VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES SEPTEMBER
12
09:59 Coronavirus
hotspot sees sharp decrease in death rate The number
of COVID-19 deaths recorded in Ho Chi Minh City, the largest coronavirus
hotspot in Vietnam, has decreased significantly in recent days, signaling the
COVID-19 treatment regimen is proving effective, according to health experts. The downward
trajectory was attributed to the effective implementation of policies and
decisions on COVID-19 prevention and control measures adopted by the health
sector, said Pham Duc Hai, deputy head of the Ho Chi Minh City
Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control. According to
health experts, the opening of more intensive care unit (ICU) centres for
COVID-19 patients, the large support of medical equipment, as well as the use
of antiviral drugs and anticoagulants in treating patients, have helped to
lower the number of critical cases. Furthermore,
the strategy of classifying patients has also played a significant part in
lowering the death rate. The southern
metropolis has been categorising COVID-19 patients into three groups for
treatment. Patients with asymptomatic or mild symptoms and no chronic
diseases can be treated at home or in quarantine facilities. Patients with
developing symptoms are hospitalized, while those in severe and critical
conditions receive intensive care and treatment at ICU centres. This
strategy has not only helped COVID-19 recovery amid tough conditions, but
also allowed for the early detection of patients that could suffer from more
serious conditions in order to provide timely intervention and avoid serious
progression. Moreover,
the mass vaccination campaign for local people can be viewed as another
important factor which has significantly contributed to the reduction in the
mortality rate. Experts said
individuals that have been vaccinated did not suffer the same serious
conditions as those who have not received the jab. As of
September 9 the southern city has administered more than 7.3 million COVID-19
vaccines, with close to a million people being given two full shots. Volunteers needed for clinical trials of home-grown mRNA Covid
vaccine Volunteers
have been invited to sign up for phases 2 and 3a of clinical trials of the
ARCT-154 Covid-19 vaccine candidate using the mRNA technology at the Hanoi
Medical University. From now
until September 20, the university will receive registrations for
participation in the clinical trials, the local media reported. Volunteers
should be 18 years old and above, reside in Hanoi City, should not have a
medical history of viral respiratory diseases such as SARS, MERS and Covid-19
and should not have taken the Covid-19 vaccine. Some 100
volunteers participating in the first phase of clinical trials of the
home-grown vaccine candidate got a first shot at the research site of the
university. The second shot will be administered to the 100 volunteers on
September 12 and 13. The result
of the first phase of clinical trials showed that the ARCT-154 vaccine was
safe. ARCT-154
uses the mRNA technology and can self-multiply, so its immunity is expected
to last longer. This is Vietnam’s first Covid vaccine candidate to apply the
technology, which is used for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. VinBioCare,
a subsidiary of Vingroup, had earlier cut a deal with the U.S.-based Arcturus
for the purchase of the technology to produce ARCT-154. ARCT-154 is
the third locally-made Covid vaccine candidate to begin human trials. All
three phases of clinical trials of the vaccine will be executed in Vietnam. Apart from
the first phase with the participation of 100 volunteers, the second phase
will be conducted with over 300 volunteers, while 20,600 volunteers will
participate in the third phase of the clinical trial, with phase 3a needing
600 volunteers. Earlier on
August 2, the Ministry of Health had approved a plan to begin clinical trials
of ARCT-154. HCM City's reopening needs high vaccination rate, medicines,
safety compliance: deputy PM
Deputy Prime
Minister Vũ Đức Đam has identified the vaccination rate, supply of medicines
and public compliance with regulations as the three key factors that will
affect HCM City’s gradual reopening to facilitate economic recovery and
safety from COVID-19. The city
plans to ease its tough COVID-19 prevention measures from September 15
if it is able to the bring outbreak under control. Đam said to
reopen safely more than 80 per cent of the city’s population aged 18 and
above should get their first shot, and medicines and oxygen must be
adequately available. People must
also get used to and follow COVID-19 preventive measures and social
distancing requirements, he said. “The sooner
the city can reopen, the more people’s incomes will improve and their
struggles will be alleviated.” Việt Nam’s
COVID epicentre with over 286,000 cases has gone through more than three
months of increasingly stricter social distancing orders and preventive
measures, with locals being asked to “stay where they are” since August 23. Nguyễn Văn
Nên, secretary of the city Party's Committee, said the city is heavily
dependent on the services sector and so could not persist with its stringent
social distancing mandate forever. It would
gradually reopen with “a new normal” to “live with the virus”, but it has to
make sure there are enough vaccines and medicines, and people are
knowledgeable about the pandemic, he said. “If the city
is not careful about reopening and unable to keep things under control,
something will go wrong. We cannot be complacent or too eager. It has to be
safe and gradual.” On September
9, after two months of closures, the city allowed restaurants to reopen for
delivery services until 6pm. It has
speeded up its inoculation rate, arranging mobile vaccination teams to reach
more locals and vaccination sessions even after dusk. As of
September 9, it has given over 6.3 million adults their first shots, or
88 per cent of the city’s population aged 18 or more. More than
971,000 adults have got both shots. The city
targets having all adults getting one jab by September 15 and their second by
the end of the year. It is
working on a vaccine ‘green card’ system to enable people to take part in
more social activities, including visiting certain business establishments. It will be
based on the number of shots people get and if they had COVID-19 and
recovered from it in the previous six months. It has been
carrying out a home-based treatment model, distributing medicines, health
supplements and food to patients treating themselves at home or
district-level quarantine facilities. Mobile
health stations have been set up to monitor patients at home and quickly
hospitalise those with worsening conditions. Authorities
are seeking to ensure abundant availability of medicines and oxygen. The
