Vietnam News Today (October 1): Launches New Normal Tourism Recovery Program

A health worker instructs a Covid-19 patient on how to do physical therapies to restore lung functions in HCMC's District 8, September 21, 2021. Photo: VnExpress

Vietnam records 7,937 new local Covid cases

Vietnam recorded 7,937 new local Covid-19 cases on Thursday, bringing the infection tally in the new wave to 786,209.

The three localities with the highest numbers of new infections are Ho Chi Minh City with 4,372 cases, Binh Duong with 2,103 cases and Dong Nai with 626 cases.

203 deaths were added to the national database on Thursday, with 106 cases in Ho Chi Minh City, 58 in Binh Duong, 14 in Long An, seven in An Giang, six in Dong Nai, three each in Kien Giang and Quang Binh, two in Tien Giang and one each in Dong Thap, Gia Lai, Tay Ninh and Can Tho, cited VnExpress.

The total number of Covid-19 deaths so far is 19,301, accounting for around 2.5 percent of all infections.

Also on Thursday, 25,322 Covid-19 patients have been announced recovered, bringing the number of recoveries so far to 608,831.

Vietnam has vaccinated over 32.6 million people with at least one Covid-19 vaccine shot. Over 9.4 million people have been fully vaccinated.

Vietnam launches new normal tourism recovery program

The Vietnam Tourism Association has launched a nationwide tourism recovery program that will kick off early October with tours to low-risk green zones.

Under the program, which is being initiated as Vietnam switches from a zero-Covid strategy to new normal that involves living with the novel coronavirus, a set of safety criteria is being prepared for reopening tourism in the country.

The association said it would work closely with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to set safety rules for tourists, travel companies, tourism staff, accommodation facilities and service providers to ensure safe travel.

One common travel safety rule will be that all tourists and tourism staff have to be fully vaccinated or furnish a certificate showing they had contracted and recovered from Covid-19, reported VnExpress.

Boats dock in front of Thien Mu Pagoda by the iconic Huong (Perfume) River in Hue, 2020. Photo: VnExpress

Travel companies would be only allowed to organize tours to "green zones" – those deemed at low risks of spreading the virus. They should also have contingency plans in place in case a tourist contracts the virus.

Tourist destinations must be located in the green zones and the number of visitors should not exceed 30 to 50 percent of capacity. Accommodation facilities need to abide by pandemic prevention measures and have at least one quarantine room to deal with suspected Covid cases.

At restaurants and dining establishments, there should be a private table designated for each group of tourists or family, ensuring a distance of two meters between tables. Guests' travel should be limited to safe areas and buffets can only be organized after the pandemic situation is under control.

Most popular tourist hotspots where the pandemic situation has showed signs of improvement have supported the tourism recovery program.

Hanoi plans to reopen tourism and accommodation facilities from October onwards, after the capital relaxes its Covid restrictions further.

HCM City cautiously eases restrictions as from October 1

Ho Chi Minh City is set to ease social distancing measures and move into a “new normal” state after September 30, although most activities will reopen in a cautious manner and follow the “Safety First” slogan, said a local leader on September 30 unveiling new decree on Covid-19 prevention.

Easing Covid-19 restrictions will follow a roadmap corresponding to pandemic development locally and safety assessments from the Ministry of Health, Le Hoa Binh, vice chairman of the municipal administration, told media workers at a press briefing.

From October 1 the city will allow 14 business and production services to resume operation, while still banning cultural events, entertainment activities, and other services, according to VOV.

HCM City will continue with a three-tiered treatment model which has proved effective during the past weeks, in order to limit severely-ill Covid-19 patients and reduce the fatality rate, said Binh.

Both public and private hospitals are required to enhance the capacity of Covid-19 treatment, while general hospitals will consider establishing their own Covid-19 department in future.

Le Hoa Binh, vice chairman of the municipal administration, unveils a new decree on Covid-19 prevention and control measures in a new normal status on September 30. Photo: VOV

The city will continue to speed up vaccination, giving priority to frontline workers and local people in risky areas such as markets, bus stations, hospitals and schools. In addition, businesses and organizations are encouraged to self-test workers periodically following the instructions of the Health Ministry.

