Vietnam News Today (August 5): Vietnam Team Train Behind Closed Doors Ahead of World Cup Qualifiers

	Vietnam News Today (August 4): Shippers in Ho Chi Minh City Receive Covid Vaccine Jab
	Vietnam News Today (August 3): Vietnam to Receive Nearly 50 Million Doses of Pfizer Vaccine by Year-end
	Vietnam News Today (August 2): Vietnam's Covid-19 Infection Tally Crosses 150,000

A plane lands in Van Don Airport in Quang Ninh province, July 2018. Photo: VnExpress

Vietnam cuts quarantine time for vaccinated entrants

Fully vaccinated people arriving in Vietnam will have to spend seven days in centralized quarantine and self monitor their health in the following week, the Health Ministry said Wednesday.

A document by the ministry said entrants with proper certificates to show that they have been fully vaccinated with the last dose given between 14 days and 12 months before arrival, and have tested negative for the coronavirus within 72 hours before arrival, would only need to go under centralized quarantine for seven days instead of the usual 14 days.

Additionally, those infected with Covid-19 and have certificates to prove that they have recovered from it within the last six months would also see their centralized quarantine period reduced.

Following centralized quarantine, entrants would need to monitor their own health for the next seven days, while constantly using contact tracing app Bluezone, cited VnExpress.

The health ministry has requested the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to issue guidance on evaluating and certifying Covid-19 vaccination and recovery certificates. Localities should provide opportunities for entrants to be quarantined in hotels if needed, and entrants would pay the quarantine fees themselves.

Further details including implementation date have not been revealed.

Since last month, the health ministry has trialed a similar quarantine approach in the northern province of Quang Ninh, which allows fully vaccinated individuals or recovered Covid-19 patients to undergo seven days in centralized quarantine.

Vietnam closed its borders from March last year and those allowed to enter have been mostly Vietnamese citizens stranded abroad, foreign diplomats, investors and high-skilled workers.

Vietnam among top beneficiaries of US vaccine donations

Vietnam is among the leading seven countries worldwide that have received Covid-19 vaccines donated by the United States.

The country received five million doses of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine, while Indonesia was given eight million vaccines.

Elsewhere, the Philippines, Colombia, and South Africa were also among the other major recipients, getting 6.2 million, six million, and 5.6 million doses, respectively.

The US presents five million doses of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine to Vietnam. Photo: VOV

In addition, Bangladesh and Pakistan were presented with 5.5 million doses each.

The White House published a list on its website on August 3 outlining how the US has donated and shipped more than 110 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine to more than 60 countries and territories worldwide, reported VOV.

Citing data gathered by the UN, the White House noted that the number of vaccine doses donated by the US now totals more than the donations of all other countries combined.

“These 110 million doses – that are already saving lives around the world – are just the beginning of the Administration’s efforts to provide vaccines to the world. Starting at the end of this month, the Administration will begin shipping half a billion Pfizer doses that the United States has pledged to purchase and donate to 100 low-income countries in need,” according to the White House’s statement.

In June, US President Joe Biden committed to donating at least 80 million doses to countries globally. He also promised to continue sharing more, with the majority to be shipped through the COVAX Facility.

The White House noted that starting at the end of this month, the Administration will begin shipping half a billion Pfizer doses that the US has pledged to purchase and donate to 100 low-income countries in need.

Vietnam team train behind closed doors ahead of World Cup qualifiers

The Vietnamese men’s national football team will hold a training camp behind closed doors in preparation for the third round of Asian qualifiers for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in order to ensure the footballers’ safety during the country’s Covid-19 fight.

The national team are scheduled to gather at the Youth Football Training Centre on August 5 to undergo extensive training ahead of their final fixtures in the Asian region’s qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup, according to the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF).

Photo: VOV

Head coach Park Hang-seo won’t be able to join the training as he is currently in isolation following his recent return from his home country the Republic of Korea.

He has called up a total of 31 players for training, including three goalkeepers, 14 defenders, nine midfielders, and five forwards. The two most significant absences are goalkeeper Dang Van Lam, who is now playing for Cerezo Osaka FC in Japan, and star striker Cong Phuong who is busy with family affairs.

Vietnam have been drawn in Group B of the final World Cup qualifying round, alongside Japan, Saudi Arabia, Australia, China, and Oman, according to VOV.

The "Golden Dragons" will begin their campaign with an away match against Saudi Arabia on September 2, followed by a match against Australia at the My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi five days later.

Quang Ninh closes public beaches, tourist destinations as Covid threat escalates

Quang Ninh province, home to world-famous Ha Long Bay, has imposed a swimming ban and close all tourist destinations from Wednesday afternoon as a tougher measure to contain the pandemic.

The move came as the northern province, around two hours from Hanoi, has gone 37 days without new community transmissions while the pandemic situation in many localities, including the capital, remain complicated with new Covid clusters.

People swim at Hon Gai beach in Ha Long, Quang Ninh province, July 2021. Photo: VnExpress

Street-side eateries and coffee shops are only allowed to serve takeaways while restaurants and in-door dining establishments can serve customers on the spot but must ensure pandemic prevention measures, reported VnExpress.

Provincial authorities also banned gathering of more than five people in public at once and ordered all arrivals to furnish negative PCR Covid test results.

Since June 8, Quang Ninh reopened tourist destinations, relics, historical sites, and golf courses but still prohibits external visitors. Provincial authorities also offered free entry tickets to hotspot Ha Long Bay until the year-end to stimulate domestic tourism.

The number of visitors to Quang Ninh fell by 37 percent last year to 8.8 million as Vietnam closed its borders from March 2020 to keep Covid at bay.

Quang Ninh has recorded five cases during the ongoing wave that has infected over 170,000 nationwide since late April.

Phan Thiet to become national hub of tourism, marine sports

Located in the south-central province of Binh Thuan, Phan Thiet city has devised a plan which aims to turn the locality into a national tourism and marine sport centre by 2025.

The city plans to develop its tourism industry in association with marine sports to cater to the taste of both domestic and foreign tourists.

Photo: VOV

Most notably, Hon Rom - Mui Ne and Ham Tien tourist sites will develop various activities for guests to enjoy, including paragliding, kiteboarding, kitesurfing, windsurfing, sailing, sand-skiing, cycling, and cross-country running, cited VOV.

Furthermore, the Doi Duong - Thuong Chanh beach resort will be the location in which to organise games such as beach volleyball, beach soccer, beach handball, cross-country running, and marathon

Phan Thiet city will be regularly organising international sports tournaments involving kitesurfing, windsurfing, yachting, and golfing, as well as a hot air balloon festival.

The municipal administration will co-ordinate efforts with the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism in order to design unique marine sports products that can meet the various interests of tourists. This in turn will boost the image of Phan Thiet tourism to international friends and potential guests.

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