Talk Vietnam

All About The Vietnam

Ttntag coronavirus

by tuoitrenews.vn Leave a Comment

Health ministry records 82 new domestic coronavirus infections in Ho Chi Minh City

The Ministry of Health documented on Monday 82 additional local coronavirus cases in Ho Chi Minh City, most of whom were direct contacts of infected patients.

The ministry recorded 30 of the infections in the morning, 26 in the afternoon, and 26 in the evening.

Eight cases were traced back to Revival Ekklesia Mission, a Christian congregation based in Go Vap District, which is the largest cluster in the city now, the municipal Center for Disease Control said in a report the same day.

At least 450 infections have been traced to this religious group since April 27, when the fourth COVID-19 wave broke out in Vietnam.

Eleven of the city’s latest cases were related to the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for Tropical Diseases, where 55 fully vaccinated employees have caught the virus since the weekend. The hospital has been locked down since Sunday.

Fifty-three were direct contacts of already infected patients while health workers are trying to find the source of infection of the remaining ten.

City authorities decided on Monday to extend the enhanced social distancing measures implemented since May 31 by two weeks given an escalation in transmissions.

Vietnam recorded 266 domestic COVID-19 infections on Monday, according to the health ministry’s data.

Bac Giang Province, the nation’s biggest epicenter, accounted for 121 cases, whereas four were detected in Hanoi, 82 in Ho Chi Minh City, 22 in Ha Tinh Province, 17 in Bac Ninh Province, 14 in Tien Giang Province, four in Binh Duong Province, one in Bac Kan Province, and one in Nghe An Province.

The fourth wave’s tally has reached 7,599 cases logged in 40 out of 63 provinces and cities.

Bac Giang is still leading with 4,166 patients, followed by Bac Ninh with 1,360, Ho Chi Minh City with 871, and Hanoi with 463.

Vietnam has confirmed 10,810 coronavirus patients, including 9,168 local and 1,642 imported cases, since the virus first emerged in the Southeast Asian country on January 23, 2020, according to Ministry of Health statistics.

The ministry announced 238 recoveries and two deaths on Monday, bringing the totals to 4,236 and 61, respectively.

The government has administered 1,498,323 AstraZeneca doses to medical staff and other frontline workers since inoculation was rolled out on March 8.

A total of 55,265 have been given two shots of the vaccine.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

by english.thesaigontimes.vn Leave a Comment

Go Vap to remove 12 main coronavirus checkpoints at midnight

Go Vap to remove 12 main coronavirus checkpoints at midnight

The Saigon Times

Competent forces set up a coronavirus checkpoint on Le Quang Dinh Street in Go Vap District’s Ward 1. The government of Go Vap District in HCMC will get rid of 12 main coronavirus checkpoints and 26 auxiliary ones from midnight, June 15 – PHOTO: VNA

HCMC – The government of Go Vap District in HCMC will get rid of 12 main coronavirus checkpoints and 26 auxiliary ones set up at entrances to the district from midnight, June 15.

Bui Nguyen Huy Hoang, office manager of Go Vap District, said on June 14 that travel between the district and other parts of HCMC will return to normal.

The decision was made after the government of HCMC decided to ease social distancing in Go Vap District and Thanh Loc Ward in District 12. Instead, Go Vap District and other districts and Thu Duc City in the city will practice the social distancing order in line with Directive 15 for two more weeks from midnight.

After the district began the 15-day social distancing period in line with the Prime Minister’s Directive 16 from May 31, Go Vap District set up 12 checkpoints at the An Phu Dong steel bridge, An Loc, Ben Phan, Truong Dai and Cho Cau bridges, 399 Tan Son Street in Ward 12 and the intersection of Phan Van Tri and Pham Van Dong streets and on the Phan Huy Ich and Le Quang Dinh streets.

On June 5, Go Vap District set up 26 more auxiliary checkpoints to tighten control over vehicles and people traveling between the district and Tan Binh, Phu Nhuan and Binh Thanh districts.

Over the past 14 days, these checkpoints have restricted the number of vehicles entering and leaving the district, reducing the risk of Covid-19 infection.

HCMC has so far reported 845 locally-infected Covid-19 cases in 21 districts and Thu Duc City, the local media reported.

by hanoitimes.vn Leave a Comment

Coronavirus impact: Local businesses make pleas for Gov’t supports

Government support programs with better disbursement plans are needed to help those in need overcoming the current crisis.