The new decree indicates that commuters will continue to use QR codes through the VNEID and “Y te HCM” applications which feature their history of Covid-19 vaccination.

Local people are required to follow the Health Ministry’s Covid-19 guidelines and contact the nearest healthcare facility or dial hotline 115 if they show symptoms such as coughing, a fever, or shortness of breath.

The inter-provincial transport services by road, waterways, railways, and air will resume operation, following regulations formulated by the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Health.

Local residents are not allowed to travel to other cities and provinces, except for emergency cases.

The city will continue to maintain checkpoints at gateways to regulate traffic flows and monitor road users’ observation of Covid-19 prevention and control measures.

Vietnam - a fast-growing real estate market in Southeast Asia

Although Vietnam was badly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic in the first two quarters of the year, its real estate market has still received 500,000 new supplies, representing an annual increase of 270%.

According to Troy Griffiths, deputy managing director of Savills Vietnam, the domestic economy will continue to develop, while equity will continue to grow and gradually shift to many other activities, creating conditions for the real estate sector to represent an attractive investment channel in the near future.

Hanoi has seen an increase in the price of the apartment market for 10 consecutive quarters. Most notably, in Cau Giay district since 2017, the primary price for apartments has increased by 14% per annum.

Hanoi has seen an increase in the price of the apartment market for 10 consecutive quarters. Photo: VOV

Meanwhile, residential primary supply in Ho Chi Minh City remains limited, however, the low-rise real estate segment is still performing well, with the secondary price increase ranging from 15% to 20% in District 7, District 9, and Nha Be District, cited VOV.

Furthermore, in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City the office market has recorded occupancy rates of approximately 90%, with Grade A rents remaining stable at US$33/per month and US$66/per month, respectively. As a result, the office market in both cities are among the best performing in Asia.

The Vietnamese real estate market is expected to develop significantly fueled by favorable factors such as political stability, positive economic forecast, an increase in foreign investment, an increasing purchasing power, and the enforcement of various free trade agreements.

Matthew Powell, director of Savills Hanoi, affirmed that most of the local real estate segments boast great potential, noting Vietnam is embracing many new residential real estate trends with high-quality products that suit the taste of domestic home buyers.

He said that demand for industrial real estate has increased rapidly in recent years, with many new types such as data centre, logistics centre, and cold storage facilities.

Tourist sites in Thua Thien – Hue to re-open on October 1

The Hue Monuments Conservation Centre in the central province of Thua Thien – Hue has announced that it will re-open a number of tourist sites such as the Hue Imperial Citadel (Dai Noi), and Minh Mang, Tu Duc and Khai Dinh mausoleums to visitors on October 1.

A representative of the centre said this is a step to gradually restore the local tourism industry after a long time being heavily affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Visitors will only be able to visit outdoor areas.

The Hue Imperial Citadel. Photo: VNA

To ensure Covid-19 prevention and control, visitors must strictly follow the 5K message: khau trang (face masks), khu khuan (disinfection), khoang cach (distancing), khong tu tap (no gatherings), and khai bao y te (health declarations), and scan QR code for medical declaration before their tours.

Particularly, visitors from other localities are required to complete medical quarantine as required.

The locality is applying a 50-percent discount on entry fees to relic sites in the UNESCO-recognized Complex of Hue Monuments, according to VNA.

The local tourism sector recently has also actively promoted the locality’s image through publishing photos and videos of attractive tourist destinations on social networks, with the aim of further attracting holiday-makers to the locality after the Covid-19 pandemic is under control.

According to the provincial Department of Tourism, the locality is basically controlling well the pandemic. In the last three days, the locality has not recorded any new cases of Covid-19

As of September 29, as many as 124,378 people in Thua Thien – Hue have received at least one shot of vaccines against Covid-19, with 57,000 of them getting full two shots.

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