VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES JANUARY 8
15:26 Lao Prime
Minister begins Vietnam visit Politburo member and Prime Minister of
Laos Phankham Viphavanh arrived in Hanoi on January 8 morning,
begining his official visit to Vietnam from January 8-10 at the
invitation of his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh. The Lao PM is accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister of Naitonal Defence Chansamone Chanyalath; Deputy PM, Minister
of Planning and Investment and Chairman of the Laos - Vietnam Cooperation
Committee Sonexay Siphandone; Minister of Foreign Affairs Saleumxay
Kommasith, and other ministers and officials. It is the first visit by a foreign high-ranking leader
to Vietnam this year, showing determination of the two countries’ leaders in
promoting Vietnam - Laos special ties and effectively carrying out the
Vietnam - Laos Joint Statement in June 2021. 30 Omicron cases detected in
Vietnam The Ministry of Health (MoH) has confirmed 30 Omicron
cases in Vietnam since the first case was detected in late December 2021. All these cases were documented upon their arriving
from overseas, said the MoH, adding that most of the cases were mild and
asymptomatic. According to the MoH, more Omicron cases would be
recorded in Vietnam in the coming weeks as more Vietnamese people are
returning to the homeland for the coming Lunar New Year holiday (Tet).
Therefore, it warned the risk of virus spreading to the community is rather
high. NA’s extraordinary session
looks into draft resolution on fiscal, monetary policies Legislators on January 7 debated online a draft
resolution on fiscal and monetary policies to support the programme on
socio-economic recovery and development, as part of the first extraordinary
session of the 15th National Assembly. Most of them agreed on the need to issue the
resolution, saying it demonstrates the hope of people and businesses for a
better future. Minister of Finance Ho Duc Phoc, Governor of the State
Bank of Vietnam (SBV) Nguyen Thi Hong and Minister of Planning and Investment
Nguyen Chi Dung cleared up issues of deputies’ concern. During the working session, the lawmakers also looked
into a draft resolution on the pilot application of special mechanisms and
policies for the development of Can Tho city. Korean man jailed for six
years for arranging illegal exit The Hanoi People’s Court on January 7
sentenced Kang Joon-ho, a 74-year-old man from the Republic of Korea (RoK),
to six years in prison for arranging illegal exit for Vietnamese
citizens. His two Vietnamese accomplices, Trinh Ba Huy and Pham
Van Sang were given 36 months on probation and 4 years behind bar,
respectively, on the same charge. On June 1, 2020, Hanoi's police received documents
about a case involving six residents in Chuong My district who sought to fly
to the RoK’s Jeju island for work on tourism visas. Five of them admitted that on October 5, 2019, they
departed for Jeju but a man named Nguyen Van Doan was denied for exit
at Noi Bai International Airport. The remaining five people were later
forced to return home on October 9, 2019. They said they were introduced by Huy to fly to the RoK
as tourists, then seek jobs there. Sang admitted that he previously helped
Kang bring six others to Jeju from Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho
Chi Minh City, who then stayed there for work. Miss Vietnam tests negative
for COVID-19 in US Do Thi Ha, the Vietnamese representative at the Miss
World 2021 pageant, received a negative COVID-19 test result following two
weeks of treatment in the US. Ha announced the information via her Facebook page on
January 7, adding that she had been given a negative PCR test and quick test
results. The girl said that her health condition now remains
stable and she is still waiting for her final PCR test. Ha hopes to quickly recover so she can return home for
the upcoming Lunar New Year, known locally as Tet. The Vietnamese beauty queen said on December 23 that
she had tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, forcing her to cancel her
return flight to Vietnam and stay in the US for COVID-19 treatment. Cau Giay District to suspend
in-person dining services as COVID risk level raised to high Cầu Giấy District in Hà Nội will stop offering
in-person dining services as the district’s COVID risk level has been
changed from medium (yellow) to high risk (orange). Restaurants and coffee shops must switch from dine-in
services to takeaways. Activities with crowd gatherings will be banned. The
district’s authorities are working on a detailed plan for the suspension.