While nearly 60,000 enterprises temporarily suspended operation in the first five months of this year, up 23% year-on-year, many are still struggling for survival amid the fourth Covid-19 outbreak and in need of stronger support from the government.

Hai Xom Beer Restaurant in Hanoi closes during the pandemic. Photo: Thanh Hai

Nguyen Cao Hung, a driver of Hanoi-based Dong Loi Tourism company, told The Hanoi Times that since the first Covid-19 outbreak in 2020, he has suffered a five-fold reduction in monthly salary from VND30 million (US$1,300) to only VND6-7 million (US$260-304).

“Our lives turn upside down as I am the primary income earner for the family,” Hung said.

Not only Hung, his other 30 colleagues are facing mounting difficulties as they are forced to accept a salary of VND2-3 million (US$87-130) per month, a significant reduction from VND10-12 million (US$434-521).

Director of Minh Thanh Phat Company, owner of Sao Viet Transportation and Trading Company, Do Van Bang said to The Hanoi Times that since May, the company’s operation was basically frozen due to the lack of passengers.

“With around 100 buses, only two or three are still running at the moment,” said Bang. “A trip from Hanoi to Lao Cai generated revenue around VND2 million (US$87), but the operational cost was estimated at VND7.5 million (US$326),” he added.

A recent survey conducted by the Tourism Advisory Board (TAB) revealed the fourth Covid-19 wave has once again dealt a deathly blow to the tourism sector.

“The rate of tourists cancelling their tours went up to 90% in May and June, a peak season of summer holiday,” noted the TAB.

Mai Van Bao, a coffee shop owner in Trich Sai Street, Tay Ho District, could not hide his disappointment as there has been no clear date for the reopening of coffee shops.

“The deadline to pay six-month land rental fee is approaching, and I have no income to pay,” Bao told The Hanoi Times .

According to the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), tourism, retail, transportation and hospitality services continue to be the most affected sectors by the pandemic.

Drastic support needed

To help enterprises overcome this difficult period, General Director of VietSense Travel Nguyen Van Tai called for the Government to ease conditions for travel agencies to access the social rescue package worth VND62 trillion (US$2.69 billion) or receive loans with preferential rates.

So far, only 22% of the rescue package has been disbursed, as companies cited the strict evaluation process for such low disbursement rate.

Drawing on his experiences from past government support, Vice Chairman of the northern province of Vinh Phuc’s Business Association Duong Trong Khang urged the Government agencies to set clearer terms on beneficiary targets in future programs.

“For example, enterprises that can keep 100% of their workforce are entitled to loans with the lowest interest rate allowed, while those laying off 50% of the workforce can only receive 50% of the support,” Khang told The Hanoi Times .

Khang also said the policy of cutting 30% of corporate income tax for enterprises in 2020 was not efficient, saying those benefiting from the program have still been able to generate profit.

“In contrast, many suffering losses or facing bankruptcy have received no support,” he added.

Khang suggested the government should take stronger measures, including waiving or reducing taxes and land rental fees, instead of extending the payment deadline, or renewing financial supporting program for workers affected by the pandemic.

To date, enterprises in major industrial sectors have resumed operation, however, most are still lacking working capital and facing a surge in prices of input materials.

Meanwhile, many are planning to restructure or turning to digitalization, but have no funds available to finance such moves.

A report from the National Assembly shows that the government has extended payments of value added tax, corporate and personal income taxes for 57,000 business households, and land rental fees for 128,600 enterprises worth a combined of VND99.2 trillion (US$4.32 billion).

Customers buying cars last year were entitled to deferral of excise tax payment worth VND19.3 trillion (US$841.2 million).

“The government’s fiscal relief programs provided timely support for enterprises to restructure their businesses, however shortcomings remain an issue in the implementation of these programs,” the report acknowledged.

by e.vnexpress.net Leave a Comment

Vietnam confirms 75 local Covid cases

29 cases are recorded in Bac Giang, 26 in HCMC, 11 in Ha Tinh, eight in Bac Ninh and one in Nghe An.

All the cases in Bac Giang and Bac Ninh are either associated with existing outbreaks in the community, industrial parks or have made contact with confirmed Covid-19 patients.