mortality rate is falling, with the number of deaths on September 10 only 195
against an average of 280 in the week from August 23 to 29. HCMC education dept makes proposal for reopening of schools The HCMC
Department of Education and Training has written to the HCMC government
putting forward a proposal for the reopening of schools in areas safe from
Covid-19. Schools will
be reopened to students if the districts or Thu Duc City where the schools
are located are determined as safe from the pandemic, according to the
municipal department. While
teachers must have already been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 at least
two weeks before returning to school, in-person classes will be opened to
students who voluntarily return to school only. Online
classes must still be organized, especially for students who cannot attend
school, the local media reported. The
municipal department proposed kindergartens have different time frames to
pick up students and not provide breakfast in the initial stage. The first,
second, ninth and 12th graders should be prioritized to return to
schools depending on Covid-19 safety and anti-virus measures. Classes for the
fifth, sixth and 10th graders should be opened next. In addition,
schools should arrange small classes, while students should attend only one
session per day. Under the
proposal, private schools and training and education centers should be
prioritized for the reopening. These facilities can arrange accommodation for
teachers and students to ensure their safety from Covid-19 during the
in-person schooling period. Meanwhile,
foreign language and informatics centers should be reopened only when areas
in their vicinity are assessed safe from the pandemic. To help the
economy recover, it is necessary to reopen schools, giving parents peace of
mind to return to work and ensuring the quality of education, according to
the municipal department. Music video encourages medical workers in pandemic fight
A
music video entitled “Nhung thien than ao trang” (Angles in scrubs) has been
released to encourage medical workers in the frontline of the fight against
COVID-19. The MV is
made by two singers from the central province of Nghe An, spotlighting
efforts and sacrifice by medical workers who are working hard to stamp out
the pandemic. It features
images of doctors and nurses in the COVID-19 fight as well as the tradition
of mutual support of Vietnamese people in hard times. After the
pandemic is controlled, professional artists from the Vietnam Music Academy
will remake the MV with singer Dang Duong as the main vocalist./. HCM City plans to ease COVID restrictions for vaccinated people The HCM City
People’s Committee plans to issue QR codes to people who have got at least
one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and people who have recovered from the disease
to enable them to carry on business activities. Part of
efforts to gradually reopen the city's economy starting on September 15, it
will see authorities assign a yellow QR code to those with one dose and green
in case of two doses and recovered patients. Dương Anh
Đức, deputy chairman of the city People's Committee, said vaccination is the
top priority now, and people who have received at least one shot would face
fewer restrictions. The southern
metro, home to 13 million people, has so far administered one shot to over
7.3 million people and two to another 700,000. Nguyễn Hoài
Nam, deputy director of its Department of Health, said on Tuesday the city
aims to vaccinate its entire adult population (aged over 18) by September 15
and fully vaccinate everyone this year, adding reopening is only possible
with full vaccination. Deputy
Director of the Department of Information and Communications Võ Thị
Trung Trinh has urged local authorities to take full advantage of
technology to administer vaccinations rapidly and efficiently. The
department is working with the ministries of Health and Information and
Communications to obtain data from the national vaccination database for the
city's, she added. People can
register to get a vaccine on the e-health record app or immunisation
information portal, and provincial departments of health will guide
people to appropriate vaccination sites. After being
vaccinated, people can also track their immunisation records on the two
platforms. The data
will be centrally managed on the national COVID-19 vaccination management
platform and enable the National Immunisation Steering Committee to monitor
the vaccination status and manage the national campaign. HCM City strengthens testing in continuing fight against COVID The HCM City
Department of Health has directed medical facilities to step up COVID-19
testing, especially of people with suspected symptoms, to slow down the
spread of the virus in the community. The last of
the city’s three major testing phases will go on until September 15 with a
goal of bringing transmission to an end. The previous
two sought to evaluate the risk in areas with a high transmission rate and
isolate sources. In the
first, it tested more than two million people and found a positive rate of
3.6 per cent. The second saw 1.7 million people tested and a positive rate of
2.7 per cent. The
department has also directed related units to test workers and volunteers at
medical facilities every three days in the final phase. People with
symptoms like cough and fever can call local medical staff, and a mobile team
will arrive in 30-60 minutes to take samples for testing. Medical
staff and volunteers have been told to instruct people to do rapid tests at home
by themselves so that the testing process both ensures safety against the
pandemic and prevents cross infection. The city has
403 mobile medical stations supporting medical teams, and they respond
immediately to all requests for support. Education experts suggest effective online teaching methods This school
year is the second to implement online teaching due to
COVID-19, however, teachers, students and parents still have many
difficulties. Students
cannot go to school, but they cannot stop learning, so online learning is the
best solution. But learning online effectively is not easy work. Students
fall asleep while studying and yawn in front of the computer, and many
families struggle because of internet problems. When networks
are fixed, teachers restart lessons but time runs out. Nguyễn Sóng
Hiền, member of the Independent Education Union of Australia, said that
choosing a learning method that both ensured health and safety for teachers
and students, and ensured quality was a big challenge. Thanks to the
strong development of information technology, online learning is the most
optimal option. In order for this method to be the most effective and to
limit its shortcomings, the education sector needs realistic assessments
