Disney nights

Vietnam’s Ministry of Health confirmed 25 imported coronavirus cases on Thursday, taking the nation’s caseload past 2,700. All of the new patients had been quarantined upon their arrival in the country, the health ministry noted. They are being isolated for treatment at local hospitals. Vietnam has logged 2,758 COVID-19 patients, including 1,570 local infections, as of Thursday night, the health ministry said. Since January 27, the country has recorded 910 community-based cases, most in Hai Duong Province. A total of 2,445 patients have recovered from the respiratory disease whereas 35 have died, the majority having suffered critical pre-existing conditions. At the time of writing, Vietnam is quarantining more than 38,700 people who either came into close contact with infected patients or entered the country from virus-struck regions, according to the health ministry’s data. Health authorities administered the first shot of AstraZeneca vaccine to 1,767 people in Vietnam on Wednesday. Over 62,000 people have been given the first jab since the Southeast Asian country rolled out its vaccine doses on March 8. Those inoculated are medical staff and other frontline workers. The government has so far received 928,800 AstraZeneca doses from direct purchases from the company or via the COVAX scheme, co-led by the World Health Organization, according to the health ministry’s figures. Vietnam had hoped to secure 150 million vaccine shots to vaccinate its population of 97 million this year, but the health ministry has recently said that supply is hard to come by given the stress of the health crisis around the world. The country is also testing domestically made vaccines on humans. However, any of the jabs cannot be made available for use before the end of the third quarter, health experts said. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! …

[Read more...] about Vietnam reports 25 imported coronavirus cases

The number of people killed in traffic accidents on Vietnam’s roads in the first three months of 2021 increased by more than 30 per cent compared to the same period last year. A truck carrying more timber than permitted crashed on March 22, killing all seven people onboard in the central province of Thanh Hoa. — Photo vov.vn A report by the National Committee for Traffic Safety revealed that although the actual number of accidents and injuries fell, more people died. From the beginning of 2021 to the end of March, 1,672 people were killed on the roads compared to 1,489 over the same period last year. March alone was a particularly bad month with 15 people killed in three separate accidents over a 10-day period in the central province of Thanh Hoa and the northern province of Hoa Binh. Khuat Viet Hung, Vice President of the National Committee on Traffic Safety said although there were a number of factors causing accidents, human error was the main reason for the fatality increase. He said people driving under the influence of alcohol and overloaded lorries and coaches contributed to the rise in deaths. Hung said poor road infrastructure was also to blame, with many local roads suffering from poor visibility, especially at night. Roads on mountains were also dangerous for motorists and some road markings were not fitted with anti-glare equipment. And he said some localities had failed in their duties to improve traffic safety. The report found in some cases, trucks were carrying 200 per cent more than the permitted capacity. In one instance, a lorry that crashed in Thanh Hoa on March 22, was only allowed to carry 15 tonnes but was found to be loaded with 27 tonnes of timber. There were also seven people in the lorry that was designed to just take two. All seven people died in the accident. Overloading, according to the report, often occurred in areas close to mining facilities. Solutions Nguyen Van Huyen, Director …

[Read more...] about Increase in road fatalities this year

While many inundation mitigation projects in Ho Chi Minh City are being completed in haste to wrap up before the rainy season arrives, several others are not seeing a solid completion date. As reported by the Southern Regional Hydrometeorological Center, the rainy season in Ho Chi Minh City and other southern provinces will commence in late April or early May. Last year, the city reported 15 unresolved inundation flashpoints, which gives local residents reasons to be worried about this year’s situation. Rush for completion As seen by correspondents of Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Wednesday, workers of the renovation project on Nguyen Huu Canh Street in Binh Thanh District were making haste to meet the completion deadline. The construction site on the section from Dien Bien Phu Street to Thu Thiem Bridge was receiving ground filling, while the sidewalk was seeing new tiles installed. Luong Minh Phuc, director of Transportation Works Construction Investment Project Management Authority of Ho Chi Minh City, said many projects are being rushed to meet the deadline of April 30, when Vietnam’s four-day public holiday begins. Among these projects is the renovation of Nguyen Huu Canh Street, a chronic flashpoint of flooding in the city. Spreading over a length of 3.2 kilometers in District 1 and Binh Thanh District, the renovation is expected to mitigate inundation and relieve the daily struggle of commuters on the street during the rainy season. “Our units are working day and night to get the project done in time before the rainy season,” Phuc said. According to the official, the sewage system upgrade and roadway renovation for Huynh Tan Phat Street, more specifically the section from Phu Xuan Bridge to Binh Khanh Ferry Terminal in Nha Be District, has also been completed. Using a total investment of nearly VND300 billion (US$13 million), the renovation laid down new sewage pipes with widths varying from 0.8 to two meters, as well as new sewage …

[Read more...] about Ho Chi Minh City scrambles to fix streets as inundation season approaches