt Đức High School in Hà Nội. This is a remarkable development to
integrate into the digital era, bringing a part of Việt Nam's history closer
to the public, the young Hanoian added. Hỏa Lò Prison was constructed
between 1886 and 1901 and named Maison Centrale. It was considered one of the
three most savage prisons in Việt Nam, along with Côn Đảo and Sơn La prisons. Hỏa Lò was designed to hold around
500 prisoners; however, by the 1930s, the number of prisoners had soared to
approximately 2,000. Most of them were political prisoners. Later, between 1964 and 1973, the
prison was used to house hundreds of American pilots who were shot down
during bombing raids against North Việt Nam, including John McCain,
former US Presidential candidate, and Douglas Peter Peterson, who later
became the first US ambassador to Việt Nam. In 1993 the government retained part
of Hỏa Lò Prison to transform it into the historic site. Hỏa Lò Prison, which used has also
gone by the monikers "Hell on Earth"; "The School for
Patriots” and the “Hanoi Hilton”, is a historical site located at 1 Hỏa Lò
Street, in the centre of Hà Nội. The prison gained notoriety as a
French prison for political prisoners. There is a memorial monument
dedicated to the Vietnamese patriots and revolutionary fighters who were
interned at the prison. This is also a “Red Address” for
educating Vietnamese people from all walks of life, especially the younger
generations, on the patriotic and revolutionary traditions of those who
sacrificed for the sake of the nation’s independence and freedom. Đắk Nông youth union rallies
to support deliveries of essentials to locked down residents ple in the Tây Nguyên (the Central
Highlands) province of Đắk Nông are familiar with the image of young people
in blue shirts standing side by side with medical teams ready to participate
in activities to assist in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. These are
Đắk Nông’s young volunteers. When Đắk Nông entered social
distancing restrictions, the Youth Union of Nghĩa Tân Ward swung into action
establishing a team of "Volunteer Blue Shirt Shippers". Their role
was to help with shopping for food and delivering it to people living in
isolated areas. Lâm Thị Thùy, 32, immediately signed
up to become a volunteer shipper. She says that the team's work starts
early in the morning. With portable speakers, families in locked-down areas
are advised to compile lists of goods they need. Then at 5pm team members
gather the information, go and buy the supplies, and deliver them. "There are freelance workers
living in cheap rental houses. Because of the pandemic they are out of work
with no income and they don't have money to buy food," Thùy said. "Sometimes we have to spend our
own money to buy them supplies or mobilise other resources from local people
to support them." Trương Công Định, living in a
lockdown area in Nghĩa Tân Ward said that these volunteers are very
enthusiastic. “Every day when our family needs to
buy something, we just write a message and send it to them for help so that
we still have food and essentials during quarantine." Hà Thị Dương, Secretary of the Youth
Union of Nghĩa Tân Ward, said the 20-member team was set up very quickly.
They were divided into two-member groups that could support 300 families
each. “Most of the volunteers on the team
are female, and have small children.” "They lend a hand in the
community with the spirit of the whole country to fight against the pandemic.
Everyone enthusiastically participates.” “If we just contribute a little bit
more to the community, we are happy," said Dương. The local Youth Union also called on
donors to provide food and rice and to organise free kitchens for people in
need and the functional forces at anti-pandemic checkpoints. This work has proved popular.