and observations. “The global
pandemic tends to be complicated and unpredictable, so the education sector
needs to proactively shape a strategic vision in developing and
pursuing an online education curriculum for students for the next five
years. This is a prerequisite for the sector to ensure set educational
goals,” he told e-newspaper VOV. Hiền
suggests the Ministry of Education and Training researches
the situation and results of online teaching in each locality, and
makes proper adjustments regarding the content, method, teaching period
and assessment for different ages, educational levels and situations in
different provinces and cities. In
Australia, for example, Hiền said the country's education system was also
seriously affected by the pandemic. Online learning has become a popular
educational model for high schools and universities. Australia's
advantage is that it has a developed science, technology and digital
background, so many e-learning platforms are designed to support the
education system. This country also has programmes and systems of learning
materials specifically designed for online learning. “With this
learning method, although a disadvantage is limited fun activities
and damaging children's health if they stay on a computer for too long,
it helps children form self-discipline. They can learn, use and apply digital
technology in research and creation,” said Hiền. Hồ Như Hiến,
a teacher at Đông Bắc Ga Primary, Junior Secondary and High School in
the central province of Thanh Hóa, said online teaching and learning was not
new in Việt Nam. It has been
around for more than 10 years with many online teaching websites with
millions of followers. But for the
majority of teachers, this is still a new form of teaching, and difficult to
access because of problems with facilities, techniques, information
technology and student equipment. Hiến
believes that it is difficult if both teachers and students are not
fully prepared, thoughtful and determined to try their best. He said that
earlier, several provincial and municipal departments of education and
training recorded lessons and broadcast them on television for students to
learn online, however, they encountered major problems with broadcasting
time, and teachers could not supervise the student learning. Hiến
suggests that departments record the lessons with participation of
outstanding teachers, then send them to schools so they can use the
videos for their teaching. Each school
should have a YouTube channel to publish the videos, and teachers should
supervise student learning via Zalo groups. Teachers then report the
learning progress to the school management board weekly. Hiến said
that the method should give teachers more time to manage students, and check
their study progress. It also overcomes advantages about teaching and
learning equipment if teachers and students cannot afford the necessary
machines. He said
this would ensure uniformity of time, knowledge and skills for
students across the province or city, and the local department of
education and training could better grasp the entire teaching and
learning process. It is cost-effective so many schools can
access it. Over 51% of Hanoi adults vaccinated against COVID-19 Nearly 3.5
million people living in Hanoi have had one dose of a vaccine administered as
of September 10, equivalent to 51.33% of people aged over 18 years. According to
the Hanoi Department of Health, the city injected 360,690 doses of COVID-19
vaccines on September 10, an increase of more than 100,000 shots compared to
previous days, marking the highest number of people injected in a day since
the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Long Bien
district, with the support of medical workers from Bac Giang province, the
district has so far injected more than 31,000 doses of vaccine while Gia Lam
district, with the support of medical workers from Bac Ninh province, has
injected about 20,000 doses. Gia Lam
district is expected to complete its vaccination by September 12. Ba Dinh
district has three wards having completed 100% of vaccination for its
residents. According to
the Hanoi Department of Health, the city has required vaccination sites to
organise injections with three shifts per day to speed up the process. With the
current injection pace, the city is expected to soon complete the vaccination
of the first dose for 100% of its adults before September 15. COVID-19: 11,932 cases recorded on September 11 An
additional 11,932 COVID-19 infections, including 5 imported cases, were
recorded in the last 24 hours to 5pm on September 11, raising the national
tally to 601,349, the Ministry of Health announced. Ho Chi Minh
City, which is the country's largest pandemic hotspot, reported the highest
number of infections with 5,629 cases. It was
followed by neighbouring Binh Duong province (3,971), Dong Nai (960), Long An
(337). The capital city of Hanoi logged 35 cases. The same
day, 12,541 patients were given the all-clear, bringing the total recoveries
to 363,462. Meanwhile,
an additional 217 deaths were recorded, and Dong Nai added 56 deaths that
were not counted in previous days. The new fatalities brought the country's
death toll since COVID-19 broke out in Vietnam in early 2020 to 15,018. More than
27.1 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered so far, with
over 22.36 million people receiving the first shot and over 4.74 million
others fully getting two jabs./. More than 1,500 recovered COVID-19 patients sign up to help in
HCM City More than
1,500 patients who have recovered from COVID-19 have volunteered to
help hospitals, medical facilities and quarantine areas in HCM
City, according to the city Department of Health. The patients
have completed a 14-day home isolation period as required by the
Ministry of Health. For those
who recovered within the last six months, they must have antibodies to
the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and for those who recovered more than six months
ago, they must be vaccinated against COVID-19. According to
experts, immunity among people who have recovered from the disease is strong
and even stronger than those who have been fully vaccinated. The city
authority has encouraged more recovered patients to participate in the
fight against COVID-19, especially in caring for and sharing experiences with
patients treated at hospitals. Volunteers
can register at the Personnel and Organisation Division of the HCM City
Department of Health, at the phone number 0907574269
or 028392209967. Vice
Chairman Dương Anh Đức said that volunteers would be trained in infection
prevention and control, and patient care procedures. The pandemic
situation is still complicated, and there is still a shortage of
staff at quarantine and COVID-19 treatment facilities.
