Photo: VOV

Daily Covid-19 caseload and death toll all rise in Vietnam

Vietnam has recorded 12,450 new coronavirus infections and 164 new deaths in tens of cities and provinces across the country during the past 24 hours, up 640 and 39 cases respectively compared to the previous day. Official figures released by the Ministry of Health (MoH) at 6 pm on November 25 showed an additional 5,627 patients have recovered from the disease. Of the newly-detected infections, 6,842 cases were documented in the community through random testing or test screening.

Most of the cases were reported in the south, with Ho Chi Minh City – the largest coronavirus hotspot in Vietnam - registering 1,582 cases. Other southern localities recording high numbers of infections over 24 hours were Can Tho 741, Tay Ninh 683, Binh Duong 678, Ba Ria - Vung Tau 658, Bac Lieu 617, and Dong Thap 609. The outbreak remains complicated in the north, with the capital city of Hanoi topping localities with 264 new cases. It was followed by Ha Giang 135, Bac Ninh 122, Hoa Binh 64, Thai Binh 60, Vinh Phuc 64, and Nam Dinh 42.

Photo: VN Express

Khanh Hoa welcomes first international tourists with vaccine passports

The central province of Khanh Hoa welcomed its first foreign visitors after prolonged pandemic-driven closures as 43 Vietnamese Americans and Vietnamese Canadians landed at the Cam Ranh Airport Thursday afternoon. The Vietnamese diaspora was among 293 passengers on a Bamboo Airways flight, the rest of them being repatriated.

The tourists were taken separately through immigration procedures and health screening and then to an isolated resort in the beach town of Nha Trang. During their seven days at the resort, they will not make contact with society outside; and there will be no overlap with domestic tourism activities. They will stick to an itinerary prepared by a travel company.

In the last quarter of 2021, Khanh Hoa aims to receive over 163,000 visitors, including 2,600 foreigners, and generate around VND 476 billion (US$ 20.9 billion) in revenue. Besides Khanh Hoa, Quang Nam and Kien Giang’s Phu Quoc Island have also begun to receive international tourists coming via the vaccine passport program. Da Nang and Quang Ninh are also ready to receive international guests this year.

Photo: VN Express

Vietnam mulls resuming international flights from December

Vietnam plans to reopen international flights in early December, including routes to Japan, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said Thursday. Chinh and his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida had assigned relevant agencies to study the resumption of direct flights between both countries, Vietnam's government news portal reported, citing the Vietnamese PM as he wrapped up his four-day visit to Japan.

Earlier, the Ministry of Transport had sought government approval to resume flights in January to 15 countries and territories that have high Covid-19 vaccination rates, including Japan. With an increasing vaccination rate, Vietnam reopened its door to foreign tourists this month, allowing in fully vaccinated travelers on package tours.

Japan was the third-largest market source for Vietnamese tourism, after China and South Korea. In 2019, the year before the onset of Covid-19, Vietnam had received 952,000 Japanese tourists, a year-on-year rise of 15 percent. Japan had 1.72 million foreign workers in October 2020, according to government data. Vietnamese account for the largest foreign worker population in Japan at around 440,000 people, or nearly 26 percent.

Photo: Zing News

Russian company offers HCM City drugs for Covid-19 treatment

The Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Committee of Ho Chi Minh City on November 25 received 10,000 ampoules of Cytoflavin donated by the Polysan Science & Technology Company in Russia’s Saint-Petersburg to aid the local treatment of Covid-19 patients. The ampoules, worth over VND 1.2 billion (over US$ 88,000) will be distributed among eight local medical facilities and hospitals.

Speaking at the handover ceremony, Timur S. Sadykov, Russian Consul General in the city, stressed that joint activities against the pandemic between Vietnam and Russia – including experience exchanges and donations of medical supplies and vaccines – reflected the two nations’ comprehensive strategic partnership and their peoples’ friendship and solidarity. The diplomat took the occasion to thank the municipal authorities for supporting Russian citizens staying in the city during the latest outbreak of the pandemic. He hoped the drug will assist the local medical sector in treating the patients.

Expressing her gratitude for the valuable and timely support, Chairwoman of the municipal VFF Committee To Thi Bich Chau said the aid is proof of the Vietnam – Russia comprehensive strategic partnership as well as of the sound cooperative relationship between HCM City and Saint Petersburg.

Vietnam Covid-19 Updates (Nov. 25): Over 11,800 New Cases Recorded Nationwide The total nationwide tally now stands at 1,155,778 cases, of which 1,150,625 are a result of the fourth wave that began in late April.

Vietnam Covid-19 Updates (Nov. 24): Daily Caseload Surpasses 11,000, 167 Deaths Recorded As of 6 pm on November 23 Vietnam has documented 1,143,967 Covid-19 cases since the start of the first outbreak in January 2020, ranking 37th ...

Vietnam Covid-19 Updates (Nov. 23): Daily Infections Surge By 417 to Cross 10,000 The total Covid caseload currently amounts to 1,094,514, of which 1,091,662 have been detected during the fourth wave of infections that hit the nation in ...