Covid-19 patients at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Hanoi, December 2021. Photo: VnExpress

Vietnam records 14,819 new Covid cases

The Health Ministry confirmed 14,819 new local Covid-19 cases Friday, down 481 cases from the previous day, pushing the ongoing wave's tally to 1,376,017.

The three localities with the highest number of new cases were Ho Chi Minh City with 1,226 cases, Soc Trang with 894 cases, and Tay Ninh with 893 cases.

Of the day's tally, 8,843 cases were detected in the community.

The Health Ministry also confirmed 1,362 recoveries the same day, bringing the total number of recovered cases so far to 1,052,341, cited VnExpress.

The Covid-19 death toll in Vietnam rose to 27,402 with the confirmation of 216 deaths Friday.

The average number of new cases in the country for the past seven days has been 14,487 a day while the national death rate has been 221 a day on average.

Over 74.6 million people have been vaccinated, with more than 56.4 million receiving two doses.

Vietnam to resume international air routes on December 15

Vietnam will reopen international commercial flights under a two-phase pilot scheme, starting on December 15, the Ministry of Transport said in its latest proposal to the Government.

In the first phase, airlines will operate regular flights between Vietnam and nine other countries and territories, namely China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan (China), Thailand, Singapore, Laos, Cambodia and the United States.

The first phase will last for two weeks, starting from December 15.

Aircraft will take off and land at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi and Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City. There will be four flights/week on each way for each side. About 14,000 people are expected to enter Vietnam during this phase.

The second phase will last for a month, starting from January 1, 2022. Airlines will operate flights to/from six other countries and territories, namely Malaysia, Hong Kong (China), France, Germany, Australia and Russia.

Besides Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat, other international airports of Da Nang, Cam Ranh, Phu Quoc and Van Don will be used to receive incoming visitors.

A Vietnam Airlines aircraft lands at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, June 15, 2020. Photo: VnExpress

The frequency of flights will be increased to seven per week for each side. Vietnam is expected to receive approximately 40,000 people per week during this phase.

Passengers wishing to visit Vietnam are required to receive full vaccine doses and have a negative COVID-19 test 72 hours before departure.

Examining the proposal at a meeting in Hanoi on December 9, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh noted that the resumption of international commercial flights is to meet the ‘requirement of the actual situation, especially in the face of a high travel demand at the end of the year.’

He requested that there should be a single medical declaration software applicable to people upon entry to facilitate disease control and movement. He also called for better communication campaigns to help people understand the purpose of reopening international routes, according to VOV.

A representative of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said that about 1,179 foreign visitors have arrived in Vietnam on pilot flights since mid-November, and no positive cases have been reported. The ministry expected that Vietnam would welcome more than 15,000 international visitors by the end of December.

Meanwhile, representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of National Defense emphasized that the reopening of international commercial routes requires careful preparations to both support Vietnam’s negotiations with other countries on the principle of reciprocity, and at the same time ensure smooth implementation throughout the country.

Deputy PM Minh assigned the Government Office to summarize the opinions of the ministries and report to the Prime Minister.

Vietnam nominated as co-chair of OECD's Southeast Asia program for first time

Vietnam and Australia have been officially nominated as co-chairs of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)-run Southeast Asia Regional Program (SEARP) for 2022-2025, replacing Thailand and the Republic of Korea (RoK).

The nomination was decided at the 8th meeting of the Steering Group of the OECD Southeast Asia Regional Program held in the form of videoconference on December 9. Assistant to the Foreign Minister and Director of the Department of Economic Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Hang attended the meeting.

In her remarks, Hang thanked OECD and the Southeast Asia Regional Program for their acknowledgement of Vietnam’s active and responsible contributions over the past time, pledging that Vietnam will closely coordinate with Australia to carry forward the achievements and propose priority areas.

At the 8th meeting of the Steering Group of the OECD Southeast Asia Regional Program. Photo: VNA

Anthony Stannard, a representative from the Australian delegation, also affirmed Australia’s resolve to join hands with Vietnam and regional countries in the next three years when it holds the co-chairmanship.

Vietnam is the third nation in Southeast Asia to work as co-chair of the program, after Indonesia and Thailand, which demonstrates efforts in implementing the directive of the Party Central Committee's Secretariat on enhancing and advancing multilateral diplomacy by 2030.

The position would help Vietnam prove its international role and responsibility, while utilizing OECD’s consultancy and support for the country’s development goals.

The nomination also reflects OECD’s trust in Vietnam’s capacity to connect the organization with the Southeast Asian region in the areas of shared concern, reported VNA.

Inaugurated by OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe at the OECD Ministerial Council Meeting in May 2014, the OECD Southeast Asia Regional Program aims to support the region in their domestic priorities, policy reforms and regional integration efforts. The program held its first Ministerial Conference in March 2018, to discuss issues on Inclusive ASEAN, and the next phase of the Program.

Vietnam ramps up efforts to promote gender equality

The rate of women in the Vietnamese workforce has reached over 70%, a high level compared to figures globally, according to the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs.

The rate of girls of school age also stands higher than boys, while in the incumbent 15th legislature, female deputies account for 30.26% of the total lawmakers, the highest ratio since the fifth National Assembly (NA).

Despite this, the country continues to face a number of challenges in ensuring gender equality, especially in relation to prolonged gender-based violence. The latest national survey indicates that over 60% of married women have been abused either physically or mentally.

Photo: United Nations

The facts show that gender discrimination still exists in part of society, with girls accounting for the majority of victims of violence and abuse, whilst women find it harder to access sustainable job opportunities in comparison to their male counterparts.

Nguyen Hong Ha, officer in charge of the International Labour Organization Vietnam, said due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, this year has seen female workers worse affected in terms of employment than their male counterparts, leading to a 10.8% rise in gender-based employment gap.

Bach Lien Huong, director of Hanoi's Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, recommended that authorities allocate appropriate resources specifically for gender equality promotion programs, cited VOV.

Furthermore, Kidong Park, acting resident coordinator of the UN, suggested that the country promote educational campaigns in a bid to raise public awareness of gender equality.

Moreover, Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Thi Ha requested that concerned parties work hand together to carry out a program on preventing and coping with gender-based violence for the 2021 to 2025 period. This is as well as implementing priority policies for pregnant and Covid-19-infected women, in addition to women caring for small children.

HCM City start injecting third Covid-19 vaccine jab for frontline workers

Ho Chi Minh City on December 10 started administering additional and booster shots of Covid-19 vaccines to high-risk groups and frontline forces, including medical workers, police and army officers and those who are immunocompromised.

About 2,000 doses of vaccines are expected to be given to frontline forces of Go Vap district on the first day of the vaccination campaign.

Photo: VNA

The city will continue to administer shots for people aged over 50 from December 13 and finish the vaccination drive within 7-10 days, cited VNA.

Thach Thi Ca from Go Vap district’s Medical Centre said the third shots of Covid-19 vaccine was very important for people infected with HIV because immunocompromised persons have a very high risk of getting worse if they contract Covid-19.

In December, HCM City will focus on administering Covid-19 vaccine for immunocompromised patients who have been fully inoculated with the last jab at least 28 days earlier and those who have received two shots at least six months.

The city will inoculate the booster shots to people aged above 18 who are fully vaccinated by the end of next year. Priority will be given to people aged over 50, those suffering from underlying health issues and people who require long-term care at health facilities.

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