Notably, in Đắk R'lap District which borders the southeast provinces - an
area with very high rates of infection - 350 volunteers registered to work. Nguyễn Phi Long, 26, from Gia Nghĩa
City, said that when he heard that the Đắk Nông Provincial Youth Union had
called on volunteers, he signed immediately. "Our missions are to assist
people in making medical declarations and checking test papers,” he said. “I cannot stay out of the fight
against the COVID-19 enemy, because more than ever, each union member and
youth must come together with the Party, State and the whole country to fight
the pandemic together.” Trương Văn Bình, Deputy Secretary of
Đắk Nông Provincial Youth Union, said as many as 71 volunteer youth teams
with nearly 800 members had been set up, with free kitchens providing more
than 1,000 meals for needy children. They had also distributed 100,000
medical masks and 50,000 bottles of antiseptic. The district's young people have
launched programmes called "Sharing love - joining hands to overcome the
pandemic" and "Meaningful journey" which call on donations of
vegetables and fruits from local residents. Bình said that the volunteers were
equipped with full protective equipment to ensure the health-safety
regulation from the Ministry of Health and must be isolated safely. "We have proposed to the
provincial Department of Health the priority vaccination against COVID-19 for
cases of reinforcements at pandemic check-points and the rapid response
teams”. Off-season fruits prove
lucrative for Mekong Delta farmers Farmers in the Cửu Long (Mekong)
Delta are increasingly growing fruits out of season and more
efficiently. In 2013 the Ministry of Agriculture
and Rural Development had unveiled plans for growing five key fruits - dragon
fruit, mango, rambutan, durian, and longan – during their off-season in the
delta’s 12 provinces and Cần Thơ City and the south - central province of
Bình Thuận, the country’s largest dragon fruit grower. This is meant to help avoid
oversupply during the regular season, thus ensuring prices never fall too
low. Lê Thanh Tùng, deputy head of the
ministry’s plant cultivation department, said the delta and Bình Thuận grow
the five fruits off-season on up to 73,800ha of their 132,200ha under them. Of the 73,800ha, dragon fruit
accounts for 45,100ha, durian for 6,300ha, mango for 11,200ha, rambutan for
3,100ha, and longan for 8,100ha. This accounts for about 51 per cent of
their total output. The off-season fruits have 1.5 – 2
times higher economic efficiency than seasonal ones, according to the
ministry. In recent years more and more
farmers are adopting good agricultural practices (GAP) standards to grow
fruits out of season. For instance, during the main season
durian is sold at orchards at VNĐ35,000 – 40,000 (US$1.5 – 1.7) per
kilogramme while off-season fruits fetch VNĐ60,000 ($2.6). Durian is one of the delta’s key
fruits, and has seen high prices and demand in recent years. Tiền Giang Province, the delta’s
largest fruit producer, has more than 130,000ha under durian with an average
yield of 25 tonnes per year. Đào Ngọc Thoại, who owns a 1ha
orchard in Cai Lậy District, said during the off-season the fruit fetches 1.7
times the main-season income. He has been harvesting around 20
tonnes during the former each year, earning profits of more than VNĐ1 billion
($43,400), he said. Production efficiency To improve efficiency, research
institutes, universities and relevant agencies have transferred techniques
for growing fruits during the off-season to farmers, the ministry said. The Southern Fruit Research
Institute would continue to do research, it said. The ministry has instructed
provinces producing off-season fruits to help farmers develop links with
companies to secure outlets for their output. In the delta, Đồng Tháp and Vĩnh
Long provinces and a part of Long An and Tiền Giang provinces grow dragon
fruit, durian, rambutan, and longan during the off-season. The ministry said the provinces of
Bến Tre and Trà Vinh and a part of Vĩnh Long, Tiền Giang and Long An
provinces should ensure there is sufficient irrigation water for fruits this
year and to address problems like drought and saltwater intrusion into water
bodies. In the 2020-21 dry season, which
usually lasts between last December and April, farmers took several measures
to mitigate the impacts of saltwater intrusion on fruit cultivation like
storing water in ponds, using rice straws, leaves and plastic sheets to cover
tree roots to reduce water evaporation. They also increased the use of organic
fertilisers, lime and bio-products to tend trees, pruned branches, discarded
a part of the flowers and young fruits their trees produced to enhance their
ability to resist drought and saltwater. In Tiền Giang, saltwater intrusion
caused little damage to durian trees as farmers took effective measures to
mitigate it, according to the province Department of Agriculture and Rural
Development. The province has also recovered
nearly 1,000ha of durian plants and replanted nearly 2,000ha that were
damaged by drought and saltwater in 2019 – 20. During that dry season nearly
4,500ha of orchards were severely damaged, with 3,500ha being a write-off. The delta, the country’s largest
fruit producer, gradually increased its total area under fruits from
287,300ha in 2010 to 377,700ha last year, or 33.3 per cent of the country’s