The participation of recovered Covid-19 patients is very important,
Đức said The city’s
People Committee has assigned the Department of Finance, the Department of
Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs and relevant units to advise the
authority on policies and funding to help the volunteers. Wholesale market must meet safety regulations after reopening:
HCM City official The
reopening of wholesale markets in the city requires
strict adherence to safety measures, Nguyễn Văn Nên, secretary of the
HCM City Party Committee, said on Wednesday after a visit to Bình
Điền Wholesale Market, which set up a transhipment station
the previous day (September 7). He praised
the efforts of local authorities to develop plans according to
various scenarios to ensure safety amid the COVID-19 outbreak in the
city. He expressed
sympathy toward market traders who had suffered from more than a
two-month closure of the city’s largest food and foodstuff wholesale market.
The market was closed in July after dozens of COVID-19 cases were
found. However,
Nên said there was no other choice. “Delay in
stamping out the outbreak could have led to serious consequences and
created huge challenges in stopping the spread,” he said. He
told local authorities to limit the number of people and vehicles
entering the market and ensure that people maintain safe
distances between each other. “If there is
a new case, it must be promptly handled to ensure that the virus will
not spread to others.” All people
working at the transhipment point at the market must
be vaccinated. Nên said
that traders who have recovered from COVID-19 can return to work at
the transshipment point. He asked
local healthcare workers to offer medical examinations and supervision
at the market, and police, military and relevant agencies to strictly
monitor regulations on pandemic control and prevention. He urged
traders to use online services as much as they can so that buyers
and traders do not need to gather in the market. Phan Thành
Tân, director of the Bình Điền market management company, said that traders
and workers at the market must have received at least one dose of
COVID-19 vaccine, have a valid negative COVID-19 test certificate (or
take a rapid antigen test at the market’s entry) and complete an
electronic health declaration before entering the market. All people
entering the market must comply with social distancing regulations,
pandemic prevention and control measures, and the government's 5K
message: Khẩu trang (face mask) – Khử
khuẩn (disinfection) – Khoảng cách (safe distance)
– Không tụ tập (no gathering) – Khai báo y tế (health
declaration). The entire
market will be disinfected daily at transit areas. On the first
day of the reopening, 10 traders registered to return to the market and
20 traders the next day. Around 17 tonnes of goods were transported to
the market and delivered to customers. The market
managemend board and District 8’s Medical Centre have developed a plan to
quickly handle and treat infections if they are found, Tân said. Bùi Tá Hoàng
Vũ, director of the city’s Department of Industry and Trade, said each trader
is now allowed to register a maximum of 10 workers in charge of loading and
unloading goods, and can sell up to 70 customers. Traders have
been encouraged to conduct transactions via mobile phones and the
internet to limit contact between traders and customers. The city
plans to launch an e-commerce site that will connect
wholesale markets with traditional markets, and provide delivery services
from wholesale markets to other traditional markets. The
department will grant travel permits to eligible people working at
the market, Vũ said. Prior to the
outbreak, 2,000 traders were working in the market, and 10,000
people, or up to 20,000 at peak periods, visited each day. About 5,000
cars and cargo trucks, as well as about 2,000 three-wheelers, enter the
market daily during normal periods. Challenges become opportunities for higher education to promote
digital transformation The COVID-19
pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on higher education, posing
challenges but also opportunities for the sector to change and adapt to
current circumstances while meeting the requirements of society, especially
today's digital society. These are
the issues being discussed at an international seminar themed “Digital
transformation and Higher education: When challenges are opportunities” on
September 10. The virtual
seminar was held by the International Institute of Francophonie (IFI) and
Vietnam National University - Hanoi in collaboration with a number of
domestic and foreign universities. The event drew the participation of
various prestigious experts, scientists and managers in the education and
training sector both from Vietnam and abroad. According to
the seminar’s organising board, the COVID-19 pandemic has had an
unprecedented impact on higher education around the world over the past two
years. When universities were forced to close, teaching and learning had to
move to online forms. Therefore, teachers and students must also transform
and adapt to the use of technology like never before. Prof. Dr.
Nguyen Thi My Loc from University of Education under the Vietnam National
University - Hanoi said that the whole education sector has identified the
application of information technology (IT) as one of nine key tasks to
effectively implement Resolution No. 29-NQ/TU on the fundamental and
comprehensive reform of education and training. A series of policies have
been issued to boost digital transformation in education; a specific
mechanism was implemented for the training of IT human resources. Teachers
have been mobilised to participate and share learning materials in the
sector’s digital data warehouse; contributing nearly 5,000 high-quality e-learning
lectures, nearly 7,000 theses, and a multiple-choice question bank with over
31,000 questions. However,
according to Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi My Loc, the digital transformation of the
education sector still faces many difficulties and problems that need to be
further improved such as network infrastructure and IT equipment (such as
computers, cameras, printers and scanners), transmission line and internet
services for schools, teachers and students. The development of digital
learning materials (such as e-book, e-library, multiple-choice question
banks, e-lectures and simulation application software) is still developing
spontaneously, so it is difficult to control the quality and contentsof
learning. The collection, sharing and exploitation of educational management
data and digital learning materials need a common legal corridor in
accordance with regulations on copyright, intellectual property, information
security,e-transactions and information distribution laws. Assoc. Prof.