Adjustments will be valid 48 hours after an official document is issued. Eleven districts in the city are currently at a
high-risk level of COVID-19 infection: Ba Đình, Hai Bà Trưng, Hoàn Kiếm,
Hoàng Mai, Long Biên, Nam Từ Liêm, Tây Hồ, Gia Lâm, Thanh Trì, Thanh Xuân and
Cầu Giấy. Since the fourth wave broke out, Hà Nội has reported
62,908 cases and 211 fatalities. Two more provinces to inspect
procurement of Covid test kits Aside from HCMC, two Mekong Delta provinces - Kien
Giang and Bac Lieu - have announced that they will launch inspections into
the procurement of Covid-19 test kits. Yesterday, January 5, Nguyen Van Duc, chief inspector
of Kien Giang Province, said the province had decided to look into joint
ventures and cooperation deals involving medical services and the procurement
of medical supplies and Covid test kits at hospitals and clinics across the
province in 45 days. Those subject to the inspections include the provincial
General Hospital, the Traditional Medicine Hospital, and the Oncology
Hospital. The same day, the inspectorates of Bac Lieu Province
made the same move, with the inspection lasting 70 days. Entities subject to
the inspection include the provincial Health Department, the Bac Lieu Center
for Disease Control, hospitals and medical centers throughout the province. First Covid ward in HCMC
hospital established The HCMC Department of Health has allowed Children’s
Hospital 1 to establish a Covid-19 ward, the first of its kind in the
southern city. According to the hospital, the 150-bed ward will be put
into operation tomorrow, January 7, with two separate areas, the local media
reported. The Covid-19 treatment area has 120 beds for patients
with mild and moderate symptoms. Meanwhile, the recuperation area with 30
beds will admit and treat those in critical condition, who need HFNC,
noninvasive and invasive positive pressure ventilation and ECMO support. In addition, the ward will include a negative pressure
operating room for children infected with Covid-19. The head of the ward is Associate Professor Dr Phung
Nguyen The Nguyen, who is deputy head of Children’s Hospital 1’s intensive
care and poisoning control ward. HCM City reduces COVID
home-treatment period from 14 days to 10 COVID-19 patients treated at home in HCM City and cured
now have to stay home only for 10 days and not 14, the city Department of
Health has said. They had to stay at home for at least 14 days even if
they had recovered several days earlier, but now they no longer have to
self-isolate once they are cured. COVID patients can treat themselves at home if they are
asymptomatic or only have slight symptoms, and are aged between three months
and 64 years. They must not have underlying medical conditions or be
pregnant or obese, and should have received two vaccine shots. Patients who do not satisfy the above conditions can
still remain home if their underlying conditions are stable or they show no
signs of health problems or are fully vaccinated. Children or people who cannot care for themselves need
to have caretakers. If a patient qualifies for home treatment but has a
family member at high risk, they will be encouraged to quarantine elsewhere
or sent to a public facility. Traffic Safety Year 2022
launched in Hanoi The National Committee for Traffic Safety in
collaboration with the Hanoi People’s Committee on January 6 held a ceremony
to kick off the Traffic Safety Year 2022. According to the National Committee for Traffic Safety,
as of December 14, 2021, 11,495 traffic accidents had occurred across the
country, killing 5,799 people and injuring 8,018 others, down 23.32 percent,
15.55 percent, and 28.16 percent year-on-year, respectively. As many as 55 provinces and centrally-run cities recorded
a strong decrease in the number of fatalities due to traffic accidents
compared to 2020. Notably, An Giang and Son La provinces reported a decrease
of over 40 percent. Traffic police had handled 2.88 million violation
cases, giving out fines of over 2.8 trillion VND (123 million USD), revoking
248,6000 driving licences and sequestering 460,000 vehicles./. JICA donates medical
equipment to Hue Central Hospital The project will deliver six batches of 11 different
types of equipment, with a total value of 200 million yen, or roughly VND39.3
