Vietnam News Today (November 17): Vietnam Airlines Officially Receives FAA Permit to Run Direct Flights to US

Covid-19 patients are guided to complete procedures to be isolated at home for treatment in HCMC's District 12, November 2021. Photo: VnExpress

Vietnam confirms 9,641 new local Covid cases

Vietnam reported another 9,641 local Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, up 1,647 against Monday, the Health Ministry data showed.

Ho Chi Minh City accounted for most cases, at 1,183, followed by the south-central province of Binh Thuan with 1,048, including 609 cases that have been detected in previous days but yet to be confirmed on the national Covid-19 patient database, and HCMC's neighboring province of Tay Ninh, with 683 cases.

On Tuesday, 87 more Covid-19 deaths were confirmed, including 35 in HCMC, raising the national death toll to 23,270, or 2.2 percent of the total infections, cited VnExpress.

The fourth wave that hit Vietnam in late April has until now been responsible for over one million cases. Of them, 868,180 have recovered and 23,235 have died.

Almost 36 million people of the nation's 96-million population have been fully vaccinated.

Hanoi to pilot home quarantine for F0 and F1 cases

The capital is set to allow F0 and F1 cases to quarantine at home in an effort to ease pressure placed on concentrated isolation facilities and reduce the risk of cross-infection occurring at concentrated quarantine centers.

In line with the plans, F1 cases living in 10 wards in Nam Tu Liem district are set to be allowed to be placed under home quarantine.

Furthermore, Ha Dong district will also apply the model for four groups of subjects who will be eligible for home isolation. Hanoi will only allow people to begin their period of home quarantine after checking and confirming that they are eligible for home isolation. In addition, the management and supervision of F1 cases must strictly comply with all set regulations.

Moreover, the capital will establish mobile medical stations in a bid to treat asymptomatic F0 cases as opposed to taking them to hospitals.

Hanoi will pilot home quarantine for asymptomatic F0 and F1 cases. Photo: VOV

According to Khong Minh Tuan, deputy director of the Hanoi Center for Disease Control (CDC), Hanoi plans to establish a total of 508 mobile medical stations, with 20 of them set to be located at various industrial parks and manufacturing areas.

In another move, the Hanoi People’s Committee has granted approval to a list of 12 hotels which will be paid isolation zones for F1 individuals who come into close contact with Covid-19 cases, reported VOV.

All of the designated hotels are located in the districts of Hoan Kiem, Ha Dong, Ba Dinh, and Soc Son.

In line with the proposal, all F1 cases who wish to be isolated at these facilities must pay for their own quarantine and other related expenses.

Local authorities will also be responsible for assisting and monitoring the quarantining process at each of the selected hotels.

In recent times, Hanoi capital has seen the growing number of fresh locally-transmitted cases which are both detected among the community and lockdown areas.

It has so far recorded 16 coronavirus outbreaks, with a total of 289 new infections being confirmed on November 15 alone, the highest figure since the start of the outbreak in the nation.

Vietnam Airlines officially receives FAA permit to run direct flights to US

National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines on November 16 officially received a permit from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate non-stop commercial flight service between Vietnam and the US.

With the event, Vietnam Airlines has become the first and only Vietnamese airline to be allowed to run regular direct flights to the US, according to VNA.

The permit was presented by Commercial Counsellor at the US Embassy in Vietnam Charles Ranado. It is a prerequisite legal condition for Vietnam Airlines to set up direct services to the US.

Meanwhile, international special charter flights will be limited in terms of schedule, passenger and purpose. The flights are only allowed to operate within a specified period, and the airline has to re-apply for a new permit when the time frame expires.

Photo: VNA

The carrier said its first regular direct flight to the US is scheduled to take off on November 28, marking 20 years since it established a representative office in the US.

The flight lasting 13 hours and 50 minutes will leave Ho Chi Minh City and land at San Francisco. The return flight from San Francisco on November 29 (local time) will run for nearly 16 hours and 40 minutes. The flights will use wide-body Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

From December 2021, Vietnam Airlines will run two flights per week between Ho Chi Minh City and San Francisco. It is expected to increase to seven flights once the pandemic is under control and the Vietnamese Government allows the resumption of regular international flights.

The same day, Vietnam Airlines and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) held a forum promoting Vietnam-US trade, with experts and representatives from the two countries’ businesses taking part.

Vietnam lose 0-1 to Saudi Arabia in World Cup qualifiers

Vietnam put up a solid performance but suffered the second defeat against Saudi Arabia in the World Cup qualifiers Tuesday.

A cross from the right flank found Saleh Al-Shehri as he headed it in. Keeper Bui Tan Truong tried to save the ball but it already went over the line. Saudi Arabia scored first

Vietnam are last in group B with five defeats and zero points, while Saudi Arabia are at the top with 13 points, VnExpress reported.

Vietnam have tried to increase their offense in the second half. Photo: VnExpress

The two teams played the first leg in Saudi Arabia in early September. Vietnam opened the score but a red card and a penalty made the way for Saudi Arabia in the second half as they scored three goals to win 3-1.

On FIFA rankings, Vietnam are at 98th and Saudi Arabia 49th.

In the most recent encounters between the two teams, Vietnam lost all three.

The target of Vietnam in this game remains unchanged, which is to get at least a point.

Vietnam enjoys 10-month trade surplus of US$125 million

Vietnam racked up a trade surplus of US$2.74 billion during October to bring its trade surplus during the opening 10 months of the year to US$125 million, according to figures released by the General Department of Vietnam Customs.

This comes following the country’s total import and export value of goods in October expanding by 2.4% to US$55 billion from the previous month.

Of the figure, export value surged by 6.8% to US$28.87 billion, while imports dropped by 2.0% to US$26.13 billion.

Photo: VOV

These represent positive signs for the national economy due to exports bouncing back and demand from the global market showing gradual recovery.

In the reviewed period, the country’s total import and export value enjoyed a surge of 22.6% to US$539.42 billion against the same period from last year, of which exports and imports rose by 17.4% and 28.5% to reach US$269.77 billion and US$269.65 billion, respectively.

Furthermore, the foreign-invested sector grossed US$197.49 billion from exports throughout the reviewed period, an annual increase of 20.8%, while the sector's imports surged by 31% on-year to US$176.54 billion, cited VOV.

Vietnamese trade exchanges with Asia soared by 23.6% on-year to US$349.12 billion, thereby accounting for the highest proportion of 64.7% in terms of the nation’s total import-export value.

Moreover, the country’s trade turnover with the Americas, Europe, Oceania, and Africa also picked up by 23.1%, 12.9%, 44%, and 24.2%, respectively.

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