Vietnam News Today (July 13): Hanoi Shuts Down Indoor Restaurants, Cafes, Barbershops Again
	Vietnam News Today (July 12): Covid-19: New Record Set Again As Daily Rise in Infections Close to 2,000
	Vietnam News Today (July 11): Nationwide Coronavirus Vaccination Campaign Officially Launched

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc. Photo: VNA

President to attend virtual APEC meeting on Covid-19

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc will attend a virtual informal meeting of leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum on July 16, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The attendance will be made at the invitation of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, cited VNA.

According to a statement, PM Ardern called for the informal meeting of APEC leaders in the hope of seeking immediate steps to address the Covid-19 crisis.

Earlier on June 5, trade ministers of 21 APEC member economies agreed on a target to obtain a quick economic recovery in the context of Covid-19, starting with an acceleration in vaccine distribution.

Vietnam allows mixing AstraZeneca, Pfizer vaccine shots

The Health Ministry said it would allow mixing the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine with the one produced by Pfizer/BioNTech should there be limited vaccine supply.

In a decision issued by deputy minister of health Truong Quoc Cuong on the ministry's distribution plan for the incoming 745,000 Pfizer vaccine doses purchased using the national budget, the ministry said those who have been given their first Covid-19 vaccine shot by AstraZeneca would be prioritized to receive their second shot with the Pfizer vaccine about 8-12 weeks after the first shot.

A medical worker prepares a Covid-19 vaccine shot in HCMC, June 21, 2021. Photo: VnExpress

The decision would only be applicable if the ones to be vaccinated consent to it. For those who have yet to receive any Covid-19 vaccine shot, the Pfizer one would be prioritized for use as well, according to the decision, according to VnExpress.

While the Pfizer vaccine doses would be distributed to all 63 localities of Vietnam, most of them would end up in HCMC, Hanoi, Binh Duong and Dong Nai, which are either major cities or experiencing severe Covid-19 outbreaks. Binh Duong and Dong Nai Provinces bordering HCMC are among the country's biggest industrial hubs.

HCMC in particular would receive around 55,000 doses, Hanoi 38,000, and the southern Binh Duong and Dong Nai 25,000 each. Most other localities would receive around 5,850 doses each.

Among the 745,000 Pfizer vaccine doses to be received, Vietnam has only received over 97,000 so far. The rest would arrive within this month, though their exact dates have yet to be confirmed.

It is the first time Vietnam allows mixing different types of Covid-19 vaccines through multiple shots, though the decision has already been observed in several countries around the world.

Vietnam has vaccinated over four million people with at least one shot of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, with over 280,000 having received two shots.

Vietnam to trial self-isolation for asymptomatic Covid-19 cases in HCMC

The Health Ministry will issue guidelines for piloting self-isolation of asymptomatic novel coronavirus cases in HCMC, deputy minister Nguyen Truong Son said Tuesday.

Son said Covid-19 patients in HCMC would be allowed to quarantine themselves at home if they display no symptoms following 10-14 days of treatment, citing a similar stance by the WHO which advises that Covid-19 patients with no symptom after 10 days of being treated at hospitals may go home, according to VnExpress.

"The pilot scheme would first be applied for certain patients like medical workers and those capable of monitoring their own health," said Son, adding that certain standards like mandatory medical declaration and social distancing measures need to be applied during self-isolation, similar to another trial in HCMC that allows close contact cases of Covid-19 patients to be isolated at home.

People transport supplies at a field hospital in HCMC, July 11, 2021. Photo: VnExpress

"Covid-19 patients self-isolated at home need to have a directly-connected medical system capable of reacting flexibly to symptoms that indicate medical emergencies," he said.

The results of the self-isolation trials in HCMC would be evaluated before the health ministry collects feedback from other ministries and localities in order to launch the program nationwide.

Medical experts have advised that Covid-19 patients with mild symptoms can be isolated at home to reduce the burden on hospitals, especially as the daily number of new cases keeps climbing with few signs of slowing down.

HCMC in particular, now the nation's largest coronavirus hotspot, had recorded 16,573 local cases as of Tuesday in the fourth wave that hit late April. For the past few days, the city's number of daily cases has exceeded 1,000 cases repeatedly and there has been no sign of it reducing. Authorities have not been able to contact trace several cases.