billion. Photo exhibition spotlights
50 years of ties with India A photo exhibition aimed at highlighting five decades
of diplomatic relations with India opened on January 6 in Hanoi. On display at the event are photographs showcasing the
landscape and daily lives of people in both Hanoi and New Delhi. The photo exhibition is jointly held by
the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre, the Indian Embassy in Vietnam,
and the Vietnam-India Friendship Association of Hanoi (HAVIFA). The event is open at the Swami Vivekananda
Cultural Centre on 63 Tran Hung Dao street in Hanoi from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
every day, and will last through to January 8. Two Vietnamese doctors
honoured at AFC Medical Awards Vietnamese doctors Nguyen Trong Hien and Pham Thi Thuy
will receive the AFC Football Medicine Award for 15 years dedicated service,
the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced on January 6. Currently, Dr Hien is head of the National Sports
Training Center’s Sports Medicine Department. Dr Pham Thi Thuy is notable for taking charge of the
national women’s football team between 2000 and 2018. She has since assumed
the role of deputy head of the Outpatient Department at the Vietnam Sports
Hospital. New heads of pagodas in
Truong Sa appointed The Executive Board of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha
(VBS) in the south-central coastal province of Khanh Hoa has held a ceremony
announcing decisions on the appointment of heads of six pagodas in Truong Sa
island district. The six establishments are on Truong Sa Dong, Song Tu
Tay, Sinh Ton Dong, Truong Sa Lon, Phan Vinh, and Nam Yet. Khanh Hoa’s Buddhist information and communication
board on January 6 cited Most Venerable Thich Minh Thong as saying at the
ceremony that border residents have a limited material, spiritual and
religious life due to geographical difficulties. Khanh Hoa is home to nine pagodas located on islands of
Truong Sa district. Hanoi restores old French
villa
Hanoi is home to many classical French
architectural works, including a number of villas built in the early 20th
century. One old villa in the downtown area - after many years of being empty
- is now being renovated in the expectation of “reviving” a heritage site in
the heart of Vietnam’s capital. According to figures from the Hanoi Department of
Construction, there are 1,253 old French houses and villas in the
city built before 1954 and on a list of being in need of preservation. This is the perspective after the project is completed
and restored. The site will become a place of cultural exchange, with a host
of activities to promote the cultural and architectural heritage values of
the capital. Dien Bien holds reburial
service for fallen Vietnamese soldiers A ceremony was held at Tong Khao cemetery in the
northern mountainous province of Dien Bien on January 6 to rebury remains of
six Vietnamese volunteer soldiers who died for international missions in
Laos. The unidentified remains were found by Military Zone
2’s searching team with the help of competent forces in Laos. Cai luong opera
star releases music video online People’s Artist Bạch Tuyết, a cải
lương (reformed opera) performer, has made waves with a new
music video, released on YouTube on January 3. The video for Mang Tiền Về Cho Mẹ (Bring
Money to Your Mother) is a cải lương version of the same
song by rapper Đen Vâu. Her version has attracted more than 115,800 views on
YouTube. Rapper Đen’s version, released on YouTube last
month, attracted more than 22 million views. Re-selling of Molnupiravir in
drugstores strictly prohibited: MOH Molnupiravir, which is being used to treat mild
COVID-19 patients under a trial program in Việt Nam, is not allowed for
sale on the open market. Molnupiravir's price has reportedly skyrocketed at some
local drugstores, and the Drug Administration of Việt Nam (DAV) has
demanded departments of health at localities to increase inspection and
strictly handle violations, especially in Hà Nội. In order to ensure the safety of users, the DAV also
ordered stronger supervision and examination and punishment over violations
in producing, trading and advertising medicine used for COVID-19 prevention
and control, particularly violations relating to selling drugs of
