VIETNAM NEWS HEADLINES MARCH 24
14:46
COVID-19 F1 cases
allowed to go to work, school in HCM City
Ho Chi
Minh City has allowed COVID-19 F1 cases (i.e. those in close contact with
virus infection) to go to work or attend school again under certain
conditions. The decision, which comes into effect
on March 24, applies to fully vaccinated F1 cases or those who have
contracted the virus within three months. These cases are required to
self-monitor their health for at least 10 days from the date of last close
contact with F0. They will undergo a COVID-19 test on day 5 and whenever they
show flulike symptoms. Among other conditions, they are
required to use personal vehicles when travelling from home to destinations,
and strictly abide by COVID-19 measures at the workplace or school. Over the past days Ho Chi Minh City
has made progress in keeping the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak in check. Most
people over 12 years old have been vaccinated, while most infections in the
risk group are asymptomatic or mild, and they have then recovered from the
disease. The decision is to facilitate local
economic recovery efforts after the city recently resumed socio-economic and
cultural activities.  Hanoi moves to speed up smart city project Secretary of the Party Committee of
Hanoi Dinh Tien Dung on March 23 hosted a reception for Japanese Ambassador
to Vietnam Yamada Takio and representatives of the Sumitomo Corporation and
BRG Group of Japan to review the implementation of a smart city project in
the northern area of Hanoi. The Japanese diplomat said the
development of green and smart cities will be one of the cooperation
priorities between Japan and Hanoi. The project is a highlight in the
cooperation between Japan and Vietnam in general and Hanoi in particular, to
practically celebrate the 50th founding anniversary of diplomatic relations
between the two countries in 2023, he stressed. The smart city project aims to build a
city, regarded as the most modern and smartest city in Southeast Asia in the
northern area of Hanoi (covering both sides of Vo Nguyen Giap road) as part
of the Nhat Tan – Noi Bai Route Planning Project. It is expected to create a focal point
for the space and architecture of the capital’s gateway area, provide impetus
for urban development in the northern Red River area, and contribute to the
city's socio-economic development. Robotics competition held for
secondary students of Vietnam, Finland The first edition of the Master Robot
Builders Robot Competition will be held for secondary students of Vietnam and
Finland. The contest is organised by the
Satakunta University of Applied Sciences of Finland, within the framework of
the Vietnam-Finland bilateral cooperation agreement. It will be held online
in English and free of change. Contestants can register at
https://elonake.samk.fi/lomakkeet/11876/lomake.html before April 10. They
will be enabled to participate in three robotics training sessions and a
guiding session in the robotics industry from April 5-8. Groups comprising 3-5 members will
work together to build their robots and submit to the jury by May 8. The most 20 outstanding works will
qualify for the final slated for May 20. The top three winners will walk home
with prizes of 150 EUR (165 USD), 100 EUR and 50 EUR, respectively. Vietnam willing to join
humanitarian efforts for Ukraine Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Permanent
Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations (UN), has affirmed that
Vietnam supports and is always willing to contribute to the UN's humanitarian
relief for Ukraine within its capacity and conditions. Addressing the UN General Assembly’s
11th emergency special session on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine,
Giang reasserted Vietnam’s consistent stance on solving international
disputes by peaceful measures on the basis of respecting international law,
the UN Charter, and the principle of respecting independence, sovereignty and
territorial integrity of other countries, not interfering into their internal
affairs and not using force in international relations. Sharing the international community's
deep concern about the humanitarian situation caused by the war in Ukraine,
the Vietnamese diplomat emphasised that the current urgent priority should be
given to stopping fighting, protecting civilians and essential civilian
infrastructure, deploying humanitarian operations, and evacuating citizens. Committee for foreign NGO
affairs reviews performance of 2021 tasks The Committee for Foreign
Non-Governmental Organisation Affairs (COMINGO) on March 23 held an online
conference to review the implementation of its tasks in 2021 and discuss its
orientations this year. During the meeting, participants
shared information about the international, regional and domestic situation
