Methanol alcohol poisoning

Nguyen Van Viet, chairman of the Vietnam Beer-Alcohol-Beverage Association What is your assessment of the beer, wine, and spirits market in the past year, along with the efforts of companies to take on new challenges? The beer, wine, and spirits sector has undergone three decades of development. Many years ago it was one of the sectors bogged down in difficulties due to the chronic shortage of input materials, while foreign goods – particularly Chinese items – overwhelmed the domestic market. With the clear-sighted leadership of the government, the sector has gradually consolidated its footing and managed stable on-year growth. From last January, the Law on Prevention and Control of Harms of Liquor and Beer Abuse came into force, and shortly after that was the enactment of a decree featuring heavier sanctions on drivers with alcohol on their breath. After the pandemic approached in March, the sector had almost been paralysed in the wake of these factors. Earlier last year, the tax authorities even delivered a forecast of a possible loss of more than VND30 trillion ($1.3 billion) in tax payments. The sector’s contribution is significant given the fact that each year the alcoholic beverage sector contributes more than VND50 trillion ($2.2 billion) to the state coffers with its revenue doubling that level. From the second quarter last year, the government began to deploy wide-ranging measures to support businesses. Although players in the sector were not direct beneficiaries of this support, improved performance by other sectors is a favour factor to their growth. New circumstances have prompted businesses to adopt innovative measures in order to get ahead. Businesses launched products directly serving consumer needs, for instance the rollout of non-alcoholic drinks and fruit-based beverages that are selling well. These include Saigon Chill and Lac Viet from SABECO, HEINEKEN’s non-alcoholic offering, and Habeco’s canned draught beer. Businesses …

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Of those brought in, 52,700 had to be admitted, a 66 percent decline, according to the Department of Medical Services Administration under the Health Ministry. The number of cases related to traffic accidents, fights and food poisoning were down, while the number of accidents related to lighting firecrackers increased. Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long (third left) visits a patient on February 11, the last day of lunar 2020. Photo courtesy of Health Ministry. But the number of deaths caused by traffic accidents increased by 10 percent in comparison to last year’s Tet . 140 people were found dead while being taken to hospitals, or after taken home by their families as the chance of being cured was zero. There have been no deaths caused by firecrackers, but the number of emergency cases has gone up by 12 percent, with 321 cases. 108 people were taken to hospitals due to usages of explosive materials and weapons. Notably, one person was killed by a gunshot. According to the health ministry, the number of emergency cases related to explosive materials increased because the data also includes those getting injured by explosive weapons. The numbers of emergency cases related to fighting dropped by 45 percent, with 300 people hospitalized after having alcohol-related fights. More than 7,600 infants were born in three days of Tet , and 59,000 patients were discharged and went home with their families. Vietnamese have celebrated their traditional holiday amid the new Covid-19 wave with some localities put under lockdown or social distancing rules. Residents are advised to limit traveling and gathering. The country has registered 604 Covid-19 community transmissions in 13 cities and provinces in the latest outbreak which began on Jan. 28. …

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Passengers wait for check-in at the domestic terminal at Tan Son Nhat international airport in HCM City (Photo: VNA) HCM City (VNS/VNA) - Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City continues to operate normally after one of the airport staff tested positive for the coronavirus on February 6, according to airport authorities.  Pham Vu Cuong, deputy director of the airport, said: “The infected employee did not come into contact with passengers because he works for the luggage loading service. His infection has not affected the airport’s operation.” “The airport has activated the highest level of pandemic prevention measures since the northern outbreak in Hai Duong and Quang Ninh provinces,” he added. At an urgent meeting on February 6 afternoon, Deputy Minister of Health Do Xuan Tuyen said: “There is no need to shut down the country’s largest airport.”  “It’s hugely urgent to trace and test those who had close contact (F1 and F2) with the employee and one of his two younger brothers who later tested positive for the virus, in both the city and Binh Duong province,” Tuyen said. “The entire airport was disinfected immediately.” About 60 people came into contact with the two patients, city authorities said on Sunday morning. The airport employee tested positive after travelling from HCM City to his hometown in Binh Duong province. A block of apartments where the patient and his two brothers live was locked down immediately. The HCM City Centre for Disease and Control (CDC) said it confirmed the employee’s positive test after testing 5,900 out of nearly 7,000 employees at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, beginning on January 30, as ordered by the city government following the third wave of local infections from the north. The HCM City CDC rushed to test the remaining 1,000 …

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