unknown origin and unreasonable price hikes. The Hà Nội Department of Health was instructed
to focus on inspecting and clarifying information regarding the
reselling of Molnupiravir at local drugstores, and strictly punish
violators. Free oxygen programme in
place for Hanoi's COVID-19 patients As COVID cases continue to rise, the work of volunteers
is proving vital to fight the pandemic. And Việt Nam has no shortage of people willing to
sacrifice their own time for the good of others. One such helper is Nguyễn Quốc Triệu, a student from Hà
Nội University of Science and Technology. For the past six months he has been providing
assistance in Lĩnh Nam Ward in Hà Nội’s Hoàng Mai District along with 11
other young people. With almost 30 new cases reported each day in the ward,
there is a huge need for oxygen, and Triệu is just a phone call away to
deliver cylinders for those in need. Over 2.2 million people leave
cities during Covid-19 pandemic Over 2.2 million people left Vietnam’s major cities for
their hometowns in 2021 after being hard hit by the Covid-19 pandemic
according to the General Statistics Office (GSO). According to a report released on January 6 by GSO,
over 520,000 people left the southern economic hub of Ho Chi Minh City while
over 440,000 left Hanoi. Another 600,000 plus left other southern localities
for their hometowns during the year. Most of these were people who didn't have stable jobs
and housing and were badly affected by the social distancing regulations
applied for Covid-19 prevention during that time, the report said. Head of the GSO's Population and Labour Statistics
Department, Pham Hoai Nam, said the exodus had led to labour shortages in
several industries including textiles and footwear. HCM City sets up one more
Covid-19 treatment hospital HCM City has restructured a Covid-19 field hospital to
serve all mild, moderate and severe Covid-19 patients. The hospital has 1,600 beds, including 600 for
intensive care. It receives Covid-19 cases and then classifies them for
suitable treatment. The first tier is for patients without symptoms or with
mild symptoms. The second tier, mostly at field hospitals and Covid-19
treatment hospitals, receives patients with medium symptoms and underlying
health conditions. Danang aims to attract 3.5
million tourists this year The central city of Danang has set a target to triple
visitor numbers to 3.5 million this year. The municipal Department of Tourism held a meeting on
Wednesday on plans for 2022. The department mentioned two scenarios for the
tourism sector in the year. With the first scenario, the city expects to serve 3.5
million tourists, including 180,000 foreigners, bringing in a total revenue
of VND6.7 trillion (USD291 million), up 2.6 fold on-year. With the second scenario, the city’s tourists would
reach 2.1 million, up 87.8 percent on-year, including 100,000 foreigners. The
city’s tourism revenues are expected to be at VND4 trillion, up two times
on-year. Vietnamese referees vie for
berth at 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup Local referees Cong Thi Dung and Truong Thi Le Trinh
have been selected to officiate matches at the upcoming 2022 AFC Women’s
Asian Cup. According to the statement, Cong Thi Dung is on the
list of reserve referees and Truong Thi Le Trinh is on the list of official
assistant referees or lineswomen. The AFC has also invited six more male referees to participate
as the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) management. VAR will be making its first
appearance at the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup from the quarter-final stage. HCM City top destination to
welcome New Year 2022
Ho Chi Minh (HCM) City and Sapa are still the
most favoured destinations of Vietnamese tourists during the New Year
celebrations. This result is based on booking data for the New Year period on
the online travel booking platform Agoda. HCM City has maintained its position as the top
destination for tourists on New Year’s Eve for 2 consecutive years, while
Sapa in Lao Cai province is prominent in the ranking as it jumped from 7th
place last year to 2nd place this year, pushing Da Lat city in the Central Highlands
province of Lam Dong to 3rd place. Phu Quoc Island in the Mekong Delta province of Kien
