• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Talk Vietnam

All About Vietnam

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Disclaimers
  • DMCA
  • Privacy Policy
  • Submit your story

New choice

/ February 28, 2021

The Covid-19 challenge: reclaiming normalcy from the new normal

Pham Nguyen Quy Do you agree to a 30-50 percent cut in your income? Will you refrain from going out to meet friends and family for extended periods of time, maybe forever? These were much-debated questions in Japan where I live, as the country faced arguably the most impactful event of the decade in the form of a pandemic. Last year when the disease hit the country, authorities asked citizens to "refrain from going outside unless it was necessary or urgent." But it was difficult to pin down a definition of "necessary" or "urgent." For the first few months, people heeded the request. Not surprising, considering the nature of news coming in, of deaths in the thousands, and suffering in the millions. Over time, that sense of danger diminished, albeit slowly. People began to pay more attention to the costs of social distancing. For many, their jobs were their literal lifelines, keeping them and their family afloat. A pandemic disruption could lead them to ruin. And reports were already showing rising numbers of the unemployed, businesses and individuals going bankrupt and many having their incomes cut drastically. The demand for social security support increased 25 percent year-on-year. The hospital where I work constantly saw new patients with severe conditions, not because of Covid-19, but because of delayed diagnosis and intervention. Either their insurance had expired or they were "waiting for Covid-19 to die out." People were getting stressed, depressed and committing suicide. While there is a demographic of those more vulnerable to Covid-19 with underlying medical conditions, there are also those who are vulnerable after their incomes were cut. Without a financial safety net, that section of society also finds itself vulnerable to the disease. However, the very measures we put in place to stop Covid-19 have been double-edged. Society began classifying behaviors that reduce the chance of infection as "good" and the opposite as "bad." Of course …

[Read more...] about The Covid-19 challenge: reclaiming normalcy from the new normal

/ December 30, 2019

Hanoi students to enjoy 8-day school break on Lunar New Year

The Hanoitimes - The school break in Hanoi will begin on January 22 (the 28th day of the last lunar month) and last until January 29 (the fifth day of the first lunar month). Hanoi students will have an eight-day school break in the upcoming Tet holiday, according to the Hanoi Department of Education and Training. Accordingly, the school break in Hanoi will begin on January 22 (the 28th day of the last lunar month) and last until January 29 (the fifth day of the first lunar month). Illustrative photo The schools are asked to instruct the students to have proper behavior during the long school break and ensure social order and traffic safety. In particular, students are instructed not to engage in illegal racing, gambling or social evils. Meanwhile, government offices, state-owned companies and schools across the country will close for seven days. This is one of the two seven-day holiday options proposed by the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs in August. Under the second option, the holiday would start on January 24, a day before Tet, and run until January 30, the sixth day of the new lunar year. After considering the two options, the ministry considered the first more suitable as people working away from home will have two days off to travel and prepare for the most significant holiday of the year. Vietnam had a nine-day break for the last Tet festival that fell in February this year. There has been a long-lasting debate on whether Vietnam should merge the celebration of Lunar New Year holiday with the Gregorian New Year, or the Tet holiday should be shortened. Tet is the biggest and most important festival in Vietnam. Millions of migrant workers in major cities return to their homes before Lunar New Year's Eve. It is celebrated by Vietnamese and Chinese communities around the world. It is also a prolific season for the retail and travel businesses as the consumption and excursion demand is high during this time …

[Read more...] about Hanoi students to enjoy 8-day school break on Lunar New Year

/ February 28, 2021

Zero new COVID-19 cases in Vietnam on Sunday morning

The latest update from the Ministry of Health (MoH) showed positive results of Vietnam’s bid against the COVID-19 pandemic. Vietnam recorded no new local case of COVID-19 on Sunday morning, according to an MoH report. The national caseload tally stayed at 2,432, with 837 domestic cases reported since January 27, when Vietnam confirmed the first community-based infection after having spent almost two months detecting zero local transmissions. Meanwhile, patient No. 1,536, the most serious COVID-19 case in Vietnam at the moment, is making good progress, with five test results turning out negative so far, the MoH said. The patient is a 79-year-old woman who landed in Da Nang from the United States on January 13. She tested positive for the pathogen on January 13 and was transferred to the Da Nang Lung Hospital for treatment. She has a medical history of diabetes and high blood pressure. Patient No. 1,536 is considered the most critical infection in Vietnam now, even surpassing the case of patient No. 91, a British pilot who spent 68 days on life support. The patient is seeing positive recovery following 26 days on an ECMO machine, a type of life support outside the body, and 10 liters of blood plasma injection. The patient’s situation has prompted seven national-level consultations which involved Vietnam’s leading medical experts. Four teams consisting of 18 medical workers were mobilized to ensure consistent treatment for the patient and minimize transmission risks. In related news, the first batch of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses arrived at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City at 11:00 am on Wednesday. The shipment of 117,600 shots is part of an order of 204,000 doses approved by the Vietnamese Ministry of Health. “We expect the price of the COVID-19 vaccine to be very favorable for many people to have a chance to get inoculated early during the pandemic,” said Vu Thi Thu Ha, supply chain director of Vietnam Vaccine …

[Read more...] about Zero new COVID-19 cases in Vietnam on Sunday morning

Primary Sidebar

RSS Recent Stories

  • Remote classes a winner for yoga teacher
  • Steadying hand in Vietnamese football
  • Historic Củ Chi Tunnels site seeks UNESCO World Heritage Site recognition

Sponsored Links

  • These buildings combine affordable housing and vertical farming
  • Should armed guards be in schools? This JAMA study on shootings may surprise you
  • How practicing self-compassion can lift your low winter mood
  • Our plastics are loaded with rare-earth materials, and scientists don’t know why
  • The tragedy in Texas shows why we need to fundamentally reshape our electric grid
Copyright © 2021 Talk Vietnam. Power by Wordpress.