that directly affect foreign NGO affairs in Vietnam, and results achieved in
2021. Due to impacts caused by the COVID-19
pandemic, foreign NGOs in Vietnam faced many difficulties, especially in
mobilising budget and arranging visits and field-trip activities, the meeting
heard. The disbursement of foreign
non-governmental aid to Vietnam in 2021 hit nearly 233 million USD, an
increase of over 5 percent year-on-year. Of the total, the value of goods,
cash and technical assistance for Vietnam’s fight against COVID-19 totaled
more than 10.6 million USD. The disbursement ratio of foreign
non-governmental aid reached more than 73 percent of the total value
committed in the year, over 2 percent higher than that of 2020. Hanoi to host hot air balloon
festival "Colourful Hanoi” The Hanoi Department of Tourism will
coordinate with relevant agencies to kick off a tourism programme themed “Get
on Hanoi 2022” on March 25 with a series of attractive activities, including
a hot air balloon festival "Colourful Hanoi". The programme is part of activities to
respond to the resumption of tourism activities, welcoming international
tourists in the new normal in the capital city. This is the first event in a series of
activities to be organised in Hanoi during 2022, such as the Hanoi tourism gift
festival, Hanoi tourism festival, food and handicraft village tourism
festival, and Ao dai Hanoi festival. This is a combination of music, lights
and images of Hanoi's destinations; along with the screening of the short
film "Colourful Hanoi", music and visual art "Charming
Hanoi", visual art Love Hanoi, musical and art performance "Get on
Hanoi 2022". In particular, the event also
introduces low-hanging hot air balloons on Dinh Tien Hoang Street, with ten
one-level hot air balloons (10m high) and one seven-level hot air balloon
(22m high). The programme will broadcast online
through digital platforms: YouTube, the municipal Department of Tourism’s
fanpage and the “Get On Hanoi” fanpage. During the hot air balloon festival on
March 25- 27 , the municipal Department of Tourism will coordinate with VMG
Media JSC to organise a programme to introduce three new tourism products
with hot air balloons, and perform at the same time 22 hot air balloons.
Visitors will experience flying up in hot air balloons to see Hanoi from
above. HCM City, World Bank work to
intensify partnership Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City
People’s Committee Phan Van Mai had a meeting with visiting World Bank (WB)
Regional Vice President for East Asia and Pacific Manuela V. Ferro on March 23
to discuss ways for enhancing cooperation. Highly valuing HCM City’s role in the
Vietnamese economy, Ferro affirmed that the WB is proud to help with
designing a new growth driver for HCM City to become a modern and
worth-living city. As many other cities around the world
are facing challenges similar to those of HCM City, the WB is ready to
connect the southern largest economic hub of Vietnam with typical foreign
cities to exchange experience in dealing with those challenges, she
suggested. The WB Regional Vice President
recommended HCM City pay more attention to promoting investment, create an
investment climate attractive to foreign businesses which are planning to
shift to Vietnam, and step up attracting private resources to priority areas. The WB will continue working closely
with HCM City and boost the joint working group’s coordination to identify
priority areas, effective measures, and feasible action plans, Ferro added. At the meeting, HCM City and the WB
debuted their joint working group, led by Vice Chairman of the municipal
People’s Committee Vo Van Hoan. World Press Photo Exhibition
2021 opens in Ho Chi Minh City Winning works of the World Press Photo
Contest 2021 are being on display at Le Van Tam Park of Ho Chi Minh City. The exhibition was launched by the
Consulate General of the Netherlands in the city on March 23 evening,
introducing visitors to 159 outstanding photos of last year’s contest. This is an practical activity towards
the celebration of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties in 2023, Dutch
Consul General Daniel Stork said. According to him, the World Press
Photo Contest is the world’s leading contest for professional press
photographers and reporters. Last year’s contest received over 74,000 photos
of 4,315 photographers from 130 countries and territories. Its winning photos
have been exhibited in nearly 90 countries over the globe. The exhibition in Ho Chi Minh City
will remain open to the public till the end of April 10. Vietnam’s U23 tie goalless
with Iraq at Dubai Cup 2022 Vietnam’s U23 squad tied goalless with
Iraq in the team’s first match at the Dubai Cup 2022 friendly tournament. Tran Bao Toan and Nghiem Xuan Tu had
chances to score but they lacked accuracy to put the ball into the back of
