Illustrative image. Photo: VNA

Covid-19: new cases on April 21 tops 12,000

A total 12,029 new cases of Covid-19 were recorded in the past 24 hours from 4pm April 20 to 4pm April 21, according to the Ministry of Health.

Hanoi continued to report the highest number of infections on the day with 986 cases, followed by Phu Tho with 836 and Quang Ninh with 550.

Dak Nong province supplemented 18,545 cases to the national tally after completing verification of information.

The national tally reached 10,533,164, cited VNA.

A total 8,693 Covid-19 patients were given the all clear on April 21, bringing the number of recoveries so far to 9,076,927.

There are 826 patients needing breathing support, while an additional 9 deaths were recorded in the past 24 hours, taking the total fatalities to 42,991, equal to 0.4 percent of the total caseload.

By April 20, the country had injected 210,560,185 doses of Covid-19 vaccines.

Vietnam willing to work with China to promote bilateral trade

The nation is ready to work alongside China to promote the stable, balanced, and sustainable development of bilateral trade, thereby bringing practical benefits to both sides.

Le Thi Thu Hang, the spokeswoman of the Foreign Ministry, made the statement at a regular press conference of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held on April 21, commenting on the official information regarding the operation of a number of inter-railway routes transporting import and export goods between the two countries.

This comes after a number of inter-railway routes transporting import and export goods between some Chinese and Vietnamese localities entered into operation on April 15 and April 16, the spokesperson said.

ccording to Hang, international rail transport is a safe and effective mode of transport, boasting many advantages in terms of time and transportation cost, whilst also contributing to promoting smooth trade between the two nations, as well as connecting to other markets, according to VOV.

Rail transport connectivity is also suitable for cooperation between the two sides in enhancing connectivity under the "Two Corridors, One Belt" framework along with the "Belt and Road" Initiative.

The official stated that both sides represent two important trading partners for each other, with last year's total trade turnover reaching US$165.9 billion, up 24.6% over 2020.

The first quarter of the year has seen the import-export turnover between the two countries hit US$40.8 billion, up 10.6% over the same period from last year.

Over 1 million people receive Covid-19 e-passports

Over 1 million Vietnamese people had received COVID-19 passports as of April 20 after six days the Ministry of Health (MoH) started to issue the certification through “So suc khoe dien tu” and “PC-COVID” apps.

According to Vice Director of the Medical Data Centre under the MoH’s Department of Information Technology Nguyen Ba Hung, the electronic vaccine passports are valid within 12 months from the issuance date. When it expires, a new QR code will be automatically generated, reported VNA.

The e-pasports are issued through "So suc khoe dien tu" and “PC-COVID” apps. Photo: moh.gov.vn

The passports, which meet the standards of the World Health Organization and the European Union, are being used in 62 countries and more in the time to come.

As vaccination information of those people has been updated into the national vaccination system, they are not required to take any further procedures to receive the e-passport.

The MoH has asked its agencies and medical service suppliers of ministries and sectors to review and verify information of vaccinated people and make necessary adjustments before April 30, ensuring the accuracy of Covid-19 vaccination data. Meanwhile, localities are requested to complete this work before May 5.

Leaders of vaccination units will bear the responsibility for any wrong Covid-19 vaccination information of the people, affecting the issuance of vaccine passports serving their international traveling and trading activities.

Vietnam to become a second largest digital economy in Southeast Asia in 2025: experts

Vietnam can become the second largest digital economy in Southeast Asia in 2025, while the country’s e-commerce market will draw more large-scale businesses, forecast experts at an online seminar in Ho Chi Minh City on April 20.

They also said that online businesses will involve more economic sectors and more big players in the time to come.

Do Huu Hung, General Director of AccessTrade, held that e-commerce should be the first step, followed by logistics and delivery services to win stronger confidence among consumers and improve their shopping experience.

Hung said that with better logistics and delivery services, the digital economy can make up 50-60% of the Vietnamese economy in the future, reported VOV.

The years of 2020 and 2021 can be described as a special period with unprecedented changes under the impact of Covid-19, where online business in Vietnam enjoyed a breakthrough growth in both domestic and foreign markets.

According to the “E-Commerce White Book 2020”, the global revenue from B2C e-commerce activities is likely to rise by 1.5 times in the 2019-2023 period from US$1.94 trillion to over US$2.88 trillion. The book also predicted that Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, will see high growth.

Photo: VOV

Phan Binh, Director of J&T Express Vietnam, said that businesses do not need giant shops but high quality products which will be delivered to customers through suitable services.

Currently, many foreign firms have sought business opportunities in the potential market of Vietnam with the motto of "Think Global, Act Local". Meanwhile, online business activities have drawn a large number of companies, cooperatives, business households and individuals in both rural and urban areas.

Experts advised enterprises operating online business to seek support in consultations and solutions to develop one-stop-shop model.

They also underlined the need for wider coverage of delivery services to meet the demand of the booming e-commerce sector.

Vietnam boosts exports to Thailand

A workshop on promoting Vietnamese exports to the Thai market was held by the Investment and Trade Promotion Centre of Ho Chi Minh City (ITPC) on April 21.

The event aimed to connect small and medium enterprises of Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City in particular who have demand to export to the Thai market. It also helped businesses to find partners and suppliers and introduce products to the Thai consumers.

According to ITPC Deputy Director Tran Phu Lu, Thailand has always maintained its position as the largest trading partner of Vietnam in ASEAN with bilateral trade turnover of US$18.72 billion in 2021.

Delegates visit a booth run by the ITPC. Photo: NDO

Thailand currently ranks ninth out of 140 countries and territories investing in Vietnam with total accumulated capital of over US$13 billion as of February 2022.

The delegates said that Thailand is a potential export market for Vietnamese enterprises, but Vietnamese enterprises also face many challenges in terms of product quality, price, design, and connection methods to compete with other countries in the region, cited NDO.

Consumption trends in Thailand have some changes after the Covid-19 pandemic with growing online shopping, priorities given to products with reasonable prices, eye-catching and convenient store designs with personalized services, environmentally friendly products and others.

Many Vietnamese enterprises have successfully exported their products to the Thai market, showing that the market is not too “fastidious” but it is important to properly grasp the needs and tastes of local consumers.

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