total, according to the ministry. The increase focused on dragon
fruit, durian, pineapple, mango, grapefruit, banana, rambutan, jackfruit, and
orange. Migrant workers unable to
return home find support from local communities A number of migrant workers who are
unemployed due to social distancing measures, but can not go back to their
hometowns, are struggling with their lives in the capital. All people living in Hà Nội have
been ordered not to leave the city as local authorities have tightened social
distancing rules amid soaring COVID-19 infection cases. Trần Thị Thoa, hailing from northern
Nam Định Province, a fruit vendor in Hà Nội, has been stranded in her 10sq.m
rented house in Ba Đình District for more than a week. Most of her neighbours who are
migrant workers hailing from different localities are in the same situation
as Thoa. “On normal days, besides selling
fruits, I also work as a part-time helper. I can save about VNĐ2 million to
VNĐ3 million per month after rent, food, electricity and water,” she told the
Vietnam News Agency. Now Thoa and her neighbours have
nothing to do but stay indoors and sometimes go out to clean the streets. Having no income these days, she
spends her savings on buying food which is normally only rice and boiled
vegetables. Thoa said “We always follow pandemic
prevention rules but to be honest, without jobs, we face many difficulties.” “We are lucky to receive sympathy
from neighbours and assistance from local authorities,” she said. “We feel more relieved and have more
motivation to overcome this difficult time.” Phạm Thị Diễm, vice chairwoman of Ba
Đình District People’s Committee, said local authorities had offered support
to many vulnerable people and labourers who are affected by the pandemic in
the area. Local authorities have helped people
in lockdown, the elderly and those living alone buy food and necessary items. About 300 meals have been
distributed each day to poor and unemployed people in the district at No 57
Nghĩa Dũng St, Ba Đình District. “Many wards in Ba Đình District have
presented hundreds of gifts worth VNĐ500,000 to VNĐ2 million each to
vulnerable groups. Rice, instant noodles, eggs, candy, biscuits and
vegetables have been given for free to poor households or those facing
difficulties during the pandemic,” Diễm said. “We hope poor households and
unemployed people can stay healthy and overcome this difficult time.” Bùi Thanh Xuân, chairman of Phúc Xá
Ward People’s Committee, said a lot of kind-hearted people have offered to
present gifts to poor migrant workers in the area. Local authorities will
arrange the times and venues for gifts to be handed over to ensure pandemic
prevention requirements are met. Nguyễn Lan Hương, president of the
Vietnam Fatherland Front chapter in Hà Nội, said in spite of production and
business difficulties, a lot of people and enterprise representatives have
made donations. The fight against COVID-19 will be
prolonged, she said, calling on individuals, businesses and organisations to
continue to make donations including cash, materials, and other items or even
to simply lend a hand to needy people. According to the city Department of
Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, the authorities have provided more than
VNĐ54 billion to employers and employees hit by COVID-19. The department has proposed that the
municipal People’s Committee develop a supportive package for poor
households. More than 3,000 households are
expected to receive the assistance of at least VNĐ1 million each. 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. Capital warned about outbreak
of H5N8 avian flu strain Hanoi culled a total of 2,528 fowls
throughout July after two separate outbreaks of the A/H5N8 bird flu were
detected in the capital's Ba Vi district, according to information provided
by the Hanoi Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary. Nguyen Ngoc Son, head of the Hanoi
Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department also warned about the high risk of
an outbreak of influenza A/H5N8 in Vietnam, particularly in Hanoi as the
capital currently has the largest total poultry herd nationwide at 38
million. In the face of the
situation, local people in affected areas have been urged to
intensify urgent preventive measures to combat the potential spread of the
avian flu. Earlier both the UN Food and
Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) in
Vietnam had issued a press release urging the Vietnamese Government and the
public to stay vigilance regarding the H5N8 human infection
following the detection of seven farm workers being infected with the
influenza A (H5N8) in a chicken farm in Russia. The infection was touched upon
in the first report by the two organizations on H5N8 poultry-to-human
infection, despite the virus having been circulating among poultry and wild
birds since 2016. All seven human cases were asymptomatic and to date there
is no evidence to suggest that severe human infections or human-to-human
transmission of this virus has ever occurred, it said. In the report, Dr. Satoko Otsu,
Team Lead of the WHO Health Emergency Programme in Vietnam also warned
of vigilance against the avian flu in spite of lower risk of this
strain in the country. The bird flu infections in humans