Phu Quoc to welcome 40,000 foreign tourists under pilot scheme

Phu Quoc island, a famous tourist destination in Vietnam, is likely to receive between 2,000 and 3,000 tourists per month through charter flights touching down on the island for the first three months of a trial scheme aimed at welcoming back international tourists.

The Ministry of Transport has sent a document to its relevant agencies, including the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam, and the Department of Health and Transport, detailing the draft plan which will see the return of international tourists to Phu Quoc at the request of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The pilot project is anticipated to run for a period of six months, starting from October, and will be divided into two phases. It will be carried out in limited locations across a number of large-scale tourist attractions, reported VOV.

Photo: VOV

The island is expected to receive between 2,000 and 3,000 tourists each month in the opening three months through charter flights, and between 5,000 and 10,000 guests per month in the next three months via commercial flights.

The island will be expanding the scale and locations in order to accommodate an increase in the number of international tourists to the locality.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism intends to welcome between 25,000 and 40,000 international tourists to Phu Quoc throughout the six-month pilot period.

Foreign visitors who have a Covid-19 vaccination certificate which is recognised by Vietnam will be eligible to visit the island, with certificates valid for no more than 12 months.

Alternatively, visitors could enter by using a certificate stating that they have recovered from Covid-19 and the certificate is valid for 12 months from their hospital discharge to their date of entry. They must also have a negative RT-PCR/RT-LAMP test result within 72 hours before departure.

Guests can register to participate in a package tour programme through a local travel firm, during which time they must strictly abide by preventive measures in line with the Ministry of Health’s regulations.

Tourists from countries and territories which are potentially safe against Covid-19 in regions such as Northeast Asia, the United States, the Middle East, and Europe, will be welcomed as part of the scheme.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism says it targets markets with a high vaccinate rate including China, the Republic of Korea, Japan, Taiwan (China), the US, Germany, the UK, Russia, and France.

AFC: Vietnam likely to play at neutral venue in third WC qualifiers

The Vietnamese national football team may be forced to play their qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup 2022 at a neutral venue if local stadiums currently fail to meet the criteria set by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

One of the AFC’s criteria is for all grounds to have VAR technology in order to be permitted to host matches in the final qualifying round of the 2022 World Cup. According to the AFC, participating countries that do not have this technology will be forced to play at neutral venues, cited VOV.

Furthermore, the AFC also requires away teams to isolate for only two days, a policy that is in contrast to Vietnam’s current regulations. Indeed, anyone who enters Vietnam must stay in quarantine for 21 days, and the seven day quarantine rule is for those who are fully vaccinated.

Vietnam is likely to play at neutral venue in third WC qualifiers. Photo: VOV

Another issue for the Vietnamese team is that after returning from away games, they will not be able to play their following match at home if they have to undergo seven days of quarantine according to the current regulations set by the Ministry of Health.

The AFC will also establish a so-called "bubble" mechanism, under which football teams must have a completely closed circle of people for both matches and training, with individuals not allowed to leave their respective “bubble”.

The AFC has therefore requested that the VFF send them plans on organising World Cup qualifiers before July 16.

According to the official draw announced on July 1, Vietnam will play in Group B alongside Japan, Australia, Saudi Arabia, China, and Oman, all of which are considered to be strong Asian powershouses.

The Vietnamese team will have five home matches in the third round of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup.

The first set of fixtures will begin in September, with the reverse fixtures taking place from November until March 2022.

Vietnam News Today (July 10): Vietnam Reports Highest Daily Rise in Infections With 1,616 Cases Vietnam News Today (July 10): Vietnam reports highest daily rise in infections with 1,616 cases; Vietnam launches largest-ever vaccination campaign; HCM city suspends public transport ...

Vietnam News Today (July 9): SEA Games 31 Postponed to July 2022 Vietnam News Today (July 9): SEA Games 31 postponed to July 2022; 2 million Moderna Covid-19 vaccine doses to arrive in Vietnam this weekend; Hanoi ...

Vietnam News Today (July 8): HCM City Imposes Another 15-Day Social Distancing Campaign Vietnam News Today (July 8): Vietnam attends Special ASEAN-Russia Foreign Ministers' Meeting; HCM city imposes another 15-day social distancing campaign; Northern region gearing up for ...