the net. Ten football teams from Asia and
Europe will compete at the event, including Uzbekistan, China, Saudi Arabia,
Japan and hosts the UAE. Each team will play three matches throughout the
tourney, which will be held from March 23-29. Vietnam will play Croatia in the
second round on March 26 and the team's third match is slated for three days
later. Vietnam provided with 7
million USD worth of innovative drug for haemophilia The World Federation of Haemophilia
(WFH) has provided Vietnam with an additional 5,670 vials of Emicizumab,
worth over 161 billion VND (7.04 million USD), for the treatment of
haemophilia, according to the National Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion
(NIHBT). Haemophilia is an inherited genetic
disorder that impairs the body’s ability to make blood clots, caused by
decreased or abnormal function of coagulation factors VIII and IX. It can
cause a person to bleed even without being injured for a long duration and
repeat many times. Approved by the US Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA), Emicizumab is
deemed as an innovative prophylaxis for haemophilia A in Vietnam as the drug
helps prevent and reduce the frequency of bleeding episodes in patients.
However, the drug is very expensive since it is estimated that a 50-kg
patient needs to spend around 4 billion VND worth of the drug a year. Last year, Vietnam received 4,410
vials of Emicizumab, worth 125 billion VND, from the WFH. The drug has been
given free of charge to patients with haemophilia A. Quang Ninh's preparations in
full swing to meet deadline for SEA Games 31 Quang Ninh will host seven out of 40
sports in the Games, including volleyball and women’s football. The
province’s organising board for SEA Games 31 also gives priorities to
communications and logistics tasks. To date, Quang Ninh has fundamentally
arranged accommodation facilities with more than 3,000 rooms for organisers
and sport delegations. A 5,000-seat gymnasium which will host indoor
volleyball matches has been upgraded. Some 163 billion VND (7.13 million
USD) was allocated to double the capacity of Cam Pha Stadium, which is the
venue for women’s football, to 16,000 seats. An additional 83 billion VND was
disbursed to improve function facilities at the stadium. In addition, about 300 volunteers have
been recruited to support delegations during the region's biggest sport
event. About 1,725 members of delegations are projected to travel to Quang Ninh,
including 978 athletes. Nationwide ceremony kicks
start environmental protection events A hybrid nationwide ceremony has been
held by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources to kick start a
series of events to mark World Water Day, World Meteorological Day, and Earth
Hour 2022, all to be celebrated this month. The March 23 ceremony brought together
63 cities and provinces and 400 international organisations, non-governmental
organisations, diplomatic corps in Vietnam, Vietnamese ministries and
agencies. The event also honoured winners of a
competition entitled “Hydro-meteorology in me” designed for secondary and
high school students. In response to the Earth Hour 2022,
the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources is calling all people and
organisations to switch off lights and non-essential electronic devices for
an hour, from 8:30pm to 9:30pm, on March 26. A host of activities will be held to
educate people on a green and healthy lifestyle and the harmful effects of
illegal hunting and consumption of wildlife animals while schools are asked
to organise environmental awareness classes and relevant extracurricular
activities. Da Lat among leading must-see
flower destinations globally Travel website Booking.com has
unveiled a list of the top flower destinations from across the world,
including Da Lat in the Central Highland region of Vietnam. Often dubbed the city of thousands of
flowers, Da Lat is home to various flower parks, farms, and festivals, each
one serving to decorate the city with colourful blooms and rich green
landscapes, the article states. The travel website also suggests
visitors spend their days exploring the Da Lat Flower Gardens and wandering
around the grounds, taking in some of the fragrant lilies, chrysanthemums,
and diverse orchids which the city is famous for. GM Quang Liem progresses to
semi-finals of Charity Cup Vietnamese grandmaster Le Quang Liem
won a place in the semi-finals of the online rapid chess tournament - the
Charity Cup - after recording a solid win over David Navara of the Czech
Republic on March 24. Liem held the advantage of playing
with the white pieces as the game began, allowing him to easily win the first
set, before Navara quickly equalised the score in the second set. The GM then made a spectacular
comeback in the third set, helping him to secure a victory after 27 moves.