are largely associated with direct contact that people have with either
infected live or dead poultry. Fine arts joins hands with
the community to fight the epidemic While the country is devoting all
its resources to prevent and control the COVID-19 epidemic, painters and
sculptors have made great contributions to the fight against the pandemic
through exciting and effective online exhibitions and auctions. “Cay doi mai xanh” (Tree of
eternal life) is the name of the exhibition held by Gieo Gao (Sowing Rice)
Fund. It is expected to run until August 15 via the forums Vietnam Art Space
(VAS), All about Art and Artists (5A) and the personal facebook of painter
Ngo Tran Vu. The exhibition was shared widely by painters and fine arts
lovers. Its name was chosen as a tribute to a painting by artist Vu Muoi. As of August 2, the Fund has
received VND765 million converted into rice and essential food for 2,139
families living in difficult circumstances in Ho Chi Minh City. More than 60 painters such as Le
Tuong, Nguy Dinh Ha, Nguyen Manh Hung, Le Trieu dien, Binh Nhi, Nguyen Quoc
Thang, Dinh Ngoc Thang, Nguyen Hong Quang, Tran Cuong, Ha Hung Dung, Nguyen
Duc Huy and Dang Thi Thu An, have sent their beautiful paintings to the
exhibition, contributing to raising donations for the Fund. Over 100 artworks composed of
diverse materials, sizes and themes have the common feature of highlighting
an optimistic and bright spirit, praising the life’s beauty. In addition to
paintings, the exhibition introduces unique sculptures by painter cum artisan
Nguyen Tan Phat. Painter Ngo Tran Vu, a founding
member and operator of the Gieo Gao Fund, said: “Since July 9, the
exhibition has successfully auctioned 42 works. Thanks to funds from the sale
of fine arts works and other donations, we have maintained supports for at
least 100 poor families every day. Each donation includes 10 kg of rice and
enough food for the whole family for 7 days. The painters participating in
the exhibition contribute 50-100% of the sale prices of their works. The
paintings and sculptures had been carefully curated from the artists’ latest
collections. Another exhibition that is a
testament to the hearts of art enthusiasts to the community is “The Stories
of Rivers” by Song (Living) Foundation. It has significantly contributed to
the campaign “Be Strong Vietnam 24/7, with the two main objectives being
supporting the front line and donating essential supplies to people living in
difficult circumstances in epidemic-hit areas. Following four auctions on July 24,
25 and 31 and August 1, 17 art works had been sold, earning a total of VND469
million. Via digital platforms, the exhibition featured over 20 paintings by
both Vietnamese and international painters, most of whom were active
individuals in social work and environmental protection such as Le Dinh
Nguyen, Ton That Bang, Doan Hoang Lam, Nguyen Quoc Thai, Nguyen Van The, Pham
Binh Chuong, Ngo Binh Nhi, Phuong Binh, Nguyen The Hung, Nguyen Xuan Hoang, Pham
Thang, Trung Liem, former Greek Ambassador to Vietnam Nicolas D. Kanellos,
and Hadi Soesanto from Indonesia. Previously, an online auction and
exhibition themed “"Towards Saigon - Love Connection" was
successfully held by the Vietnam Art Space (VAS) from July 17-21, with 24/145
paintings sold. The organising board sent VND415 million collected from the
auctions to charity funds for buying food and essential supplies for poor
people in Ho Chi Minh City. Painter Tran Thao Hien, a member of
the VAS Management Board said of the criteria for the selection of works:
“Each painter submitted 3-7 paintings with the messages of love, happiness
and peace to the exhibition. The submissions ensured artistic conditions such
as colours, layouts and shapes as well as ease of hanging so that anyone who
loves art can buy them. Paintings that do not meet the requirements were
disqualified”. In addition, a group of painters
formed and operated by painter Vo Tran Chau from Ho Chi Minh has received
donations worth over VND1 billion from cultural and arts activities and the
sale of paintings. The group has helped people living in difficult
circumstances and medical staff on the front line. The group has also helped
single moms and poor families with little children. Painter Vo Tran Chau said due to
social distancing and blockades in many places, the packaging, transportation
and distribution of gifts has been facing many difficulties. However, all
members of the group have determined that the “fight” against the COVID-19
epidemic is still a long one and that help in the later stages is equally
urgent, so the group will strictly comply with all regulations on COVID-19
prevention and control and resume operations as soon as life returns to the
new normal. Despite his young age, young artist
Xeo Chu (real name Pho Van An, born in 2007) has organised successfully two
online auctions, contributing VND2.950 billion to the purchase of medical
supplies and equipment to Ho Chi Minh City Medicine and Pharmacy University
as well as food for doctors and nurses in Tam Anh General Hospital amidst the
epidemic. Painter Le Huy from Hanoi’s Lamphong
studio created a statue titled “Dien Bien Child – Vietnamese Child” inspired
from the image of a child from Dien Bien Province going to a quarantine area
in a baggy protective suit. He also sold over 130 art works to contribute to