Dr. Ngo Minh Thuy, Director of the Institute for Research and Development of
Culture, Language and Education, said that in order to ensure quality in
digital transformation for education, it is crucial to implement a
synchronous roadmap for implementation while developing policies and plans on
online teaching and learning. Depending on the type of class and the
requirements of the subject, it is necessary to have appropriate regulations
to ensure maximum interaction. According to
Prof.Dr. Le Anh Vinh, one of the prerequisites for successful digital
transformation is how to embrace change and accept innovation. Higher
education in Vietnam should receive investment and promote the sense of
determination to implement digital transformation. Also at the seminar, Prof.
Ronald Strickland from Michigan Technological University in the US and Prof.
Vasclav Snášel, Rector of the Technical University of Ostrava in the Czech
Republic as well as many other speakers and researchers presented their
research, assessments, solutions and discussions on the challenges and
opportunities facing digital transformation in higher education. Implementing synchronous policies for tourism recovery Vietnam has
been making efforts to ensure safety at destinations and for tourists,
particularly accelerating its vaccination campaign against COVID-19 for
people and employees at tourism centres, towards gradual expansion
nationwide. This is one
of six contents of Plan No.3228/KH-BVHTTDL on implementing policies to
stimulate demand and recover tourism and travel activities recently issued by
the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Accordingly,
measures will be enhanced to ensure the safety of destinations and tourism
service establishments including the improvement of medical capacity for
COVID-19 prevention and control and the proper implementation of the 5K
message. Domestic and international visitors who receive vaccination
certificates in line with the international recognition system will benefit
from favourable conditions to assist in their travel. Phu Quoc island
district in Kien Giang Province was chosen as the first destination to pilot
the welcoming of foreign tourists with vaccine passports. On that basis, the
implementation of vaccine passports will be expanded to other destinations
around the country such as Ha Long (in Quang Ninh), Hoi An (in Quang Nam),
Nha Trang (Khanh Hoa) and Da Lat (Lam Dong). In addition,
the relevant agencies and travel enterprises will strengthen tourism
promotion as well as communication campaigns to stimulate tourism with the
messages of “Vietnamese people traveling Vietnam” and “Safe and attractive
Vietnam tourism”. The media will focus on introducing the destinations, the
process of safe traveling and the new policies related to exit and entry
activities while updating information about new travel programmes with
attractive promotions. Tourism promotion should be enhanced via diverse
propaganda channels including websites, social networks, online travel
events, major international channels and cooperation plans with Vietnamese representative
agencies abroad. Tourism businesses are encouraged to developed stimulus
packages with incentives and commitments to quality. Management agencies will
support enterprises to reconnect to both online and direct markets and
promote their products. Plan
No.3228/KH-BVHTTDL also emphasises the necessity to develop diverse products
to meet new market trends, carry out pla better nning of tourism systems,
orient the development of sustainable and safe tourism products and tourism
associated with natural experiences and health protection. It is crucial to
support the development of tourism products that can meet the diverse changes
in the market such as night tourism products and services, travelling in
association with cuisine, agricultural tourism, eco-tourism, golf tourism and
health care tourism. The relevant
agencies will continue to boost digital transformation in tourism, develop a
national database system on tourism and form a digital information system
about tourist sites, destinations, establishments and services. In
particular, information and technology apps ensuring safe tourism for
destinations, service providers and tourists, such as the “Vietnam safe
travel” app, the registration and declaration system for safety
at https://safe.tourism.com.vn, digital COVID-19 vaccination
certification system https://travelpass.tourism.vn, will be applied to serve
international tourists when conditions permit. A smart
tourism ecosystem and convenient mobile applications will be developed to
support visitors. Functional agencies will also help travel businesses to
connect, introduce and sell their products more conveniently via the online
environment including at virtual fairs, forums and programmes. Enterprises
will receive support to boost the recovery of tourism activities.
Preferential credit programmes will be proposed for business recovery
activities, the payment of employees’ wages, market study and development of
new products and services of tourism businesses. Tax exemptions and
reductions for stimulation activities, the development of new products and
services, digital transformation and vocational training are also mentioned
in the plan. Great
support will be given to the development of human resources with high skills
who can meet the requirements for the recovery of tourism activities in the
new situation. The Ministry
of Culture, Sports and Tourism requires the implementation of the plan to
ensure the dual goal of epidemic control and socio-economic development and a
harmonious combination between epidemic prevention and control and travel
activities as well as the uniformity, feasibility and effectiveness of
policies and measures to stimulate demand and rejuvenate tourism activities. Farmers expand breeding of high-value fish in floating
cages in Ninh Thuận Farmers in
the south-central province of Ninh Thuận are investing more in marine
aquaculture as products could be sold for high price. In Ninh Hải
District, which is one of the province’s major marine aquaculture areas,
farmers breed high-value marine fish species such as cobia, grouper and
pomfret. Lương Thị
Hiền, one of the first farmers in Ninh Hải’s Khánh Hải Town to breed marine
fish, said she bought 500 grouper fry for her first marine fish breeding
crop raised in floating cages. After 10 months
of breeding, she harvested more than 300 kilogrames of
grouper and earned VNĐ50 million (US$2,200) after selling them.