The fourth set ended in a draw. The final score means Liem has progressed
through to the Charity Cup’s semi-finals. Liem is set to face Jan-Krzysztof Duda
of Poland in the semi-final round which is due to be held on March 25. Night performance to kick off
national tourism year in Quang Nam More than 200 dancers and artists will
stage an art performance: ‘The Mỹ Sơn Sanctuary Legendary Night’ in the
central province’s Duy Xuyên District today marking a significant event of
the National Tourism Year – Quảng Nam 2022. The province said the performance
would begin at 4pm at the UNESCO-recognised world heritage site in Duy Phú
Commune, 40km from Hội An, featuring a series of cultural performances, arts
and handcrafts demonstrations throughout the day. Visitors will explore the old culture
of Chăm people and the Vietnamese community by joining exhibitions and
demonstrations of wood sculpture, weaving, terra-cotta, cuisine and the
beauty of the Chăm tower complex. Meanwhile, a Balloon Day will be
hosted by Đà Nẵng City, marking the restart of international flight when
Singapore Airlines and Thai Vietjet carry the first international tourists to
Đà Nẵng on March 27. Regional minimum wage
increase to be considered The Vietnam General Confederation
of Labour (VGCL) has proposed the National Wages Council adjust the regional
minimum wage to meet workers’ and the labour market’s demand. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic over the
past two years, the regional minimum wage has not been adjusted. It is still
based on the Decree 90/2019/NĐ-CP of the Government, starting January 1,
2020. On April 15, the Ministry of Labour,
Invalids and Social Affairs will conduct a survey of enterprises on labour
issues, wages and minimum living standards. The results will be used as a
basis for developing content on regional minimum wages next year and related
policies. After the survey, the concerned agency
will clarify more about the regional minimum wage adjustment, he said. On August 5, 2020, at a meeting in Hà
Nội, Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and Chairman of
the National Wages Council Lê Văn Thanh declared that the region-based
minimum wage would not be adjusted in 2021. The minimum wage for workers in Region
1, which covers Hà Nội and HCM City’s urban areas, is set to maintain at
VNĐ4.42 million (US$191.39). Region 2, covering Hà Nội and HCM City’s rural
areas, along with major urban areas in the country like Cần Thơ, Đà Nẵng and
Hải Phòng, will be VNĐ3.92 million. Those in Region 3, or provincial cities
and the districts of Bắc Ninh, Bắc Giang and Hải Dương provinces, will earn
at least VNĐ3.43 million a month, while Region 4, or the rest of the country,
will receive a minimum of VNĐ3.07 million. Thai Nguyen to host final
round of Miss World Vietnam 2022 The final round of Miss World Vietnam
2022 is set to take place from April 4 to April 24 in Danko City in the
northern province of Thai Nguyen. The organising board will also present
minor title of Miss Fashion to the round’s outstanding beauty. The event will be broadcast live on
VTV2, VTV6, and other 13 channels across the country. Miss World Vietnam was launched for
the first time in 2019, with the competition aiming to find a Vietnamese
representative at the Miss World beauty pageant. Women aged 18 to 27 who are
at least 1.65 metres tall and have had no cosmetic surgery are eligible to
enter the contest. Participation is limited to unmarried women who have never
given birth or parented a child. Chibooks attends book fairs
in Thailand Vietnam’s Chi Culture Joint Stock
Company (Chibooks) will attend the 50th National Book Fair and the 20th
Bangkok International Book Fair 2022, which are set to be held in Bangkok,
Thailand, from March 26 to 31. Within the events, Chibooks will
introduce 50 Vietnamese book titles released by Chibooks and Saigon Books
that have won great interest from readers. The book titles covered various topics
ranging from culture, customs, and natural landscapes of Vietnam as well as
education, economies, and children’s books. In addition, representatives from the
company will also participate in seminar entitled ‘Enhancing book copyright
transactions on in post COVID-19 pandemic area’, a meeting of the Publishers
and Booksellers Association of Thailand (PUBAT), and discussions on promoting