the Song Foundation. Online art exhibitions and auctions
have been continuously taking place at different scales, aiming to support
the medical forces and people living in difficult circumstances. While many other artistic and
theatrical activities are "frozen" due to the epidemic, painters,
sculptors and graphic artists can still produce new works at home or in their
studios. Despite less visibility compared with direct displays, online
exhibitions have made a significant contribution to maintaining the creative
source of painters and artists and helping them show their sense of
responsibility to the society. In addition, these online exhibitions have
brought the arts to the people. If knowledge about painting and artists
increases, the demand for owning original paintings for decoration and
collection will also increase. According to an auctioneer, during
the past year and a half of COVID-19 epidemic, around 1,500 paintings have
been auctioned nationwide, contributing billions of Vietnamese dong to
epidemic prevention and control. These works have not only shown artistic
value but have also spread beautiful emotions and positive energy while
supporting the community and anti-epidemic forces. EAS FM Meeting stresses
stepping up global, regional cooperation in COVID-19 response Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son
attended the 11th East Asia Summit (EAS) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting via a
videoconference on August 4, as part of the 54th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’
Meeting and related meetings. Foreign Ministers of ASEAN member
states and EAS’s partner countries, including China, Japan, the Republic of
Korea, Australia, New Zealand, India, Russia and the US, and ASEAN Secretary
General attended the event. Countries agreed to work closely
together to actively realise results of the 15th EAS last year, especially
the Hanoi Declaration marking the EAS’s 15th founding anniversary. They highlighted the need to further
uphold the EAS's role and strategic value as well as improve its response to
complex and uncertain difficulties and challenges in the region and the
world. Amid the complicated developments of
COVID-19 pandemic, participants vowed to continue upholding multilateral
approach, step up regional and global cooperation in effectively coping with
the pandemic, and joining hands to promote comprehensive recovery towards
sustainable development. They vowed to complete the Manila
Plan of Action for the 2018-2022 period and devise a new plan for the next
period on the basis of priorities suitable with the new situation, making
positive contributions to recovery and growth efforts. EAS countries committed to assisting
ASEAN in improving the capacity of preventive medicine, vaccine research and
development, ensuring safe, effective and fair distribution of vaccines. ASEAN suggested EAS nations back the
ASEAN COVID-19 Response Fund, make contributions to the ASEAN Regional
Reserve of Medical Supplies for Public Health Emergencies and help the bloc
implement the Comprehensive Recovery Framework. Regarding the East Sea issue, they
emphasised the need for coordination to ensure peace, stability, security and
safety of navigation and aviation, build the waters into an area of peace,
friendship and cooperation, and the settlement of disputes via peaceful means
on the basis of international law, including the 1982 United Nations
Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The countries called on ASEAN and
China to fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of
Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and to build an effective and efficient Code
of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in accordance with international law,
including the UNCLOS. The partners welcomed the role and efforts of ASEAN
over the past time to promote dialogue, reconciliation in Myanmar and to
support the nation to seek solutions to stabilise its situation. Addressing the event, Minister Bui
Thanh Son underlined the EAS’s contributions to promoting peace, stability,
development and prosperity in the region. Emphasising the need to focus on
COVID-19 response, he called on EAS partners to support the equal supply of
vaccines for ASEAN countries and raise vaccine self-sufficiency in the
region. Sharing opinions at the meeting,
Minister Son affirmed the consistent principle stance of ASEAN and Vietnam on
the East Sea issue, emphasising the importance of dialogue, cooperation,
trust-building, and self-restraint to take no actions that complicate the
situation and do not harm the marine environment. All disputes must be settled through
peaceful means in accordance with international law and the 1982 UNCLOS, he
said, calling on all parties to make efforts to finalise an efficient and
effective Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in line with international
law and the 1982 UNCLOS. The minister reaffirmed that the
1982 UNCLOS is the legal basis covering all activities in seas and oceans. He
emphasised that the legitimate rights and interests of coastal states as
stipulated in the Convention must be respected. He pointed out that Vietnam has
sufficient historical evidence and legal basis to assert its sovereignty over
