Social distancing

Associations of businesses have asked the Prime Minister to issue new directives on pandemic prevention and control to replace Directives 15 and 16 with regulations that fit the new circumstances. Localities should be allowed to conduct random examinations on people in transfer vehicles at departures and destinations. Enterprise associations in the fields of textile and garment, footwear, beverage, plastics, seafood processing, paper and pulp, forestry, dairy production, and food and foodstuff signed a document to Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh containing a strategic proposal on "preventing and controlling the pandemic by points" to recover production and business safely in the new conditions. The social distancing during the fourth Covid-19 outbreak in Hanoi, HCM City and southern provinces has lasted 2-3 months, which has put a lot of businesses at risk of going bankrupt, disrupted supply chains, and caused workers to lose jobs, and made it more difficult for farmers and …

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Individuals and companies are finding it very difficult to pay rent and other expenses because of closures, Photo: Le Toan Prolonged social distancing and the sharp decline in incomes are burdening many people with active loans from banks. Nguyen Manh Ha, a marketing officer at a footwear company, said that in the past few months, he only earned 70 per cent of his previous income. Meanwhile, Ha’s wife is a trader in Phuoc Binh market in Thu Duc city, which had been closed, leaving her without an income. As a result, the couple currently cannot afford to pay their bank debt of $430 a month for an apartment in Thu Duc city. The total loan of $30,000 involves a fixed interest rate of 10.5 per cent in the first year, which will fluctuate to up to 11.5 per cent per year in the following years. “The sharp decrease in our income forced me to reserve almost all of my salary to pay the loan, and so it is hard for me to cover other expenses,” said Ha. Ha’s case is not unprecedented. …

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Ho Chi Minh City led with 4,237 new cases, followed by Binh Duong (2,877) and Dong Nai (939). Saturday's infection tally pushed the infection tally in the ongoing wave since late April to 672,593. 220 deaths were recorded on Saturday, including 165 in HCMC, 39 in its neighbor Binh Duong and seven in the Mekong Delta's Kien Giang. Other deaths were recorded in Tay Ninh (three), Dong Thap (two) and Binh Thuan, Thanh Hoa, Quang Ngai and Hanoi (one each). The national death rate over the past week has been 250 a day on average. The coronavirus death toll in Vietnam so far is 16,857, or 2.5 percent of all infections, compared to the world's average of 2.1 percent. Also on Saturday, 14,903 Covid-19 patients were announced recovered, bringing the total tally of recovered cases so far to 448,368. The country has vaccinated over 33 million people with at least one Covid-19 vaccine shot. Over 6.3 million have been fully vaccinated. Ho Chi Minh City, epicenter of the fourth …

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As social distancing measures have been eased in Hanoi since September 15, production facilities in local craft villages have begun preparing for the restoration of production after being standstill for a long period. However, craft villages still face many difficulties and need more support from local authorities and relevant agencies. Bui Hong Luyen, Chairman of the People's Committee of Phu Tuc Commune, Phu Xuyen district, which is famous for grass weaving production, said upon being informed that they can resume production, a bustling atmosphere has been restored in the commune. Many orders are being completed. Phu Tuc grass weaving village in Phu Xuyen District. (Photo: vov.vn) Nguyen Huy Khiem, Director of the Phuc Loc Wooden House company in Chang Son Carpentry village, Thach That district, said 80 percent of its employees have returned to work. Most production facilities in the locality are operating at least at 40 percent of their capacity, he said, …

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Digital transformation plays a vital role in agricultural development To achieve ambitions to become a modern-oriented industrialised nation by 2030 and a developed country with high income by 2045, Viet Nam must succeed in the digital transformation process, in which agriculture is one of the priority areas, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son said. Minister Son gave the statement at the Vietnam Agricultural Digital Transformation International Forum 2021, themed “Keeping up with market trends, ensuring the pivotal role of the economy during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.” which was held virtually on Thursday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), the Vietnam Digital Agriculture Association (VIDA), and e-newspaper VnExpress. The forum is a place for dialogue and public-private policy activities between the Government, private sector and stakeholders. It was also an activity within the framework of the Vietnam International Agricultural Exhibition 2021 (AgriTech Expo …

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The elevated section of the Nhon - Hanoi railway station metro line project (8.5 km long) will not be completed on schedule by the end of this year as planned. The Hanoi Urban Railway Management Board (MRB) says that in the past eight months of 2021, despite the complicated developments of the Covid-19 epidemic, MRB and contractors still implemented the project. About 74% of the workload of the project has bern completed and 89% for the elevated section. However, MRB Deputy Head Le Trung Hieu acknowledges that the Covid-19 pandemic has severely affected the project as it has disrupted construction. Contractors have made their best effort to implement bidding packages during the time of the pandemic. However, it is likely that the project will not be completed by the end of 2021 as planned. According to Hieu, the delay is mainly due to the impact of the pandemic and social distancing. The transportation of imported equipment to the construction site is much …

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This should have been a good year for her. She had been planning to enroll for a master's degree but the Covid-19 outbreak derailed her plans. She has delayed her academic plans indefinitely because she fears studying online will not cut it. Living in a small house with her family in Hanoi's Cau Giay District, Hong now has no specific plans for her future though she claims to be a person who likes to plan ahead. All day long negative thoughts keep cropping up in her mind. She fears her anxiety disorder, for which she had taken treatment for one year, is returning. She is caught up in angst. She fears she will not be able to catch up with her peers. She is despondent she has not been able to achieve what she should have at 25 such as being financially independent and moving out on her own. Her anxiety is so great that when sees a knife she imagines it falling and impaling her leg. "The uncertainty makes my anxiety worse, creating a vicious cycle that I don't know how to …

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