Photo: VOV

More than 251 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines administered in Vietnam

More than 251 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been administered to Vietnamese people of all ages across the country, including nearly 100,000 doses given on August 14, according to the Ministry of Health.

Localities with low rates of the first booster shot include Quang Nam (54.4%), Binh Dinh (56.1%), Khanh Hoa (54.8%), Dong Nai (46.8%) and Can Tho (53.7%).

Meanwhile, localities with high rates of the first booster shot are Bac Giang (98.1%), Nghe An (99.5%) and Ben Tre (95.4%).

Nearly 12 million people have been given their second booster shot, accounting for 62.5% of people eligible for vaccination, cited VOV.

Currently, localities are speeding up vaccination in the face of the emergence of new sub-variants of the Omicron virus, such as BA.4 and BA.5, throughout the country.

On August 14, the number of coronavirus infections fell to 1,428 in localities nationwide, with a death reported. As many as 106 severe cases are receiving treatment at medical facilities.

Vietnam has so far detected nearly 11.1 million Covid-19 infections, ranking 12th out of 227 countries and territories worldwide. About 43,098 deaths have been confirmed, making up 0.4% of the infections.

HCM City ready to reactivate Covid-19 treatment hospitals

The Department of Health of Ho Chi Minh City has recently requested its medical facilities to get plans readied for the acceptance and treatment of Covid-19 patients in the context of increases in the number of new cases.

The department assigned the Hospital for Tropical Diseases to be responsible for preparing human resources to reactivate the Covid-19 treatment hospital for severe cases when required, according to VNA.

A Covid-19 treatment hospital. Photo: VNA

In addition, it requested all hospitals, health centres and medical facilities in the city to actively review their resources to be ready to respond when the Covid-19 pandemic worsens.

The city's Center for Disease Control was assigned to strengthen case surveillance through the Infectious Disease Surveillance System connected to the Covid-19 Digital Management Platform, with the focus on fluctuations in the number of new cases, and the status of vaccination for vulnerable people.

The Health Department also stressed the need to step up communication work to raise awareness about the importance of vaccination, and continue giving help to and managing Covid-19 patients at home through this platform.

Vietnam Airlines opens ticket sales for upcoming Tet Holiday

Vietnam Airlines Group, which manages Vietnam Airlines, Pacific Airlines and VASCO, has opened ticket sales for Lunar New Year (Tet) Holiday in the period from January 6 to February 5, 2023.

Tickets have been available on Vietnam Airlines’ website, mobile app and official ticket offices and agents nationwide from August 15.

Along with domestic flights, the carrier will increase flights connecting Vietnam and Asian countries such as Singapore, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, the Republic of Korea, and those between Vietnam and Australia, cited VNA.

Illustrative image. Source: VNA

It plans to double its international flight number in the period amid the loosening migration regulations in many countries and territories.

On the occasion, Vietnam Airlines offers special ticket fare from 1.86 million VND (79.48 USD) per leg, including taxes and fees, for business class; and 785,000 VND per leg, including taxes and fees, for economy class.

The promotion is applicable for flights from January 14 to February 5, 2023.

Demand for logistics real estate increases sharply: Savills Vietnam

Vietnam’s logistics industry is developing strongly thanks to the growth of the e-commerce industry, according to Savills Vietnam.

This is one of the factors that make the demand for logistics real estate increase sharply, it said.

A survey by Savills Vietnam showed that Vietnam's logistics industry is enjoying significant growth due to the development of the national economy, and the manufacturing and e-commerce sectors.

According to a report on the emerging market logistics index released earlier this year by Agility, a leading logistics and transportation service provider in 2022, Vietnam ranks 11th among the world’s top 50 emerging markets, only behind Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand in the Association of Southeast Asia Nations.

At Nam Hai Dinh Vu Port in Hai Phong city. Photo: VOV

Vietnam's transport and logistics market is estimated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7% in the 2021-2026 period. The Vietnamese government encourages enterprises manufacturing and attracts investment by establishing industrial and economic zones. Despite challenges from the Covid-19 pandemic, this industry still thrives thanks to opportunities brought about by domestic production and consumption, economic growth, free trade agreements (FTAs) and the e-commerce boom, VOV reported.

According to Matthew Powell, Director of Savills Hanoi, Vietnam is a destination for many businesses in the manufacturing and logistics sectors, especially before the development of the e-commerce industry. This is coupled with an increased demand for high quality industrial real estate.