Giang ranked 5th and Nha Trang city in the central province of Khanh Hoa
jumped from 8th place last year to 6th this year. Hanoi ranked 4th in
attracting tourists, thanks to the unique French architecture in many famous
tourist destinations. The northern province of Ninh Binh is a new name in the
Top 10 favorite destinations for the New Year this year, because of its
attractive natural beauty and many interesting experiences./. Dak Nong helps Cambodian
province with food, medical supplies The Border Guard Command of the Central Highlands
province of Dak Nong on January 7 presented food and medical supplies to
armed forces of Cambodia’s Mondulkiri province to serve the COVID-19 combat. On this occasion, the two sides exchanged information
about territorial sovereignty, activities of hostile forces and crime at
border areas. Vietnamese, Indian leaders
exchange congratulatory letters Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen
Quoc Dung and Indian Ambassador to Vietnam Pranay Verma in
Hanoi on January 7 exchanged letters of congratulations by Vietnamese and
Indian leaders on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of bilateral
diplomatic ties (January 7). The letters were written by President Nguyen Xuan Phuc
and Indian President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his
counterpart Narendra Modi, National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue and Vice
President and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha (Upper House) Venkaiah Naidu, and
Speaker of the the Lok Sabha (House of Representatives) Om Birla. On the occasion, Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs
Bui Thanh Son exchange his congratulatory message with Indian Minister of
External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. Quang Tri: 227kg bomb successfully
relocated The Peace Trees Vietnam’s mobile bomb and
mine clearance team announced on January 7 that they had successfully
moved a 227kg MK-82 bomb to a safe area to wait for deactivation. The bomb was found by a man in Ta Rung village, Huong
Viet commune, Huong Hoa district, the central province of Quang Tri. Located in a depth of 2m, the bomb has a diameter of
274mm, a length of 1.54m and weighs 227kg. 30 football players summoned
for national team Head coach Park Hang-seo on January 7 proposed summoning
30 players for the national team to prepare for the away match with Australia
in the third Asian qualifier of FIFA World Cup 2022, according to
the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF). It will be also the first gathering of the Vietnamese
team this year. The return of Nguyen Huu Tuan, Nguyen Duc Chien, To Van
Vu, Pham Tuan Hai and especially Do Hung Dung is expected to breathe new life
into the gathering. There are also promising players such as Nguyen Thanh
Binh, Lieu Quang Vinh, Le Van Xuan, Nguyen Trong Long, Le Van Do and Ho Thanh
Minh. Due to injuries, Nguyen Tuan Anh, Do Duy Manh and Ha
Duc Chinh will be absent. As scheduled, the team will gather for training from
January 13. Before their departure to Australia, Park will finalise
the list of 23 players for the match. Hanoi artisans, outstanding
rural industrial products 2021 honoured The Hanoi municipal Department of Industry and
Trade presented the title of Hanoi
artisans and outstanding rural industrial products 2021 during
a ceremony in the capital city on January 7. Among 71 products joining in the selection, 61 were
recognised as outstanding rural industrial products. On the occasion, Hanoi presented the insignia “For the
cause of Vietnam’s industry and trade development” to 57 outstanding
individuals in recognition of their contributions to the sector. Vietnam logs 16,278 COVID-19
cases on January 7 Vietnam recorded 16,278 cases of COVID-19, including 24
imported ones, during 24 hours from 4pm January 6 to 4pm January 7, according
to the Ministry of Health. Hanoi recorded the highest number of infections with
2,723, followed by Hai Phong with 795 and Khanh Hoa with 790. The national tally reached 1,859,841, including 30
infections of Omicron. According to the Ministry of Health’s report, 6,006
patients nationwide are in serious conditions, with 723 requiring invasive
ventilation and 20 on life support (ECMO). On the day, the country saw 233 deaths from the
