Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam speaks at an online meeting with the Government’s Special Working Group and representatives from six southern provinces on Thursday about the COVID-19 situation in the south. Photo courtesy of the HCM City Press Centre HCM CITY — Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam has urged southern provinces to work with HCM City to enforce strict COVID-19 prevention measures and be ready to aid the city in the fight against the virus. Đam, head of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, said it was important to prevent the spread of the virus between HCM City and neighbouring provinces while ensuring circulation of goods in the region. He spoke on Thursday at an online meeting with the Government’s Special Working Group and representatives from six southern provinces (An Giang, Kiên Giang, Hậu Giang, Cà Mau, Bạc Liêu and Sóc Trăng). Đam stressed the role of organisations such as community COVID-19 groups that “go to every …
Prime Minister meets UK Secretary of State for Defence
During the meeting, Prime Minister Chinh suggested the UK promote the implementation of the UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement , encourage its businesses to invest in Vietnam and facilitate Vietnamese goods' access to its market. The Vietnamese government leader called for strengthening cooperation between the two Ministries of Defense at both bilateral and multilateral fora. He proposed that the Government of the UK create conditions for Vietnam to receive vaccines under the COVAX facility and quickly transfer vacine production technology to Vietnam. Ben Wallace affirmed the UK always attaches importance to its strategic partnership with Vietnam. He spoke highly of the southeast Asian nation’s important contributions to the region and the world at large. Wallace said the UK Ministry of Defense is ready to work closely with its Vietnamese counterpart in enhancing exchanges, strengthening mutual trust and working together on the basis of mutual benefit. The same day, …
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Vietnam – U.K.’s leading partner in Asia-Pacific: British Minister of State for Asia
Adams said the U.K. wants to strengthen the comprehensive cooperation with Vietnam in politics, economy, and national defense and security, in the context of the U.K. adjusting its policy towards the Indo-Pacific. Dung spoke highly of the development of the Vietnam-U.K. strategic partnership, and suggested the U.K. continue to help Vietnam access vaccines supplies and provide the country with medical equipment like ventilators and quick test kits so that Vietnam can quickly stamp out the resurgence of COVID-19. The two sides agreed to step up meetings between their high-ranking leaders, both online and in-person, and soon resume regular delegation exchanges and major cooperation mechanisms such as the strategic defense and security dialogue at the deputy foreign ministerial level. Regarding economic cooperation, they emphasized the need to closely coordinate to popularize and optimize opportunities generated by the U.K.-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA) to create …
Vietnam’s daily Covid-19 case number exceeds 7,000
Vietnam’s daily Covid-19 case number exceeds 7,000 The Saigon Times A medical worker takes samples from a woman for Covid-19 testing. Vietnam reported over 3,409 new Covid-19 cases, including 3,397 domestic infections and 12 imported cases, on Friday evening - PHOTO: VNA HCMC - The Ministry of Health confirmed 3,397 new domestic Covid-19 infections in 30 cities and provinces and 12 imported cases this evening, July 23, sending the country’s total number of new infections in a single day to an all-time high of 7,307. Southern localities took the lead in terms of new infections this eveninh, with 1,611 cases detected in HCMC, 571 in Binh Duong, 379 in Long An, 184 in Dong Nai, 176 in Tay Ninh, 98 in Dong Thap, 58 in Tien Giang and 58 in Ba Ria-Vung Tau. Besides, the ministry confirmed 56 cases in Hanoi, 51 in Khanh Hoa, 26 in Quang Ngai, 24 each in Binh Thuan and Can Tho, 18 in Ninh Thuan and 15 in Phu Yen. Dak Nong, Tra Vinh, Binh Dinh, Binh Phuoc, Hau Giang, Bac …
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AstraZeneca Vietnam supports treatment of non-communicable diseases
Nitin Kapoor, chairman of AstraZeneca Vietnam and Asia Asia Frontier Markets (second right), presents the donation to Deputy Minister of Health Truong Quoc Cuong (second, left) on Friday. —Photo courtesy of the British Embassy in Vietnam AstraZeneca Vietnam on Friday donated 150,000 boxes of medicine worth VND62.6 billion to the Ministry of Health to support the treatment of non-communicable disease patients during the coronavirus pandemic. Viet Nam is facing the fourth outbreak of the virus with surging cases across the country. Amid the pandemic, the country is also facing the rise of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) that are currently the leading cause of death, accounting for about 70 per cent of the local disease burden. Nationwide, 77 out of 100 deaths are due to NCDs, of which cardiovascular diseases account for 31 per cent, cancer 19 per cent, COPD 6 per cent, and diabetes 4 per cent. In addition, underlying conditions of NCDs are also aggravating and risk factors for …
