COVID-19 testing (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The Ministry of Health has proposed considering COVID-19 a Group A infectious disease , not an endemic disease in its latest draft on COVID-19 prevention and control measures in the new situation. Per the draft, Vietnam is still in the transition period between pandemic prevention and sustainable management. Regarding the reason why COVID-19 has not been considered an endemic disease in Vietnam yet, the Ministry of Health said that most countries in the world are in a state of unstable cases and deaths, with an erratic increase and decrease trend when new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus appear. At the same time, acquired immunity (due to vaccines and infection) has not been stable for a long time and decreases over time. As a result, the application of epidemic prevention and control measures should be flexible and gradually moves towards the "new normal". The announcement of the end of the COVID-19 pandemic in … [Read more...] about Health Ministry yet to consider COVID-19 endemic disease
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Ministry of Health explains reasons for not announcing end of COVID-19 pandemic
Administering the fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine to medical staff in the northern province of Ninh Bình. — VNA/VNS Photo Hải Yến HÀ NỘI — If Việt Nam declares the end of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, it will meet many difficulties in pandemic prevention and control and be hit by slower economic recovery, the Ministry of Health (MoH) has said. Under the latest draft plan on COVID-19 prevention and control in the new situation, which is waiting for input from the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 prevention and control, ministries, provinces, cities and experts, the MoH said that the pandemic situation has basically been controlled nationwide. However, the pandemic situation is still complicated in many countries and is even increasing again in some. The virus is constantly changing and recording new variants, which could potentially cause a strong outbreak on a large scale, beyond the health system’s capacity. Latent risks The SARS-CoV-2 virus has constantly … [Read more...] about Ministry of Health explains reasons for not announcing end of COVID-19 pandemic
Thua Thien Hue: Ancient Cham tower announced as world record
In April 2001, the tower was discovered in the coastal sand dunes of Phu Dien commune, Phu Vang district. It is buried in the sand from 5-7m under the ground. Director of the museum, the overall view of the building is a rectangular architectural block that gets smaller toward the top. It is one of the earliest remaining Cham brick structures in the central region, dating back to around the 8th century. With such values, the tower, accredited as a national architectural and art relic since December 2001, earned its record recognition by both the Vietnam Records Organization (Vietkings) and the World Records Union (WorldKings) this year. Source: VNA … [Read more...] about Thua Thien Hue: Ancient Cham tower announced as world record
BA.5 Omicron sub-variant detected in Vietnam
Vietnam will keep a close eye on the emergence of new strains. Vietnam has detected imported BA.5 Omicron sub-variant after conducting gene sequencing of newly confirmed patients' samples, according to Dr. Phan Trong Lan, director of the General Department of Preventive Medicine under the Ministry of Health (MoH). Lan underscored that initial research showed the Omicron sub-lineages BA.4 and BA.5 spread faster than the old sub-variants (BA.1 and BA.2). There has been no specific evidence of the new sub-variants’ virulence, but some studies indicated that there is an aggravation in the African region. However, the director confirmed that Omicron sub-variant BA.2 still remains the dominant one in the country. “The emergence of new strains is inevitable as a result of border reopening and the new normal situation, in which precautionary protocols are relaxed,” Lan said. He added that the BA.5 sub-variant was first detected in South Africa in January. Since then, it has … [Read more...] about BA.5 Omicron sub-variant detected in Vietnam
Vietnam to draft national action plan for circular economy adaptation
The adaptation of circular economic models would help Vietnam realize its commitment to net-zero carbon emissions target by 2050. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) today [June 28] held a conference to kickstart the formulation of a national action plan to promote a circular economy in Vietnam. Minister of MONRE Tran Hong Ha at the event. Photos: UNDP At the event, Minister of MONRE Tran Hong Ha said climate change, environmental pollution, and the degradation of the natural ecosystem are posing threats to the world. He referred to the sixth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC-AR6) which stated that if global warming gradually increases 1.5 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial level, some impacts may be lasting or irreversible, such as the loss of some ecosystems. The IPCC also estimated since 2008, around 20 million people annually have been forced to leave their homes behind due to extreme … [Read more...] about Vietnam to draft national action plan for circular economy adaptation
Vietnam hosts flash flood guidance system in Southeast Asia