Two cases in HCMC are associated with its now locked-down HCMC Hospital for Tropical Diseases, while two others are linked to a coronavirus cluster at a Christian mission. 18 cases have made contact with confirmed Covid-19 patients, and four others are being contact traced to find their infections sources.

Nine cases in Ha Tinh have made contact with confirmed coronavirus cases, while the other two are being contact traced.

The case in Nghe An, a 22-year-old woman, made contact with a coronavirus case.

Over six weeks into its fourth wave, which is the most challenging that Vietnam has encountered, the country has recorded 7,599 cases in 40 of its 63 cities and provinces.

Bac Giang is leading the case count with 4,166 infections, followed by Bac Ninh with 1,360 and HCMC with 871.

by e.vnexpress.net Leave a Comment

Vaccinated HCMC frontline hospital staff contracting Covid-19 a normal event: experts

At least 55 employees of the HCMC Hospital for Tropical Diseases were recently infected with the coronavirus despite having received two shots of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine.

The hospital, HCMC’s frontline facility for treating Covid-19 patients, was locked down starting Saturday after three employees of its IT and admin departments were found infected with the coronavirus. That cluster later ballooned to a total of 55 cases as of Monday morning.

However, that doesn’t necessarily mean the vaccine has been ineffective, experts say. All the vaccinated cases are largely asymptomatic, showing little chance of developing into severe cases or becoming new infection sources to others in the community.

Tran Tinh Hien, a director of the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit and former director of the HCMC Hospital for Tropical Diseases, said “there is no vaccine with 100 percent protection rate from infections.”

A survey of vaccinated U.K. citizens from December last year to February revealed that the AstraZeneca vaccine has a 60 percent efficacy 28 days after the second shot. Another report in medical journal Lancet also said the AstraZeneca vaccine helped reduce instances of symptomatic Covid-19 cases, as well as severe ones and fatalities, Hien noted.

“At the HCMC Hospital for Tropical Diseases or in any other community which has been vaccinated, a 5-10 percent rate of coronavirus-positive cases doesn’t mean the vaccine has failed,” he said.

Le Quoc Hung, head of the Infectious Disease Department of HCMC’s Cho Ray Hospital, echoed Hien’s opinion, adding that the virus would find it much harder to replicate inside a vaccinated person, which lowers the chance of that person passing on the virus to someone else.

The AstraZeneca vaccine also provides the best protection against the coronavirus four to six weeks after the second shot, so people could still get infected in the time frame before full protection, he said.

“Four weeks following the second shot, the chance of being infected is reduced, but that doesn’t mean there’s no chance,” Hung said, adding that the occurrence of infection doesn’t mean the vaccine’s not effective.

Hung said the vaccine helps generate antibodies, but if not enough antibodies have formed, either because a person has received only one shot or not enough time has passed for the body to generate enough antibodies, one can still get infected.

And depending on a person’s physiology, it can happen that one is fully vaccinated and still not generated enough antibodies to completely block an infection, he added.

The viral load in the 55 infected employees at the hospital was “extremely low,” Nguyen Tan Binh, director of the HCMC Department of Health, said Monday. He did not specify how low the load was.

“It is a good sign that shows the vaccine’s effectiveness,” Binh said.

Vietnam has launched a mass Covid-19 vaccination program using the AstraZeneca vaccine since early March. So far, around 1.5 million people have been vaccinated.

by vietnamnews.vn Leave a Comment

Hospitals tighten COVID preventive measures after 55 staff test positive after receiving 2 vaccine doses

The Hospital for Tropical Diseases in HCM City has been locked down because 55 staff have tested positive for the coronavirus. VNA/VNS Photo Thu Hương

Gia Lộc

HCM CITY — Hospitals in HCM City are strengthening preventive measures against COVID-19 after 55 employees, mostly in administrative departments, at the HCM City Hospital for Tropical Diseases tested positive for coronavirus.

Speaking at an online meeting on Monday, Nguyễn Tấn Bỉnh, head of the city’s Department of Health, said that 55 of 924 employees at the hospital had tested positive.

All of these employees had received two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Most of the positive cases are employed in the IT and administrative departments. The hospital’s doctors and nurses have all tested negative for coronavirus.

Test results show that the viral load of the positive cases was low, possibly because they had already received two doses of the vaccine.

The staff who tested positive are healthy and are not in serious condition, and have no symptoms.

