Vaccination is one of the effective tools to help people better protect themselves from virus infection. Photo: VOV

Covid-19: Daily count falls to nearly 16,000, Omicron cases rise to 133

Vietnam has recorded 15,935 new coronavirus infections during the past 24 hours, a fall of 736 cases compared to the previous day, the Ministry of Health reported on January 21.

Of the newly detected infections, 10,912 cases were diagnosed in the community, 34 tested positive upon returning from overseas, and the remainder were documented in the lockdown or quarantine areas.

Hanoi capital took the lead, registering 2,805 new cases, followed by Da Nang (964), Hai Phong (796), Hung Yen (685), Ben Tre (618), Thanh Hoa (509), and Quang Ngai (482).

Like previous days, Ho Chi Minh City and Binh Duong, the two coronavirus hotspots in the south, continued to report as low as 227 and 95 new cases respectively.

Official data from the MoH show an additional 177 patients died of Covid-19 and underlying illnesses nationwide, an increase of 25 cases compared to the previous day, cited VOV.

As of 06pm on January 21 Vietnam has detected 2,110,737 Covid-19 cases since the start of the outbreak, ranking 28th out of 224 countries and territories worldwide.

Of the infected patients, 1,797,180 have been discharged from hospital after making a full recovery from the disease, and 36,443 patients have died of the virus.

Notable, the number of Omicron infections has risen to 133 in 10 localities in Vietnam, including 65 cases in Ho Chi Minh City, 27 cases in Quang Nam, and 12 in Hanoi.

Nearly 174 million vaccine doses have been administered nationwide, with 73.5 million people getting their second shot and more than 21 million people receiving their additional shot/booster jab.

Vietnam-US trade hits record high in 2021

Bilateral trade between Vietnam and the US set a new milestone, hitting US$111.56 billion in 2021, up nearly US$21 billion over the previous year, according to the General Department of Customs.

The impressive figure made the US the second trade partner having import-export turnover with Vietnam reaching the US$100 billion mark after China.

Last year Vietnam's exports to the US rose 25 percent to nearly US$96.3 billion, accounting for 28.6 percent of the country's total exports.

Among Vietnam's major export items to the US were machinery, equipment and parts with US$17.82 billion, up 46 percent; textiles and garments (US$16.1 billion, up 15 percent); computers, electronics and components (US$12.76 billion; up 23 percent); handsets and parts (US$9.69 billion, up 10.3 percent); footwear (US$7.42 billion, up 18 percent); and wood and wooden products (US$8.8 billion, up 23 percent).

Last year, the country imported nearly US$15.27 billion worth of goods from the US, mainly computers, electronics and components as well as machinery, equipment and parts.

Bui Huy Son, Counselor of the Vietnam Trade Office in the US, said that the two-way turnover, which exceeded US$100 billion for the first time in 2021, was a very important achievement, especially given the pandemic, as well as the disruptions and disturbances in the supply chain and logistics activities.

Workers of Hung Viet Co in Hung Yen province make garment products for export. Photo: VNA

Along with that, the active and flexible activities of two business communities continued to expand trade and investment activities, such as the resumption of direct flights between Vietnam and the US, and the fact that Vietnamese businesses were increasing investment in the US to continue to expand their presence sustainably in the market, according to VNA.

Looking at import and export activities, not only had the total two-way turnover reached a record level, but it was also worth mentioning that export activities from both directions had good growth rates, Sơn said, adding that the import and export goods between the two sides were very complementary.

To accelerate bilateral trade, Son called for continuous efforts from both sides, first of all in terms of the policy. The two sides should continue to maintain a dialogue channel, sharing information, and further enhancing mutual understanding so that they could detect and coordinate on problems favorably.

At the same time, businesses also needed to seize opportunities, especially opportunities from the strong recovery of the US economy, since different forecasts assessed a relatively high growth rate for the US economy in 2022.

He also suggested businesses closely observe market developments, ensure the requirements of legal traceability, storage, information about documents and invoices for the origin of goods, so that they could coordinate and provide information when there were requests for investigation and verification by US agencies.

Hanoi among world's 25 best destinations for food lovers

Hanoi placed 22nd on a list of 25 best tourist destinations for food enthusiasts as voted by Tripadvisor readers.

The capital city was one of four Asian representatives to break into the list along with Bangkok (9th), Singapore (10th) and Hong Kong (10th) in Tripadvisor's 2022 Travelers’ Choice Awards. The list is based on the quality and volume of reviews received from Nov. 1, 2020 to Oct. 31, 2021.

Cha ca, fried catfish dish, is served in a pan at a restaurant on La Vong Street in Hanoi. Photo: VnExpress

The aim was "to select destinations that consistently deliver the best overall experience for travelers," Tripadvisor stated.

The city offers some of the most popular Vietnamese dishes like the iconic, fragrant rice noodle soup, pho, the banh mi, a baguette usually filled with grilled pork, meatballs or cold cuts, cucumber, cilantro, pickled carrots, liver pate and a swipe of mayonnaise, or com tam, broken rice with grilled pork, pig skin, egg and fish sauce.

Its signature dishes that have contributed to Hanoi's cuisine reputation included bun cha, char grilled pork with rice noodles, cha ca (fried catfish) and egg coffee.

Rome topped the list, followed by London and Paris.

Which countries have recognized Vietnam’s vaccine passport?

Ten countries have so far endorsed Vietnam’s vaccine passport to facilitate travel between their countries and Vietnam, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said at a press briefing in Hanoi on January 20.

“Japan, the Unites States, the United Kingdom, Australia, India, Belarus, Cambodia, the Philippines, Palestine and Maldives have recognized Vietnam’s vaccine passport,” spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang told media workers.

The recognition of vaccine passports/certificates will facilitate travel between countries and territories. Illustrative image by WHO

Vietnam’s vaccine passport form, issued by the Ministry of Health on December 23, 2021, has been introduced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to foreign representative agencies in Vietnam for consideration and recognition.

“Vietnamese representative agencies abroad are also making efforts to request partners to recognize Vietnam’s vaccine passport,” she added.

Vietnam has so far temporarily recognized vaccine passports/certificates from 79 countries and territories, reported VOV.

Such recognition can help reduce the time of concentrated isolation to three days and can shorten the quarantine period for people who have received full doses of Covid-19 vaccine or have recovered from Covid-19.

Vietnam Airlines resumes regular flights to Europe from Jan 24, to Russia from Jan 29

The national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines on January 21 announced its plan to resume regular flights between Vietnam and Russia, the United Kingdom, France and Germany.

Accordingly, the first flights will depart right next week, from January 24. The final operation plan will depend on the approval by authorities and be updated by Vietnam Airlines to passengers in case of any changes.

Vietnam Airlines aircraft. Photo: VNA

The carrier plans to resume regular flights between Hanoi and Moscow with one flight a week, with the first scheduled to depart on January 29. From February 8, flights from Hanoi to Moscow will depart every Friday and vice versa on Saturday.

For the remaining destinations in Europe, on January 24, Vietnam Airlines plans to make the first regular flight from Hanoi to London, which will transit through Paris and then be back to Hanoi.

On January 27, the airline will continue to operate the first regular flight between Hanoi and Frankfurt, cited VNA.

From February 8, the flight schedule to the UK, France and Germany will be fixed on two routes. The flights on the first route depart every Tuesday from Hanoi to London, via Frankfurt and back to Hanoi, while those on the second depart every Thursday from Hanoi to Paris, via Frankfurt and back to Hanoi.

The national flag carrier also advises passengers to find out information and make sure to meet immigration regulations at their destination such as medical declaration, Covid-19 testing, vaccination or recovery status.

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