Because of the high value, she has decided to expand cultivation. Groupers eat
trash fish and bran, and can reach a weight of one kilogramme after 10 months
of breeding. Traders buy them at the high price of VNĐ150,000 –
180,000 ($7 - 8) a kilogramme. Besides
marine fish, farmers in Ninh Hải breed lobsters and bivalve
mollusk species like Pacific oysters. Nguyễn Hữu
Tài in Ninh Hải’s Tri Hải Commune, who has four floating cages of
Pacific oysters, has harvested two floating cages, earning an
income of nearly VNĐ90 million ($3,900). Pacific
oysters eat natural food in the sea and can be harvested after four to
five months. The price of Pacific oysters is also stable, Tài said. Competitive advantages With a
coastline of more than 105km and many lagoons and bays, the province has
advantages for marine aquaculture development. It currently
has 800 floating breeding cages for marine fish, with an annual output
of 190 tonnes, according to the province’s Fisheries Sub-department. It also has
402 oyster floating cages and 2,642 lobster floating cages. In the first
eight months of the year, farmers in the province harvested about 30
tonnes of lobsters. Despite
travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, farmers have been able
to sell lobsters at a high price of VNĐ600,000 - 2.3 million ($26 - 100)
per kilogramme depending on their size and variety. Đặng Văn
Tín, head of the sub-department, said the province’s marine aquaculture
models have provided jobs and increased farmers' incomes. The province
is expanding zoned breeding areas and applying advanced
breeding techniques, as well as focusing on marine species that have
high value, demand and competitiveness. Farmers have
been encouraged to take part in organic and biological marine
aquaculture to achieve sustainable development. The
province is also providing training courses to teach
farmers breeding techniques and how to monitor diseases and the water
environment. Sales of
marine fish inside and outside the province are also
being promoted. Advanced
breeding techniques are being promoted to attract more investors and traders.
High-density polyethylene (HDPE) floating cages based on a Norwegian method,
for example, are more resistant to wind and sea waves than
traditional wooden floating cages. Surrogate mothers take care of newborns in HCM City The baby boy
takes 20 minutes to drink a tiny amount of milk. Then, Võ Thanh Phương gently
picks up the newborn, pats his back to help him burp and puts him into his
cradle. By now it is
3am and Phương's eyes nearly close. She sits against a wall and is about to
take a few minutes' sleep when a little girl squeals nearby. Phương quickly
runs over and whispers to her. Phương checks her nappy and uses a small
tower of warm water to clean her. Phương does
everything masterfully, even though she has never given birth. Phương, 33,
is a teacher in HCM City. She married seven years ago but has not had a
child. Hearing Hùng Vương Hospital had founded the H.O.P.E Centre at Lý
Thường Kiệt Street in District 5 to take care of newborns whose mothers
suffered from COVID-19, Phương instantly registered to help. After a
health check, the hospital nurses spent two days giving Phương training about
caring for newborns. Phương learnt about problems with newborns such as
choking, vomiting, and how to understand their needs through their crying. There are
two working shifts at the centre per day. The first is from 7am to 5pm, and
the second 5pm to 7am the next day. Each
volunteer is in charge of six babies: feeding, changing nappies, singing
lullabies, whatever is needed. “I have been
married for many years but have no children. Coming here, doing the work of a
mother, I feel really happy,” Phương told e-newspaper Vietnamnet. Võ Thanh
Phương finds meaning in her volunteer work. “When the
babies come here, they all look so immature. But after a few weeks, they are
stronger. Their facial expressions are more soulful because besides being
cleaned and fed, every day, they are also spoken to and
sung lullabies,” Phương said. Kim Tiền,
22, is another “mother” at the centre. Tiền works
for a company in HCM City, but after hearing that hundreds of newborns had to
live far from their mothers due to COVID-19, Tiền temporarily quit her job. Tiền said
that with so many people needing help at this time, she did not want to miss
a chance to help others. At first,
she did not tell her family about her volunteer work so they would not
worry. Then on the second day of working, her mother gave her a video call,
and saw her in a pink uniform holding a bottle of baby-milk. “Who is the
baby? Where are you?” she repeatedly asked. Tiền told
her mother about her work and received her full support. She said
that on their first day of being “a mother,” as soon as a car of babies
arrived, the nurses rushed out as if picking up their own children. Looking at
the tiny newborns lying in a long line of cradles, with sparkling eyes, Tiền
felt an indescribable feeling. She suddenly realised how painful it must be
for mothers to give birth but then not be close to their children. "So, I
told myself that I would love the children during this difficult period to
partially compensate them," Tiền said. On the first
nights, Tiền found taking care of the babies much harder than she thought. Many of the
babies sleep all day and stay awake all night, so the volunteers must hold
them for a long time before they will sleep. As a young
girl, Tiền has not had any experience looking after newborns before. The
first time she held the babies in her arms, she was just afraid because they
were so small and fragile. In the past,
if she saw vomit or dirty nappies, Tiền felt awkward, but when she entered
the centre she didn't feel shy about anything. She can now
hold two babies in her arms at the same time, and her leg can push the
cradle for another baby. Feeding
children requires meticulousness and patience, especially for children who
eat slowly and vomit easily. Tiền said that in the past she was a patient
person, but now that patience has risen to a new height. Võ Thị Ngọc
Diệp, head of the Nurse Division under the Hùng Vương Hospital, said all the
volunteers were young and did different jobs before, such as editors,
students and kindergarten teachers. Some of them
have never given birth. “All of them
are enthusiastically adapting to the life here and are eager to work,” she
said. About 60
babies are being taken care of at the centre. Many babies cannot be picked up