The system connects the regional center for supporting flash flood warnings in Southeast Asia and those across the world. Southeast Asia Flash Flood Guidance System (SeAFFGS) has just been put into operation in Vietnam this week, according to the Meteorological and Hydrological Administration of Vietnam (VNMHA) under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE). The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the VNMHA held a conference on June 28 to announce that Vietnam will assume a central role in forecasting landslides and flash floods. The SeAFFGS project aims to provide forecasts and early warnings for member countries in Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand, with a funding of US$1.3 million. Delegates discuss flash floods and landslides in Southeast Asia. Photo: Thu Cuc Addressing the event, General Director of the VNMHA Tran Hong Thai said the SeAFFGS is part of the WMO's global flash flood guidance … [Read more...] about Vietnam hosts flash flood guidance system in Southeast Asia
EU trade deal offers opportunities to increase exports
A historic agreement The European Union (EU) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) started negotiations for a region-to-region free trade agreement in 2007. After negotiations were suspended in 2009, the EU decided to pursue bilateral trade agreements with the individual ASEAN member states. Negotiations between the EU and Vietnam on a free trade agreement were launched in 2010. Following the completion of technical discussions, talks were finalized in December 2015. In February 2016, the full text of the EVFTA was published. However, the official signing of the trade deal was delayed due to the pending judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) on jurisdiction for the conclusion of the EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement. To take the 2017 CJEU opinion into account, the original deal was split into the EVFTA and the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) in June 2018. Both agreements were signed on June 30, 2019 in Hanoi. The European … [Read more...] about EU trade deal offers opportunities to increase exports
Young Vietnamese starts business collecting waste
As a new university graduate who wants to own a business and create jobs for young workers, Nguyen Van Tien, residing in District 5, Ho Chi Minh City, chose to start his business by collecting waste. When he was a student of the Saigon Technology University, Tien set his career plan of running a company instead of being in someone’s employment. He started his recyclable waste collection business in 2012. When collecting recyclable waste for local children’s small social plans, Tien thought that those materials could be reused and it was wasteful to get rid of them. The saying 'one man’s trash is another man’s treasure' inspired him to collect recyclable waste and establish a company operating in scrap management and recycling. Every day, Nguyen Van Tien rolls up his sleeves to directly involve himself in the waste collection. His employees collect recyclable waste at locations as agreed, including trade centers, convenience stores, and schools. Waste will … [Read more...] about Young Vietnamese starts business collecting waste
Agricultural circular model gains traction
Agricultural circular model gains traction - illustration photo Nghiem Xuan Thanh, Secretary of Hau Giang Party Committee, last week worked with a joint venture between THD Vietnam Project Development JSC and THD Vietnam Agricultural Mechanised Construction JSC to discuss plans to develop an agricultural complex under the circular economic model worth around $1.74 billion. The complex combines two components – the first is a $943.5 million project based on the agriculture-industry-energy (AGINE) model, with the main focus on high-tech organic agriculture in rice cultivation, linking the agricultural processing industry to food products and the production and use of renewable energy. The second model, known as GreenDevi, has an investment capital sum of $782.6 million and represents green development characteristics in agricultural production, including livestock cultivation, circular production and processing without environmental waste, and maximum use of renewable energy to … [Read more...] about Agricultural circular model gains traction
Vietnam keeps prioritizing gender equality promotion: officials
Do Hung Viet, Assistant to the Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs, made the remarks while attending the annual debate on women’s rights at the HRC’s 50th regular session in Geneva on June 27. In his speech, Viet highlighted the important role of women, stressing the need to ensuring their rights and development opportunities through specific and effective support policies. He also shared Vietnam’s experience and efforts in this regard, noting Vietnam is one of the countries with the longest maternity leaves in the world. Emphasising the country’s priority for gender equality promotion and women empowerment, he added Vietnam is ready to cooperate with other countries in these common efforts. At the debate, participants underlined the necessity to build comprehensive and effective policies for ensuring gender equality and rights of women, who are in charge of a huge domestic workload but unpaid or underpaid, which has subsequently affected women’s full participation in … [Read more...] about Vietnam keeps prioritizing gender equality promotion: officials