the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos. Brunei, Chairman of the EAS, will
issue a Chairman's Statement on the outcome of the meeting./. ASEAN, Russia hold Foreign
Ministers’ Meeting The Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) and Russia Foreign Ministers' Meeting took place virtually on
August 4 as part of the ongoing 54th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM 54) and
Related Meetings. Speaking at the event, Russian
Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov stated Russia values its strategic
partnership with ASEAN and supports the bloc’s centrality in the regional
structure. Russia will continue providing
COVID-19 vaccines for ASEAN member states and is willing to transfer related
technologies and expand vaccine production in Southeast Asia, he noted,
adding that further training programmes for ASEAN medical experts and staff
will also be held. On behalf of ASEAN, Indonesia -the
country coordinator of the ASEAN-Russia relations- lauded growing ties
between the sides since 2018 when they officially became strategic partners. ASEAN nations highly valued the
outcomes of the Special ASEAN-Russia Foreign Ministers' Meeting in July, which
helped promote the bilateral relations and the sides’ effort in COVID-19
response and boost recovery. They praised Russia’s proposal to hold the
fourth ASEAN-Russia Summit to mark their 30 years of ASEAN-Russia ties and 25
years of partnership within the framework of the ASEAN Summit in this
October. ASEAN and Russia agreed to
prioritise cooperation for pandemic response and comprehensive recovery. The
bloc asked Russia to continue its assistance for the enhancement of ASEAN’s
capacity regarding preventive medicine, as well as supply and help ASEAN
member states to be self-sufficient in vaccines. Russia hoped the two sides to
continue coordinating at multilateral forums in the Asia-Pacific region,
expanding cooperation between ASEAN mechanisms with such frameworks as the
Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the Eurasian Economic Union
(EAEU). Russia proposed to announce 2022 as
the ASEAN-Russia year of scientific, technological and industrial
cooperation; and informed that the first ASEAN-Russia dialogue will be held
on issues related to IT and communication security in late 2021. Speaking at the meeting, the head of
the Vietnamese delegation highly appreciated Russia's proactive and active
role in promoting cooperation in response to emerging challenges to regional
stability and development, and welcomed Russia’s willingness for vaccine
technology transfer and production expansion for other nations. The official encouraged ASEAN and
Russian businesses to increase exchanges and connection, and effectively
utilise the potential of economic cooperation between the two sides,
supported the consideration of building a free trade area between the bloc
and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) in the coming time, on the basis of
existing FTAs between the EAEU and each ASEAN member country, including
Vietnam and Singapore. Vietnam wished Russia further
support and make contribution to building mutual trust and respect for
international law regarding relations between nations Vietnam also affirmed its support for
high level exchanges between ASEAN and Russia, including the ASEAN – Russia
Summit in October. Concluding the meeting, Cambodia
officially took over the role of coordinating the ASEAN – Russia ties for
2021- 2024 from Indonesia./. Vietnam welcomes development
of ASEAN-Australia relations Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui
Thanh Son attended the virtual ASEAN Post Ministerial Conference (PMC) with
Australia on August 4 as part of the 54th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting
(AMM-54) and related meetings. The event drew foreign ministers
from ASEAN member countries, Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs and
Minister for Women Marise Payne, and the ASEAN Secretary-General. Addressing the event, FM Son
welcomed the ASEAN-Australia strategic partnership’s new development stage
with the official organisation of their annual summit from this year. He suggested that Australia continue
to support ASEAN countries in responding to COVID-19 in a timely and
effective manner, underlining that ASEAN and Australia should work harder to
ensure the maintenance of market opening and the stability of supply chains’
connectivity. Both sides should effectively
optimise regional trade agreements, he said, encouraging Australia to engage
deeper in efforts to narrow development gap and ensure inclusive growth in
sub-regions, including the Mekong sub-region. The Vietnamese FM proposed that
Australia coordinate in strengthening dialogue and trust building as well as
encouraging restraint and respect for international law, including the 1982
UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). He affirmed ASEAN’s commitment to
fully and effectively implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties
in the East Sea (DOC) and continuing efforts to reach an effective and
practical Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in line with international
law and the UNCLOS 1982. Highlighting the firm foundation of
the ASEAN-Australia relations since 1974, Australian Minister for Foreign
Affairs and Minister for Women Marise Payne affirmed that Australia attaches