because their families are COVID-19 patients. Some of them are more than one
month old, but still cannot go back home. Diệp said
that children who have been separated from their mothers since birth are
disadvantaged. Many mothers did not even have time to see and remember
their children's face. In some cases, the mothers even died from the
coronavirus. “That's why
when the children are picked up by their families, the volunteers here are
extremely happy. If it is their mothers who come to pick them up, everyone
feels like have won the jackpot because they know that the children still
have mothers, and the babies have not been orphaned,” said Diệp. Transforming Việt Nam: the power of National Innovation Systems Experts
from Việt Nam and Europe have gathered at an online seminar to
discuss the application of the National Innovation Systems (NIS) in
Việt Nam, a new concept that could bring profound effects. The Vietnam
Institute for European Studies and its parent organisation, the Vietnam
Academy of Social Studies, collaborated with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation
(KAS) in Việt Nam to organise the webinar “National Innovation
Systems in Europe: Trends, Policies, Challenges – Lessons for Việt
Nam” on Thursday. Coined by
the late economist Christopher Freeman in the 1980s, the National Innovation
System is the network between institutions of both the public and
private sectors, where “activities and interactions initiate, import, modify
and diffuse new technologies.” These
institutions are the governments who create and enact policies to
encourage research and development (R&D), as well as provide funding; the
private companies who both invest in and commercialise R&D projects; the
R&D organisations and universities who provide innovations; and the
intermediaries who connect investors and ideas. European
experience Germany has
invested heavily in innovation, ranked third in the Union for R&D
expenses. The European powerhouse spent 3.18 per cent of its GDP in
2019 to invest in new products, services and processes, according to Dr.
Pencho Kucev of KAS. Out of this investment, the private sector accounted for
almost 70 per cent, educational institutions 18 per cent and
the state 12 per cent. In the case
of Finland, Dr. Tomi Särkioja, senior advisor of the Ministry for
Foreign Affairs and former co-chairman of the Finland - Vietnam Innovation
Partnership Program also commented that, the production value experience
a boom in the early 1990s, rose 800 per cent from 1990 to
1996, due to the emergence of firms such as Nokia and products like mobile
phones. These
success stories were attributed by both Dr. Kucev and Dr. Särkioja to
government incentives that promoted entrepreneurship and fostered innovation. Vietnamese struggle Việt
Nam has heavily interested in building and promoting its own NIS.
Since the announcement of the “Entrepreneurial Year” in 2016, the Government
has created organisations such as the National Technology Innovation Fund,
the National Foundation for Science and Technology Development and the
National Innovation Center. Initial
successes have been recognised. According to the Global Innovation
Index, from 71st place of 2014, Việt Nam rose to
42nd in 2020, and is ranked third in ASEAN. According to
Dr. Nguyễn Chiến Thắng, director of the Institute of European
Studies, total national expenditure on R&D has increased
significantly due to the participation of corporations such as Vingroup and Viettel. Dr. Nguyễn
Chiến Thắng, director of the Institute of European Studies. In
identifying the challenges to Vietnamese Innovation, Dr. Võ Xuân Hoài of the
National Innovation Center narrowed them down to five hurdles: finance,
weak quality of human resources, segmentation of the ecosystem, intellectual
property policy and regulation policy. The doctor stressed that barriers in
policy should be changed to “compete with countries such as Singapore and
Thailand.” Prof. Đặng
Nguyên Anh, Vice President of the VASS, opens the webinar in his keynote
address. Despite the
challenges, Hoài believes that the potential for Việt
Nam to become an innovative country are evident: “a young population
with a preference for digital economy, with talented individuals in multiple
aspects and great attraction of foreign investment, as well as a proactive
government participating and enabling the Fourth Industrial Revolution.” Việt
Nam has a chance to learn from other countries and their models, such as
European ones. But applying the ways of others cannot be in a matter-of-fact
way, as “every model, even the European NIS has its own pros and cons,” said
Dr. Christian Lawrence of the Critical Issues firm Brunswick. Việt
Nam must develop and grow the NIS in its own way. Participants also
agreed that the private sector is the cornerstone of the NIS, and
state policies should enable and empower them more in innovation. Both corporations
and the government must work together to streamline innovation and
socioeconomic development plans, so that the NIS is unified and not
fragmented. Life's sweet for Chi Lăng custard apple farmers Whenever
autumn comes, the rocky Chi Lăng mountain area in the northern province of
Lạng Sơn is covered with green custard apple trees. The province
now has about 2,000 hectares of custard apples, of which more than 613
hectares are produced in accordance with VietGAP and Global GAP standards,
yielding about 19,000 tonnes of fruit. Custard
apples from Chi Lăng District are mainly purchased wholesale and
transported to neighbouring provinces. Some local households also
advertise their products on e-commerce platforms such as Voso and
Postmart. Despite the
pandemic, the specialty fruit of the province still sees brisk
trading, with an output of about 300 tonnes per day. As each kilo
is sold at VNĐ20-30,000 (US$0.9-1.3), the revenue of the farmers in the
district is expected to reach a total of VNĐ720 billion (US$32 million)
this year. With such a
large income, custard apples are dubbed as “gold on the mountains” by
locals. The fruit has greatly helped improve the lives of farmers
in the district, half of whom have become well-off. Ma Văn Lét
of Quán Thanh Village in Chi Lăng District, a local farmers
who escaped poverty by growing custard apples, revealed that his family
earns around VNĐ400 million (US$17,500) per year thanks to the fruit. “By
developing extra off-season custard apples, my family’s life is much better.