cooperation among publishers in the Southeast Asia. Food poisoning cases linked
to Lien Hoa Bakery in Dalat rise to 84 Some 36 more people were hospitalized
over food poisoning after eating bread from the Lien Hoa Bakery in Dalat
City, Lam Dong Province, raising the total number of food poisoning
hospitalizations linked to the bakery to 84 between March 18 and 23. The provincial health authority said
today, March 23, that these 36 cases were admitted to the Lam Dong Province
General Hospital and the Hoan My Hospital in Dalat for emergency treatment
from March 22 to 23. The Hoan My hospital, since yesterday
morning, received 23 more cases of foodborne illness. They said they
developed symptoms of digestive disorder, nausea, fever and diarrhea after
eating the Lien Hoa bread. Similarly, the Lam Dong general hospital admitted
13 more cases yesterday, reported Tuoi Tre newspaper. The authorities are working on the
case. Two killed after truck
overturns Two people were killed and six others
injured after a truck lost control on a slope on Provincial Road 757 in Binh
Phuoc Province, and flipped over today, March 23. After the vehicle overturned, the
walls of an eatery which the truck hit collapsed, killing Bui Thi Lan, aged
11, and La Van Dai, aged 39, who lived in the district. The victims were
eating inside at the time. An electricity pole nearby also broke,
resulting in Bu Nho Commune losing electricity. On the same day, Dong Nai Province
witnessed a collision between a passenger coach, a motorcycle and a
tractor-trailer on National Highway 51. Many passengers in the passenger
coach were injured, while the front of the coach was crushed. The accident caused a severe traffic
jam on the national highway. Coca-Cola Foundation supports
WWF to address water challenges in Vietnam The Coca-Cola Foundation is supporting
WWF-Vietnam to help improve the capacity of wetlands, a nature-based solution
to sustainable livelihood and biodiversity enhancement in the face of the
unpredictable drought and flood patterns in Upper part of the Mekong Delta.
Long-term and continued support from The Coca-Cola Foundation to WWF-Vietnam
to address water challenges to become more resilient to climate changes. The Coca-Cola Foundation on March 23
announces its continuing support of US$150.000 (equivalently to VND3,5
billion) for WWF-Vietnam to enhance the natural ability of ecosystems to
control water flow and absorption capacity of Tram Chim National Park and
surrounding floodplains. The support will contribute to the
restoration of its health and natural function of the 2000th world Ramsar
site, a designation given in recognition of the previous success of
rehabilitation work in the national park. Smartphone users warned of
fake troubleshooting calls Functional agencies lately have warned
citizens of criminals impersonating operators of major network carriers to
take control of subscribers’ SIM via fake troubleshooting calls, and then
illegally sign in bank accounts to steal money. VinaPhone warns its customers against
sending the code ‘**21*Số điện thoại#’ when being instructed by a strange
call. Also, if customers discover that their phone cannot receive any calls,
they have to immediate send the SMS ‘##21#’ to cancel the Call Forward
function, followed by contacting VinaPhone’s free hotline 18001091 to check
the security status. Similarly, MobiFone subscribers need
to dial its hotline 9090 to verify whether the person contacting them are
truly MobiFone employees or not. They are warned against sharing their OTP
codes, passwords, sensitive information, bank accounts, PIN code to
unreliable sources. Viettel asks that its customers
strictly observe all laws of the country as well as its regulations regarding
sign-up information provision. Users are advised to beware of calls from
strangers for SIM upgrade or prize winning purposes. HCMC issues regulations on
management coordination of foreign workers The People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh
City has just issued regulations on coordination in state management of
foreign workers working in enterprises in the city, taking effect on March
28. The regulations set out the duties of
the Municipal Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, the Municipal
Department of Public Security, the People's Committees of districts, Thu Duc
