Immediate response 19

Hanoi (VNA) – Thailand on January 25 announced it will begin the national COVID-19 vaccination programme in February by administering 50,000 doses of AstraZeneca’s vaccine to high-risk groups. Health workers in Samut Sakhon province, the epicentre of the latest outbreak, would be the first to be inoculated, then elderly and people with chronic diseases, said senior health official Sopon Mekton. Thailand's Food and Drug Administration last week approved AstraZeneca's vaccine for emergency use. It has yet to grant authorisation for that of China’s Sinovac Biotech, of which the government has ordered two million doses. Thailand has so far confirmed 13,687 COVID-19 cases with 75 deaths./. … [Read more...] about Thailand to start COVID-19 vaccination next month

Hanoi (VNA) – One more COVID-19 infection was recorded in Vietnam on January 25, raising the total to 1,549, according to the National Steering Committee on COVID-19 Prevention and Control. The new case returned to Vietnam from Indonesia on January 10, and was quarantined upon her arrival at Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport. Among the total, 693 cases were transmitted domestically. Additional 14 patients were given the all-clear on January 25, bringing the total number of recoveries to 1,425. Among patients undergoing treatment at medical establishments across the country, eight tested negative for the coronavirus once, eight others twice and 11 thrice. At present, 20,890 people who had close contact with COVID-19 patients or entered Vietnam from pandemic-hit areas are under quarantine./. … [Read more...] about Vietnam records one imported COVID-19 case

Vietnam reported no new COVID-19 cases on the morning of June 7, marking 52 consecutive days without infections in the community, said the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control. Among 329 confirmed cases in Vietnam to date, 189 are imported ones and were quarantined right after their arrival. Illustrative image (Source: VNA) … [Read more...] about Vietnam records no new COVID-19 infections in community for 52 days

According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, since the fund was put into operation more than three years ago, it has helped SMEs enhance their operational effectiveness, increase profits, and create more jobs. Many firms have paid off loans early. … [Read more...] about Gov’t urged to develop legal framework for direct lending for SME development

Hanoi (VNA) - Indonesia’s central bank said signs of inflation accelerating might be seen in the fourth quarter but the bank would not immediately raise interest rates in response, Governor Perry Warjiyo said on January 25. Warjiyo told a briefing of senior editors the exit policy from monetary stimulus would probably start with Bank Indonesia mopping up excess liquidity, while interest rates would stay low until policymakers deemed there was a risk of high inflation. BI cut interest rates a total of 125 basis points and pumped more than 50 billion USD of liquidity into the financial system last year to help the economy weather the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. This year, BI has bought 25.9 trillion rupiah (1.85 billion USD) of bonds, Warjiyo said./. … [Read more...] about Indonesian central bank: signs of inflation pressure may be seen in Q4