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Diplomacy switches up a gear for wider vaccine coverage
Vietnam has secured commitments to receive 105 million vaccine doses. Photo: Le Toan Last week, State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc held a phone call with Romanian President Klaus Werner Iohannis, reaffirming both nations’ ever-increasing cooperation across many areas, with a highlight in sharing experiences in fighting the current pandemic. Praising Vietnam’s efforts and achievements in fighting COVID-19, President Iohannis said his government will give Vietnam 100,000 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, and will consider giving more in the future. Earlier on July 10, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh also had a phone call with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi. Both leaders said that the two countries will further tighten cooperation, with mutual support in pushing back the pandemic. PM Chinh suggested that the Indian government prioritise to assist Vietnam in access to vaccines in different forms as fast as possible, and also cooperate in transferring vaccine-producing …
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Animal feed producers find fault in ruling
Animal feed producers have been troubled by “unnecessary and costly” conformity regulations From July 1, enterprises must complete procedures for conformity declaration for entire types of animal feed and supplements on an annual basis. In a meeting organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s (MARD) Livestock Production Department (LPD) on July 12, with the participation of Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Hoang Hiep, representatives of many producers and associations raised their voices to propose abolishing the regulation. Nguyen Van Tue, deputy general director of Dabaco Group, told VIR that the requirement on conformity declaration is unnecessary because animal feed producers already comply with the regulations in terms of facilities, workforce, and research and development during the operation process. “Besides that, producers register quality standards for every product and they have to be in charge of the products.” In …
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Vietnam sets to significantly cut use of single-use plastics by 2025
Illustrative photo. (Source: moitruongxanhvn.com) Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam aims to use 100 percent of environmentally-friendly plastic bags and packaging at shopping malls and supermarkets by 2025, according to a project on strengthening management of plastic waste in Vietnam approved by Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh on July 22. Other goals include to collect, reuse, recycle and treat 85 percent of plastic waste; to reduce the volume of plastic waste dumped to ocean by half; to have 100 percent of tourism complexes, hotels and other lodging facilities not use non-biodegradable plastic bags and single-use plastic products by 2025. Additionally, the project will gradually cut the production and consumption of non-biodegradable plastic bags and single-use plastic products in daily life; while raising awareness among organisations, enterprises and the community about the harmful effects of single-use plastic items to the environment, ecosystem and human health, and …
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SEA Games finally ditched until next year
Vietnam last held the SEA Games in 2003, but will have to wait to do so a second time. Photo: Le Toan Earlier this month, the SEA Games organising committee and National Olympic Councils finally decided to halt preparations for the event, which was due to take place in Hanoi and surrounding areas from November 21 to December 2. The accompanying ASEAN Para Games were to be hosted on December 17-23. Ten of the 11 member countries voted to postpone the event until next year during the federation’s teleconference meeting this week. The Vietnamese delegation abstained, explaining it would have to talk to government officials before deciding on a rescheduled date for the games. A number of members have proposed new dates from the end of April to early May 2022. Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham Tolentino announced after the latest meeting on July 8 that the SEA Games Federation had unanimously decided on the postponement of the biennial event. “We’re united in the …
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