City and many organizations, individuals without arising from procedures
related to the work permit to create conditions for enterprises to strictly
comply with regulations on recruitment and usage of foreign workers. According to the regulations, the
information, documents and data provided by the agencies must be used for the
right purposes for state management. It is strictly prohibited to take
advantage of this information for unauthorized purposes. Currently, 27,000 foreign workers are
working in the city, including many experts and managers of key projects. HCMUT introduces robotic
gloves for stroke patients A group of students from Ho Chi Minh
City University of Technology (HCMUT) has successfully invented robotic
gloves to help patients recovering from strokes to hold objects and restore
hand movements. This meaningful product aims at supporting arm movements of
stroke patients who are rehabilitating at home. The fingers of robotic gloves are made
from flexible and soft materials (liquid rubber solutions) in order to grasp
objects easily without deforming them. Their movement mechanism is according
to the pneumatic principle. The elbow of these gloves are attached
with sensors that can read signals from the hand muscles and then transmit
them to the soft fingers via wires. Receiving these signals, the gloves have
their fingers automatically inflated with air to bend and help users’ fingers
move as well so that they can hold objects. The product has been recognized and
published on IEEE Xplore journal of the International Electrical Engineers
Association. HCMC sets new evaluation
criteria of advanced, integrated schools Accordingly, for advanced-credited
kindergarten teaching children aged 3 to 6, the number of pupils not being
more than 30 students per class as criteria to be advanced and integrated
schools. All children in advanced-credited schools have their nutritious
lunch at schools without cases of illnesses and food poisoning. In addition, they also receive medical
check-ups including their height and weight measures, which are important
when tracking a child's growth. For advanced-credited primary schools,
the criteria for personnel and facilities are similar to that of preschools.
The total number of students is no more than 35 students per class, all
students can study two shifts a day. Additionally, all primary teachers can
communicate in English and have computer skills. Half of the students have to
achieve certificates of English and computer output standards according to
international standards after graduating from primary school. Swimming safety
and preventing drowning must be made compulsory for all students. As for advanced-credited secondary
schools and senior high schools, 80 percent of teachers must win the title of
excellent teachers at school level and 30 percent of teachers win the title
of excellent teaching at the district level. The ability to use English
communication is required for all teachers while the foreign language
teachers must have teaching language competence two levels higher than the
general level. Can Tho to inaugurate temple
of Hung Kings on April 6 A temple commemorating Hung Kings will
be inaugurated in the Mekong Delta City of Can Tho on April 6, announced the
municipal People’s Committee at a press conference on March 22. The construction of the Hung Kings’
Temple covering an area of more than 39,000 square meters in Binh Thuy
Districts has been completed in 30 months. The project includes main works,
including a temple, a management and administration area, a stele house, a
courtyard, park and among. The temple was built at a total capital of VND129
billion (US$5.7 million) and aims to commemorate and worship the Hung Kings
who are the founders and first emperors of the nation. At the press conference, the city's
authorities also provided information on the organization of the 3rd National
Southern Amateur Music Festival and the 9th Southern Folk Cake Festival. The two festivals will take place at
at Binh Thuy District’s square On April 6-11 with the participation of 21
provinces and cities in the Southeast and Mekong Delta regions, aiming at
promoting traditional cuisines and culture, tourism potentials of the
Vietnam’s South. Source:
VNA/SGT/VOV/VNS/SGGP/VIR/Hanoitimes |
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