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Northern Hai Duong Province, currently Vietnam’s biggest coronavirus hotspot with 684 cases, was the epicenter of a new Covid-19 wave that has swept 13 cities and provinces since Jan. 28. Over a month later, Hai Duong is still detecting new transmissions every day, though the number of infections has markedly dropped since the province entered a 15-day social distancing period starting Feb. 16. Tran Dac Phu, an advisor to Vietnam Public Health Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and former head of the General Department of Preventive Medicine under the Ministry of Health, on Tuesday said while Hai Duong has done its best to fight Covid-19 outbreaks, several challenges have caused infections to persevere in the province. The coronavirus wave in Hai Duong was noticed after a woman from the province entered Japan for work and eventually tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Vietnam was only informed of the case thanks to the initiative of Japanese authorities, meaning isolation and contact tracing in the province only commenced after Covid-19 had supposedly spread in the community over an extended period of time. Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam suspected the initial infection may have already been present in Hai Duong around 10 days prior, though no one was sure of the exact time frame or initial source. Besides late detection, outbreaks in Hai Duong were associated with large population centers, including industrial complexes with thousands of workers and their surrounding neighborhoods, significantly impeding contact tracing. On the first day of the outbreak, Hai Duong recorded a staggering 73 cases , all employees of the Vietnam Poyun Electronics Co., Ltd in Chi Linh Town, where the woman who tested positive for the coronavirus in Japan worked at. The new Covid-19 outbreak was further driven by a coronavirus variant originating from the U.K., said to be 70 percent more transmissible than ordinary strains, necessitating sped-up contact tracing, …

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Pham Hong Quat, director general, NATEC and Leon Cai, regional director (Ho Chi Minh City), Enterprise Singapore The Vietnamese agency (NATEC) and Enterprise Singapore (ESG) have renewed their cooperation for another two years. What will be the focuses in the next stage? How will it benefit the innovation landscape for Singapore and Vietnam? Pham Hong Quat: Singapore is considered to be the hub of innovation as well as a “paradise” for startups, with startup-friendly policies including subsidies and a range of incubation schemes. With its advanced IT infrastructure, strong government support, intellectual property laws, and deep tech talent pools, Singapore has become a world-leading technology innovation centre. Thus, the cooperation between NATEC and ESG will provide an open space for best practices and know-how sharing, particularly on the crafting and execution of startup and innovation supporting policies, as well as building and operating startup hubs. Through market access programmes and joint events, Vietnamese startups will have a chance to experience and benefit from peer-to-peer learning with their counterparts. Operating in the world’s leading and most vibrant ecosystem, Singaporean startup founders and teams have admirable skills and qualities, for example, creative thinking; entrepreneurship and management skills; fundraising and management; as well as research and development (R&D). Moreover, there will be a high chance that our startups can find great partners or clients in a new market. One of the biggest concerns for Vietnamese startups might be how to get funding from venture capital funds or angel investors and how to manage them wisely, especially during the crisis. Thus, what they need to focus on is acquiring valuable know-how and skills from their counterparts and taking any opportunity to interact and learn from experienced investors and mentors. Leon Cai: The renewed MoU will build on existing partnerships between …

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Christmas illuminations are seen above shoppers on Regent Street in the main high-street shopping area of London on December 15, 2020 ahead of fresh measures for the capital amid rising novel coronavirus infection rates. The British capital faces tougher Covid-19 measures within days, the UK government said on December 14, with a new coronavirus variant emerging as a possible cause for rapidly rising infection rates.(DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS / AFP) Hopes for an end to the pandemic were boosted by positive assessments of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine, but a study warned that at least a fifth of the world's population in poorer nations may not have access to vaccines until 2022. With the virus resurgent in Europe, Germany closed non-essential shops and schools, swathes of England came under tighter curbs, and Denmark extended its restrictions. "It's very good that we're closing the shops, it's for our health. We can't wait for things to fall apart," said shopper Jurgen in Berlin, where people were rushing to finish their Christmas purchases before the shutdown. Germany had coped relatively well with the first wave in the spring, but it has struggled to contain a resurgence in recent months and its health minister said it wanted the European Union to approve the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine "before Christmas". Calls have been growing for the EU health regulator to speed up its vaccines decision process, with the bloc lagging behind a growing number of nations that have authorised the drug. Britain has already started using it, but high infection numbers forced London on Wednesday to join large parts of central and northern England under tough, economically painful restrictions. Pubs, bars, restaurants and other hospitality sites will close, apart from takeaways, as will theatres and other entertainment venues. "The hospitality business needs this week, and it's devastating. It is devastatingly awful," said Lesley Lewis, owner of The French House, a London pub. …

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