Illustrative image. Source: VNA

Vietnam logs 1,460 Covid-19 cases on July 26

A total 1,460 Covid-19 cases were logged on July 26, the highest over the past about 70 days, raising the national caseload to 10,770,304, according to the Ministry of Health.

A total 7,107 Covid-19 patients were given the all clear on the day, bringing the number of recoveries so far to 9,874,075. There are 46 patients in serious conditions needing breathing support, cited VNA.

No death from Covid-19 was recorded in the past 24 hours. The total fatalities stood at 43,092.

On July 25, 204,114 doses of vaccines were administered, raising the total number of doses of Covid-19 vaccines injected to 243,012,217.

Vietnam attaches importance to APEC cooperation

Vietnam always attaches importance to APEC cooperation in order to maintain peace, stability, cooperation, and sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific region, said a Vietnamese diplomat.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ha Kim Ngoc was speaking at a reception for Dr. Rebecca Sta Maria, executive director of the Secretariat of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Hanoi on July 25.

Ngoc thanked the APEC Secretariat and Dr. Sta Maria personally for supporting Vietnam in hosting APEC 2006 and 2017 as well as implementing many capacity-building projects in various fields. such as human resource development, women empowerment, and capacity building for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ha Kim Ngoc (R) receives Dr. Rebecca Sta Maria, executive director of the APEC Secretariat in Hanoi on July 25. Photo: baoquocte.vn

Dr. Rebecca Sta Maria highly appreciated Vietnam’s role and contributions to APEC over the past 20 years, as well as its initiatives to promote important cooperation contents, especially in building and implementing the APEC Vision to 2040.

Both host and guest agreed to enhance cooperation between Vietnam and the APEC Secretariat in implementing appropriate projects, and supporting Vietnam in training multilateral foreign affairs officers.

Exchanging views on regional and global challenges, the two sides stressed the need to enhance APEC’s role in supporting post-pandemic economic recovery in member countries, promoting regional economic linkages, strengthening a resilient supply chain, facilitating free and open trade and investment, ensuring food security, and supporting a multilateral trading system, reported VOV.

On the same day, Dr. Sta Maria had working sessions with the APEC Research Center, the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam and a number of Vietnamese agencies and businesses about APEC’s cooperation and orientation in 2022.

Dr. Rebecca Sta Maria is in Vietnam for the third meeting of the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) which is scheduled to open in Ha Long city on July 27. State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc is expected to deliver a speech at the opening ceremony.

PM urges faster vaccination amid Covid-19 resurgence risks

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has ordered Covid-19 vaccination be sped up in the face of the pandemic resurgence in some countries.

He made the request in an official dispatch sent to the People’s Committees of provinces and cities nationwide, ministries, ministry-level and government agencies on July 25.

So far, more than 240 million vaccine doses have been administered in Vietnam with large coverage of the first and second doses, which has greatly helped bring the pandemic under control nationwide.

More than 240 million Covid-19 vaccine doses have been administered in Vietnam so far. Photo: VNA

However, the dispatch noted, many localities and agencies have lowered their guards while authorities in some places haven’t worked drastically enough, making the vaccination progress lag behind schedule.

Meanwhile, the pandemic remains complicated and unpredictable in the world, and new waves of infections have occurred in several countries. Vietnam has continued to record cases of Omicron’s new sub-variants, BA.4 and BA.5, and is facing risks of new outbreaks, according to NDO.

Vaccination is one of the most effective measures to fight against the disease, the PM affirmed.

Assigning tasks to the Ministry of Health, other ministries and localities, he demanded a vaccination campaign be launched to complete inoculation for children aged 5 - 11 in August, finish the administration of the third and fourth doses to people aged 18 and above as soon as possible, and accelerate the third shots for those aged 12 - 17.

Vaccination must be completed early for health workers, the public security and military forces, teachers, as well as those working in the transport sector, essential service supply, tourism, trade centres, supermarkets, markets, businesses, and industrial parks.

In the dispatch, the Government leader also asked for more communications about vaccination, new sub-variants of Omicron and healthcare guidance, along with stronger examination, supervision and promotion of inoculation activities.

Vietnam’s process manufacturing attractive to foreign investors

Vietnam’s process manufacturing sector has to date attracted US$252 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI), accounting for nearly 60% of the total foreign capital poured into the Southeast Asian country.According to the Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment, there are currently 34,898 valid FDI projects worth US$426.14 billion in Vietnam.

In the first half of this year, the country lured US$16.03 billion in FDI, of which the sector accounted for US$8.84 billion, or 63% of the total.

The sector has been attractive to the world’s major groups such as Samsung, LG, Canon, Honda, and Toyota, reflected through their continuous expansion of investment in Vietnam, cited VNA.

Illustrative image. Photo: VNA

Notably, the Republic of Korea (RoK)’s Samsung Group, which was officially licensed to invest in Vietnam with the Samsung Electronics Vietnam factory in Bac Ninh province, has expanded their operations to other localities, including Hanoi, Thai Nguyen province, and Ho Chi Minh City.

Andrew Lee, Korean Desk Manager at Savills Vietnam, said that the Korean business community appreciates Vietnam’s process manufacturing sector thanks to the country’s advantages in labour force, political stability, and inclusive and extensive international integration.

To make FDI projects in the sector effective, economists are advising Vietnam to be stricter in selecting projects to attract those with good financial potential, less labour intensive, and bringing about high added value.

Vietnam aims for Top 4 finish at 2022 ASEAN Para Games

Vietnamese disabled athletes left for Indonesia on July 26 as they go to compete at the 11th ASEAN Para Games with the aim of winning 40 gold medals and clinching a Top 4 finish in the medal tally.

The Para Games is often held immediately after the Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games). However, due to the impact of Covid-19 the sporting event this year has been organized two months after 31st SEA Games.

Vietnamese disabled athletes leave for Indonesia on July 26 to compete at the 11th ASEAN Para Games. Photo: VOV

The 2022 ASEAN Para Games is scheduled to take place in Indonesia from July 30 to August 6, attracting approximately 1,500 athletes from 11 regional countries who will compete in 14 sports involving 907 events.

Vietnam has sent 120 athletes to the games who will compete in eight out of 14 sports, including athletics, swimming, powerlifting, table tennis, badminton, chess, judo, and archery, cited VOV.

This year hosts Indonesia will join the games with the largest number of athletes at 539, with the hosts and they aim to bag 104 golds to lead the medal tally.

At the previous 2017 ASEAN Paralympic Games held in Malaysia, Indonesia topped the rankings, followed by Malaysia and Thailand. Vietnam came in fourth.

The 2022 ASEAN Para Games will serve as a qualifier for athletes to win a place to compete at the 2024 Paris Paralympics. In addition, it also creates a chance for athletes to prepare for Asian Para Games 4 which is scheduled to take place in Hangzhou (China) ahead in 2023.

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