Photo: Zing

Hanoi records close to 1,000 new infections Covid-19 cases, just behind HCM City

The Health Ministry on December 12 confirmed a further 14,638 positive Covid-19 cases across 58 localities, with Hanoi capital recording 980 fresh cases, just behind Ho Chi Minh City, the nation’s biggest coronavirus epicenter at 1,216. Some other southern provinces also recorded hundreds of local cases, including Tay Ninh (920), Dong Thap (745), Ben Tre (722), and Ca Mau (675).

The December 12 figure includes 17 imported cases; 14,621 infections were local injections. A total of 9,377 new transmissions were detected in the community. There are 7,596 Covid-19 patients nationwide who are in a serious condition, with 942 requiring invasive ventilation and 18 on life support.

Photo: VNA

Regular international commercial flights to be resumed from January 2022

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh has given the green light to the planned resumption of regular international commercial flights to a number of countries and territories in Asia and the United States starting January 1, 2022, the Government’s Office has announced. In the short term, flights will operate between Vietnam and Beijing/Guangzhou (China), Tokyo (Japan), Seoul (the Republic of Korea), Taipei (Taiwan, China), Bangkok (Thailand), Singapore, Vientiane (Laos), Phnom Penh (Cambodia) and San Francisco/Los Angeles (the US).

The flights will be operated based on the guidance from the Ministry of Health on medical measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and ensure safety, efficiency, and smoothness, Minh said at a meeting on December 9. He ordered the ministry to urgently issue the medical guidance, which should be discussed with experts and businesses, for passengers entering Vietnam on regular international commercial flights.

Earlier, during a meeting with Deputy PM Vu Duc Dam, representatives from various ministries have raised the possibility of allowing arrivals who have fully vaccinated arrivals or recovered Covid-19 patients with negative tests to self-quarantine for seven days upon entry, without the need to undergo mandatory concentrated quarantine like the current protocol.

The Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Public Security, and the Ministry of Information and Communications are told to immediately discuss and publish a medical declaration software applicable to air travel to facilitate the declaration of passengers, activities of aviation enterprises as well as medical monitoring, control and tracing of people on entry, he said.

The Ministry of Information and Communications is required to coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Transport, and press agencies to disseminate the information so that people can clearly understand the purpose and meaning of restoring regular international commercial flights as well as ensuring safety and effectiveness in the pandemic prevention and control, he said.

The Ministry of Transport will direct and guide airlines to restore regular international commercial flights according to the approved plan, and promptly assess and make adjustments in accordance with the real situation, he said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is requested to coordinate with the Ministry of Health to reach agreements with other countries and territories on mutual recognition of "vaccine passports", prioritizing the areas where international commercial flights will be restored, he said.

Photo: VNA

VASCO safely flies Covid-19 vaccine to Con Dao island

Vietnam Air Services Company (VASCO), a subsidiary of Vietnam Airlines Corporation, on December 11 safely transported a batch of Covid-19 vaccine from Ho Chi Minh City to Con Dao island of southern Ba Ria-Vung Tau province. The vaccine will be used to inoculate adults and children aged between 12-17 in the island district.

VASCO resumed its flights between southern localities and Con Dao in mid-October. The airline has been operating two return flights between HCM City and Con Dao, and one round-trip flight on the Can Tho-Con Dao route every day.

These flights have made important contributions to the socio-economic development of the island district as well as emergency and treatment activities and settlement of urgent needs of local residents.

Vietnam Covid-19 Updates (Dec. 12): Additional 16,141 Cases Recorded As of December 11, more than 57.1 million have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19. The death toll now hits 27,611. The national tally reached 1,398,413.

Vietnam Covid-19 Updates (Dec. 10): Daily Count Hits More Than 15,000 As of 6 pm on December 9, Vietnam has detected 1,367,433 Covid-19 cases since the start of the first outbreak in January 2020, ranking 33rd ...

Vietnam Covid-19 Updates (Dec. 9): Caseload Continues to Rise With Over 14,500 Infections Over 55.5 million people in Vietnam have now been fully inoculated, while more than 73.8 million people have received at least one dose of Covid-19 ...