Currently, many businesses find it difficult in the search for locations for their factories and warehouses. Industrial parks and warehouse logistics, especially around big cities like Hanoi, have high occupancy rates even up to nearly 100% in many places. The supply of industrial real estate is falling to keep up with the demand of enterprises.

This offers an opportunity for international real estate developers to invest in Vietnam, he said.

Many investors are seizing the opportunity to launch products that are suitable for the market, therefore, the supply shortage will soon be resolved in the coming months, Powell said.

Vietnamese fruits lose ground to imports, could lose home market

Dislodged from supermarkets, Vietnam’s fruits are being displayed at sidewalk shops and sold by street vendors.

Thanks to its geographical position and natural conditions, Vietnam has great advantages to develop agricultural production. The country harvests 28 million tons of vegetables and fruit each year. Negotiating for market entry, therefore, is an important solution which ensures consumption of these products.

Vietnamese farmers and businesses in July received good news as durian and passion fruit now can be exported to China under official quotas.

However, Vietnam’s vegetable and fruit exports in the first seven months of the year brought turnover of $1.92 billion, down by 16.1 percent compared with the same period last year.

China is the biggest importer of Vietnam’s vegetables and fruits with a market share of 47 percent in H1. However, the export turnover to the market decreased by 34 percent in comparison to the same period last year to $799 million.

A report from the International Trade Center (ITC) on the world’s 10 largest vegetable and fruit markets shows that Vietnam’s exports remain modest, except for exports to the Chinese market.

The US is the world’s largest market which imported $25.5 billion worth of vegetables and fruits in the first five months of the year. However, its imports from Vietnam accounted for just 0.75 percent of total value.

Imports from Germany, the second largest market which spends VND13 billion a year to import vegetables and fruits, just accounted for 0.19 percent.

Photo: VNN

As for China, the country imported $10.3 billion worth of vegetables and fruits in the first five months of the year, an increase of 11.1 percent compared with the same period last year, but its imports from Vietnam just accounted for 9.5 percent.

In other markets, including the UK, France, Canada, Japan, Spain and Hong Kong, Vietnam’s fruits only account for 0.17-1.77 percent of market share. The figure is 5.75 percent in South Korea.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan admitted that the amount of vegetables and fruits sold abroad is small and there are only a few deals at times, and the products are displayed mostly in Asian-owned shops.

Meanwhile, Vietnam spent $1.1 billion by the end of July importing fruits, an increase of 27.3 percent compared with the same period last year. China, the US and Australia were the three biggest fruit suppliers to Vietnam in H1, which accounted for 35.6 percent, 16.4 percent and 9.3 percent of market share, respectively.

When Vietnam negotiated free trade agreements (FTAs), Vietnam’s businesses were warned that foreign products would land in the domestic market. However, the increase in imports in recent years has exceeded expectations.

Some years ago, supermarkets sold foreign fruits. These were considered luxury products affordable only to high income earners. But now, imported fruits are not only displayed at supermarkets but also at fruit shops.

Previously, only Vietnamese fruits were available at traditional markets. But now, fruit imports from Europe, the US, China, Thailand and Taiwan are available everywhere.

At Dai Tu Market in Hoang Mai district in Hanoi, for example, one stall was seen selling more than 10 kinds of fruits, and most were imports.

Bui Thi Lan, a petty merchant at the market, said that foreign fruits account for two-thirds of total products at her stall.

“How much and what kind of fruits to sell depends on buyers,” Lan explained why most products at her stall are imports.

Five years ago, she mostly sold Vietnamese fruit, which accounted for 75 percent of total products, while the remaining was Chinese products. Recently, as imports have become cheaper, she now mostly sells foreign products.

Dang Phuc Nguyen, general secretary of the Vietnam Vegetable and Fruit Association, admitted that in large cities, foreign fruits occupy an overwhelming market share.

As Vietnam is a member of many FTAs, it imposes preferential tariffs on fruit imports, which explains why foreign fruits are becoming cheaper. This, plus high quality and diversification, have won consumers’ hearts, cited VNN.

In previous years, many Vietnam’s businesses focused on selling products to China, which was considered an easy-to-please market, and they did not pay attention to the domestic market. However, as China has become choosier, they have been advised to pay more attention to the domestic market.

Nguyen warned that if businesses don’t truly assess the home market, they will lose it.

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