A contagious-disease expert at the city Children’s Hospital No 1, Trương Hữu Khanh, said: “No vaccine can protect 100 per cent against disease. So vaccines against COVID-19 are the same. Vaccinations will help keep COVID-19 patients from becoming seriously ill or even dying. And they will not be able to spread the germ to others strongly.”

Vaccine efficacy

Professor of Infectious Diseases Trần Tịnh Hiền at Oxford University has said that the “rate of vaccinated people who have tested positive for coronavirus is 5 per cent to 10 per cent. This is not a failure of the vaccine.”

The protection efficiency for people getting vaccinated with the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is 60 per cent after 28 days, according to a survey conducted of 159,930 adults aged more than 70 in the UK from December 2020 to February this year.

The primary analysis of Phase III clinical trials from the UK, Brazil and South Africa published as a preprint in The Lancet confirmed that the COVID-19 vaccine from AstraZeneca is safe and effective at preventing COVID-19, with no severe cases and no hospitalisations more than 22 days after the first dose.

Results demonstrated vaccine efficacy of 76 per cent after the first dose, with protection maintained to the second dose. With an interval of 12 weeks or more between the two doses, vaccine efficacy increased to 82 per cent.

The analysis showed the potential for the vaccine to reduce asymptomatic transmission of the virus, based on weekly swabs obtained from volunteers in the UK trial. The data showed that PCR positive readings were reduced by 67 per cent after a single dose, and 50 per cent after the two-dose regimen, supporting a substantial impact on the transmission of the virus.

The primary analysis for efficacy was based on 17,177 participants with 332 symptomatic cases from the Phase III UK, Brazil and South Africa trials led by Oxford University and AstraZeneca, a further 201 cases than previously reported.

According to a press release from AstraZeneca, the AstraZeneca US Phase III trial of AZD1222 demonstrated statistically significant vaccine efficacy of 79 per cent at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 and 100 per cent efficacy at preventing severe disease and hospitalisation.

This interim safety and efficacy analysis was based on 32,449 participants with 141 symptomatic cases of COVID-19. Vaccine efficacy was consistent across ethnicity and age. Notably, in participants aged 65 years and over, vaccine efficacy was 80 per cent.

Preventive measures

Two staff at Gia Định People’s Hospital in HCM City tested positive after contact with one of the positive cases at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases. The Gia Định hospital staff who tested positive do not have a fever, sore throat, or loss of taste and smell. They also received vaccinations in late April.

The Hospital for Tropical Diseases has been disinfected, and many measures have been taken to stamp out the spread. The hospital is currently treating 126 COVID-19 patients, including 18 seriously ill cases.

Dr Nguyễn Anh Dũng, director of Gia Định People’s Hospital and head of the hospital’s Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, said the hospital’s two staff who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and had contact with the person at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases had not visited other departments and sites on its campus.

The hospital has tested its entire staff and disinfected the entire area. The staff who tested positive work in the hospital’s microbiology department which has been isolated.

“The hospital will continue tightening preventive measures and screening,” Dũng said.

At Children’s Hospital No 1, staff have been divided into shifts. The staff must wear masks and not eat together. Many chairs in rooms have been removed.

Trần Văn Khanh, director of Lê Văn Thịnh Hospital, said: “The hospital has asked its staff to comply with the Government’s 5k message on face masks, disinfection, distancing, no gatherings, and health declarations. They are asked not to eat together.”

“The hospital’s staff are divided into many shifts because the number of patients visiting the hospital has fallen. All meetings in the hospital’s departments are carried out online,” Khanh said.

If anyone on the hospital staff has symptoms of COVID-19, they are required to report to local health officials and get tests at local health facilities. They are allowed to stay at home.

The hospital staff must fill out a health declaration form every day. Staff in the departments of microbiology, emergency, health examination, and contagious diseases are tested weekly.

The hospital has set up an examination and treatment facility for people who have a cough, fever, or loss of taste and smell, and another COVID-19 screening area outside the hospital before patients are brought to emergency departments.

Nguyễn Tấn Bỉnh, head of HCM City Department of Health, said that 821 COVID-19 community -transmitted cases have been recorded from May 18 to June 13 in the city. Districts Gò Vấp, 12, Bình Thạnh, Tân Bình, Bình Tân and Tân Phú have had the highest number of cases. The city has traced contacts and discovered small clusters, but has not found the original transmission source. VNS