Income from off-season custard apples has improved constantly, now increasing
by about 40 per cent compared to five years ago,” he said. As the fruit
has been identified as a local key agricultural product, Chi
Lăng authorities aim to create a large production area for custard
apples, annually expanding the cultivating area by about 300 hectares. The district
will continue to coordinate with agencies to create favourable conditions for
the production and consumption of the fruit and at the same time, focus on
implementing measures to prevent and control COVID-19, according to the
state regulations. Ho Chi Minh City receives anti-pandemic medical equipment worth
VND13 billion The Vietnam
Fatherland Front, Ho Chi Minh City Chapter held a ceremony on September 11 to
receive medical supplies and medicines worth VND13 billion (US$570,500) in
donations from enterprises and organisations to help the city in the fight against
the COVID-19 pandemic. The Vietnam
Anh Quoc Truong Dai Hung International Pharmaceutical JSC donated 50,000
boxes of herbal medicine worth VND12.5 billion to serve COVID-19 treatment
and the Cao Dai Tin Trading company donated 50 oxygen generators and
accessories worth VND445 million. Between July
1 and September 10, Ho Chi Minh City's Committee for the reception and
distribution of the COVID-19 Prevention and Control Fund received donations
worth over VND1.8 trillion (US$79 million) from 168 organisations,
individuals, international friends, overseas Vietnamese, religious
organisations, agencies, and businesses. *Viet Duc
Hospital said that Phuong Trang Group has just donated 550 oxygen generators
and 300 SpO2 oxygen meters to the COVID-19 Intensive Care Centre under the
Viet Duc Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City to help with the treatment of a large
number of COVID-19 patients. The hospital
has also presented 645 oxygen generators to medical facilities across Ho Chi
Minh City. “Hopefully with these joint efforts, the prevention and control of
COVID-19 pandemic will be successful in the near future,” said hospital
director Tran Binh Giang. * Deputy
Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs of Kien Giang province Nguyen
Viet Thong on September 10 handed over VND100 million to a representative of
the Consulate General of Vietnam in Cambodia’s Preah Sihanouk province to
support Vietnamese people in Cambodia facing difficulties due to the
pandemic. The
Consulate General has so far provided relief aid for more than 8,000
Vietnamese households and workers in provinces covered by the Consulate
General including Preah Sihanouk, Kampot, Kep, Koh Kong, Kampong Speu and
Takeo. Bac Kan promotes investment in tourism The northern
mountainous province of Bac Kan has promoted investment attraction in tourism
over recent years in order to boost its tourism industry and potential and
gradually turn tourism into a spearhead economic sector. The 12th
Provincial Party Congress for the 2020 – 2025 term identified one of its four
key tasks as increasing investment attraction to tourism and industry, with
the focus on the Ba Be lake tourist site, making it a spearhead economic
sector. The Bac Kan Provincial
Party Committee issued Resolution No. 18 on August 12, 2021 on Bac Kan
tourism development in the 2021 – 2025 period, with a vision to 2030. Accordingly,
the province strives to turn the Ba Be tourist area into a national tourist
site and the Nam Cut lake tourist site into a provincial tourist site with
annual tourism revenue of more than VND1 trillion (US$43.8 million). The
resolution expects to attract strategic investors and experienced enterprises
to invest in complex tourist service sites and large-scale tourism projects,
especially accommodation establishments, entertainment complexes, and
high-class resorts while encouraging start-up enterprises and diversified
tourism services and products suitable with local strengths. To realise
the resolution of the Provincial Party Congress, the Provincial People's
Committee issued an action plan, solidifying goals and solutions on local
tourism development with special attention being paid to investment
attraction in this field. The province
will focus on the planning of key tourist areas in line with provincial
planning for the 2021 – 2030 period and plans on the preservation and
restoration of the ATK Cho Don special national relic and Ba Be lake tourism
site, amongst others. The Bac Kan
Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has also provided advice to the
Provincial People's Committee on the plan to promote Bac Kan tourism, typical
tourism products, and the application of information technology in smart
tourism in the province in the 2021 - 2025 period. The
Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has also participated in fostering
local tourism at investment promotion conferences and connecting local
tourism with other provinces and cities across the country. The
department has also organised inter-regional tours, provided training for
human resources and acquired management experience in this field. According to
the Bac Kan Department of Planning and Investment, by the end of July 2021,
the province granted an investment certificate to the Mo Viet Joint Stock
Company to implement an agricultural project in combination with eco-tourism
in Cho Don district. In addition,
the Provincial People's Committee has given the nod to a number of investors
to study and invest in large tourism projects in Ba Be, Cho Don and Cho Moi
including Onsen Fuji Service Travel JSC, Sun Group, FLC Group, Truong Thanh
Vietnam Group JSC, Son Hai Construction and Service JSC, Green Global JSC and
others. The Bac Kan
Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism together with other departments and
localities are trying to create the most favourable conditions for investors
to launch tourism projects. With
synchronous solutions in addition to advantages and great potential, the
tourism sector of Bac Kan province is destined for great breakthroughs in the
future. Source:
VNA/VNS/VOV/VIR/SGT/SGGP/Nhan Dan/Hanoitimes |
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