disease. The death toll now hits 33,877, equal to 1.8 percent of the total
caseload. Virtual photo exhibition
marks 50 years of Vietnam-India cooperation A virtual photo exhibition entitled ‘Vietnam
- India: 50 years of cooperation’ began on January 7. The event is in celebration of the 50th founding
anniversary of the Vietnam - India diplomatic ties (January 7, 1972 - 2022)
and five years since the establishment of the two countries' Comprehensive
Strategic Partnership (September 2016 - 2021). Held by the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) together with the
Embassy of India in Vietnam and the Vietnam - India Friendship Association,
the exhibition can be viewed at https://link.gov.vn/TLAVNAD (in Vietnamese)
and https://link.gov.vn/PICVNAD (in English) until January 11. Draws for 2022 professional
football championships held The Vietnam Professional Football JSC on
January 7 held a draw to arrange the schedules of 2022 professional
football championships slated to take place from February 19 to November
20. Accordingly, 12 clubs namely Ba Ria – Vung Tau, Binh
Phuoc, Can Tho, People’s Public Security, Dak Lak, Hue, Khanh Hoa, Long An,
Pho Hien, Phu Dong, Phu Tho and Quang Nam will compete in the Vietnam
National Football First League (V.League 2) starting from March 5. Meanwhile, the top national football championship
(V.League 1) will see the participation of 13 clubs, including Becamex Binh
Duong, Dong A Thanh Hoa, Hanoi, Hai Phong, Hoang Anh Gia Lai, Hong Linh Ha
Tinh, Nam Dinh, Sai Gon, SHB Da Nang, Song Lam Nghe An, Topenland Binh Dinh,
Ho Chi Minh City and Viettel They will play in 156 home and away matches in 26
rounds, staring from February 19. The National Football Cup 2022 will attract
13 V.League 1 and 12 V.League 2 clubs that will compete in a total
of 24 matches from April 6. Photo exhibition in HCM City
spotlights 50-year Vietnam-India diplomatic ties A photo exhibition on the five-decade journey of the
Vietnam – India diplomatic relations (January 7, 1972 - 2022) opened at the
Ho Chi Minh City Museum on January 7, aiming to help people gain better
understanding on the countries’ traditional friendship and cultural
similarities. On display at the event are 100 black and white photos
regarding the nations’ friendship as well as their
diplomatic-cultural-educational relationship reflected in HCM City. The
photos capture visits exchanged by Indian and Vietnamese leaders like
President Ho Chi Minh (in India, 1958) and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru
(in Vietnam, 1954). The exhibition also introduces bilateral cooperation
activities across all spheres, including economy, politics, defence,
security, trade-investment, science-technolgy, and culture, among others. Home Spring programme to be
held on January 22 The annual “Xuan Que Huong” (Homeland Spring) programme
2022, a run-up to the Lunar New Year festival for Overseas
Vietnamese (OVs), will take place in Hanoi on January 22. President Nguyen Xuan Phuc is expected to extend New
Year wishes to OVs. An art exchange will also be staged on the occasion,
featuring the development of Vietnamese music and harmonisation between
preserving and promoting the traditional cultural values of the nation. The programme will be held in-person and virtual forms
and be broadcast live on Vietnam Television’s VTV1 and VTV4 channels. As many as 300 OVs are expected to take part in the
face-to-face event at the Hanoi Opera House, including 100 persons with
outstanding achievements in such fields as culture, science and technology. Organised regularly since 2008, the programme has
become a much anticipated event attracting a large number of expatriates from
all corners around the globe. Exhibition raises public
awareness on plastic waste reduction An exhibition on plastic waste reduction opened in
Hanoi on January 7, aiming to help change citizens' mindset and behavior
regarding the use of plastic bags and other single-use plastic products. It is co-organised by the Institute of Strategy and
Policy on Natural Resources and Environment (ISPONRE) and the World Wide Fund
for Nature in Viet Nam (WWF-Viet Nam). Taking place at the Vincom Mega Mall Royal City, the
exhibition lasts until January 16. Source: VNA/Nhan Dan/SGT/VOV/VNS/VGP/SGGP |
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