great importance to partnership with ASEAN and supports the bloc’s central
role. She said that Australia is
implementing a 500 million AUD (370.84 million USD) package to support
comprehensive recovery in the region. She affirmed Australia’s commitment to
conducting the medical security and vaccine access initiative worth 523
million AUD as well as assisting ASEAN in realising the Comprehensive
Recovery Framework. Australia will provide scholarships
for 40 medical experts and workers from ASEAN countries and will organise an
ASEAN-Australia dialogue on mental health for youngsters in the time to come,
she added. A representative from Malaysia,
coordinator for the ASEAN-Australia relations, underlined that Australia is
one of the important economic partner of ASEAN with two-way trade reaching
over 100 billion AUD. ASEAN countries lauded Australia’s support to the bloc
through the contribution of 1 million AUD to the COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund
and 21 million AUD to the ASEAN Centre for Public Health Emergencies and
Emerging Diseases (ACPHEED). The two sides agreed to continue to
optimise the ASEAN - Australia - New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA),
while soon ratifying the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP),
and expanding cooperation in digital transformation, innovative economy,
digital economy, and infrastructure development to promote recovery and
growth. ASEAN proposed that Australia
continue to effectively cooperate with the association in prioritised areas
such as terrorism and trans-national crime combat, education, environmental
protection, climate change, disaster management, sub-regional development
coordination and development gap narrowing. The two sides pledged to continue
working closely to contribute to peace and stability in the region, including
security and stability in the East Sea – a major maritime route of the world. Australia affirmed that the country
supports ASEAN's principle stance as well as the promotion of the
association’s role in promoting dialogue and trust building, ensuring the
full and effective implementation of the DOC toward building an effective and
substantive COC in line with international law and the 1982 UNCLOS. Australia welcomed outcomes of the
ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting on April 24, 2021 and affirmed the country’s support
to the role and efforts of ASEAN in promoting dialogue and conciliation in
Myanmar and assisting the country in seeking solutions to stabilise the
situation. Concluding the event, Malaysia
handed over the role of coordinator of the ASEAN-Australia relations in the
2021-2024 to Laos./. ASEAN, US agree to continue
prioritising COVID-19 response, support for sustainable recovery Foreign ministers of ASEAN member
countries and the US agreed to continue prioritising the COVID-19 response
and support for sustainable recovery during a meeting held via
videoconference on August 4. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken
said the administration of President Joe Biden attaches importance to the
strategic partnership with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
and supports the bloc’s solidarity, unanimity and centrality, along with the
ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. It wants to promote the dynamic and
effective strategic partnership with ASEAN on the basis of mutual respect and
jointly building an open and inclusive regional architecture of prosperous
development, he said. Blinken affirmed that the US will
keep taking the lead in promoting multilateral cooperation in COVID-19
response and increase the production capacity to ensure sufficient supply of
safe and effective vaccines. The US has provided funding of 160
million USD and will continue assisting countries in the region to cope with
the pandemic, he said, adding that it will donate 500,000 USD to the ASEAN
COVID-19 Response Fund. As the coordinator of ASEAN - US
relations, Lao Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith applauded the US’s
commitment to bolstering its cooperation with ASEAN and the region,
advocating multilateral cooperation, helping to improve the healthcare
capacity of, and providing vaccines for ASEAN countries. He also spoke highly the US’s
temporary waiver on vaccine patents within the World Trade Organisation (WTO)
framework. Participating countries welcomed the
recent cooperation progress despite adverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bilateral trade reached 308.3
billion USD in 2020, turning the US into the second largest trade partner of
ASEAN. Besides, the US remains the biggest foreign direct investor in the
region with 34.7 billion USD. ASEAN and the US agreed to continue
giving priority to the pandemic response and supporting sustainable recovery,
focusing on stronger cooperation in trade, investment, digital
transformation, and energy and via the US-funded development cooperation
programmes for the region. ASEAN countries hope that the US
will continue assisting them in COVID-19 vaccine research, development,
production, and distribution. The US also proposed enhancing cooperative ties
in such fields as energy, transport, women empowerment, and environment -
climate change so as to contribute to even and sustainable recovery efforts. Pointing out that the international
and regional situation remains complex with new challenges arising, the two
sides affirmed close coordination to help maintain regional peace, security,
and stability, including security and safety of navigation in the East Sea The US emphasised its support for
ASEAN’s principled stance on the East Sea issue, welcoming the bloc bringing
into play its role in promoting cooperation, dialogue, and trust building in
the region, ensuring the full and effective implementation of the Declaration
on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and building an efficient
and effective Code of Conduct (COC) in the East Sea in line with
international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the
Sea (UNCLOS) with the rights and legitimate interests of relevant parties
respected and properly mentioned. The US Secretary of State lauded
ASEAN’s role and efforts to step up dialogue and reconciliation in Myanmar
and help the country seek solutions to stabilise its situation. He also underlined
support for the bloc to successfully carry out the Five-Point Consensus
reached at the ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting on April 24, 2021. Addressing the meeting, Vietnamese
Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son welcomed the US’s extensive and
intensive cooperation with ASEAN, stressing the country’s important role in
global efforts against COVID-19 and climate change. He highly valued the US’s provision
of vaccines for ASEAN nations, including Vietnam, asking it to keep assisting
the bloc to gain timely and sufficient access to vaccines and soon transfer
vaccine production technology to the bloc’s members. Vietnam expects the US to help the
regional countries improve their preventive medicine capacity via its
regional representative office based in Vietnam, he said. The ASEAN countries are ready to
create optimal conditions for US enterprises to expand investment and
business in the region, Son noted, asking the US to continue helping the bloc
narrow the development gap and ensure sustainable growth in ASEAN
sub-regions, including the Mekong sub-region, and via the Mekong - US
Partnership. The Vietnamese minister affirmed
that countries, including ASEAN and the US, share interests and
responsibilities in maintaining peace, stability, security, safety, and freedom
of navigation and overflight in the East Sea. He underlined that all parties need
to show their goodwill of cooperation, act responsibly, and jointly work
towards the East Sea of peace, stability, security, safety, and protected
environment. Son also highlighted ASEAN’s
consistent stance on the East Sea, stressing the importance of building
trust, exercising self-restraint, not militarising, peacefully resolving
disputes on the basis of international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS,
promoting the full and effective implementation of the DOC, and soon
finalising an effective and practical COC in line with international law and
the 1982 UNCLOS. He expects that the US will continue
playing a constructive role, supporting ASEAN’s efforts to sustain peace, stability,
and freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea, and backing the
bloc’s efforts to seek solutions to the Myanmar situation. At the end of the event, part of the
54th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and related meetings, Indonesia officially
assumed the role as coordinator of ASEAN - US relations for the 2021 - 2024
period./. Defence Minister hosts
Russian ambassador Minister of National Defence General
Phan Van Giang hosted a reception for Russian Ambassador to Vietnam Bezdetko
Gennady Stepanovich in Hanoi on August 4. At the meeting, Giang said despite
impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnamese and Russian defence ministries
are resolved to effectively materialise their cooperation plan in 2021,
contributing to consolidating and enhancing the bilateral defence ties and
military technology cooperation. The two sides have focused on online
meetings and talks, training, military technology cooperation, and donation
of medical supplies to serve the pandemic combat, he added. The Vietnamese defence ministry has
sent delegations to the International Army Games 2021 and the International
Military-Technical Forum (Army 2021), along with two frigates to attend a
naval parade in Russia’s Vladivostok city, Giang told the ambassador. The minister lauded joint efforts to
complete procedures to present orders and medals to leaders and officers of
the two ministries, as well as coordination in building documents as part of
the dossier marking the 70th anniversary of defence cooperation between
Vietnam and the Soviet Union/Russia. He also informed that the Defence
Ministry and the Federal Security Service (FSB) of Russia are working to
secure an amount of vaccines to present to the Vietnamese Defence Ministry to
inoculate officers and soldiers working on the frontline of the pandemic
combat. For his part, the ambassador pledged
to work to promote the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two
countries, including the defence ties and military technology cooperation./. Source:
VNA/VNS/VOV/VIR/SGT/SGGP/Nhan Dan/Hanoitimes |
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét