Vietnam News Today (October 18): Vietnam Holds Potential for Robot, AI Development

Passengers wait to board a flight from Hanoi to HCMC, October 10, 2021. Photo: VnExpress

Vietnam records 3,175 new local Covid cases

Health authorities confirmed 3,175 new Covid-19 local cases in 48 localities Sunday, pushing the fourth wave's tally to 859,373.

HCMC led the daily tally with 1,059 cases, followed by Binh Duong (537) and Dong Nai (517). The country conducted more than 107,000 tests over the past 24 hours.

63 deaths were recorded, with 38 cases in Ho Chi Minh City, 13 in Binh Duong, two each in Dong Nai, Kien Giang, Soc Trang and Dak Lak and one each in Quang Ngai, Bac Lieu, Binh Thuan and Dak Nong.

The total coronavirus death toll so far is 21,194, accounting for around 2.4 percent of all infections.

1,340 Covid-19 patients were announced recovered, bringing the number of recoveries to 791,844.

Of more than 51,000 patients under treatment, 3,413 are severe cases.

Over 61.9 million have been vaccinated, with more than 17.8 million receiving two doses, cited VnExpress.

As Vietnam has switched from the zero-Covid strategy to living with it, the country has issued a directive on evaluating the pandemic level in each locality that comprises two criteria: the proportion of people aged 18 and more getting vaccinated, and the number of new cases per 100,000 people in a week.

Based on those measurement tools, the government designates infected areas into red, orange, yellow and green, meaning 'very high risk, 'high', 'medium risk', and 'low risk.' Localities can decide to relax restrictions based on their risk levels.

Cao Bang, Lao Cai, Bac Ninh, Nam Dinh in the north, and Binh Thuan in the central region have classified themselves as 'low risk' areas, while Vinh Phuc, Hung Yen, Da Nang, Long An and Binh Phuoc are with medium risks.

HCMC is now a ‘high risk’ area.

Vietnam proposes Pfizer cooperate in Covid-19 treatment drug production

Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Ha Kim Ngoc has proposed Pfizer, one of the world's leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, cooperate with Vietnam in the production of Covid-19 treatment drugs and promote to have an effective and safe vaccine for children.

Ngoc made the proposal at a meeting between the ASEAN Committee in Washington DC and Stephen Claeys, Senior Director, Trade Policy at Pfizer, on cooperation between ASEAN member states and the US company on October 15 (local time).

He appreciated Pfizer's support for Vietnam, and requested this company to realize its commitment to providing Vietnam with 51 million doses of its vaccine in 2021 and continue its discussions with relevant Vietnamese agencies on the vaccine supply in 2022.

Pfizer vaccine against Covid-19. Photo: AFP/VNA

Sharing Vietnam's view that Pfizer should build a production base in Southeast Asia, ambassadors and representatives from several countries such as the Philippines and Singapore, proposed a tripartite cooperation between Pfizer, ASEAN and the US government in pandemic prevention, reported VNA.

They called on Pfizer to continue helping countries coexist with Covid-19 and prepare for future pandemics.

Philippine Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez stressed the importance of this meeting to help find appropriate forms of cooperation between ASEAN countries and Pfizer to jointly respond to the pandemic.

For his part, Stephen Clayes praised the views of ASEAN countries and said Pfizer will implement the signed commitments, including those with Vietnam.

Pfizer is committed to creating equal access at reasonable prices for all, he added.

Torrential rains trigger flooding, disrupt life in central Vietnam

Heavy rainfall has caused rivers to overflow, turned streets into streams and upturned daily life in several central Vietnam localities over the weekend.

Streets along the iconic Hoai River in Hoi An Town, Quang Nam Province have been submerged 20-50 cm deep in floodwaters. Quang Nam has recorded rainfall of up to 305 mm since Saturday. Rainfall of 180 mm a day is considered heavy.

A combination of cold spell, tropical convergence and windward terrain of the Truong Son mountain range has caused torrential rains in the central region since Saturday, cited VnExpress.

Photo: VnExpress

In the mountainous district of Phuoc Son, Quang Nam Province, rising water levels in rivers and streams has worsened the flooding. A road going through Phuoc Thanh Commune is under of 40 cm of water.

"Local authorities have put up ropes and barricades to prevent vehicles from passing through this area," said Ho Van Phuc, Chairman of Phuoc Thanh Commune.

Heavy rains and flows from upstream areas have caused the water level of rivers in Thua Thien Hue to rise rapidly, leaving several residential areas submerged.

Hoang Thi Khai, 64, a Ha Tinh local, said that she lives alone and has been very worried when it rained heavily over the past two days.

"Last night, I went to a neighbor's house to ask for help to move dozens of bags of rice along with some important things like electric fans and the television upstairs to prevent them from being washed away," Khai said.

The national weather forecasting agency has said that central provinces from Ha Tinh to Thua Thien-Hue could experience heavy rainfall of up to 500 mm until Monday.

Vietnam holds potential for robot, AI development: insiders

Vietnam holds huge potential in the application and development of new technologies amid the wide utilization of robot and artificial intelligence (AI) in daily life activities.

Speaking at a recent webinar on media response and pioneering technologies, OhmniLabs CEO Thuc Vu said the Covid-19 pandemic has fostered the development of the robotics industry.

In the future, robot can facilitate remote travel as tourists may stay in Vietnam and shop in Paris, visit a museum in New York and join a meeting in Tokyo, he said, expressing his hope that ‘Made-in-Vietnam’ robot may earn international recognition in terms of technology.

Vietnam holds huge potential in the application and development of new technologies. Photo: vneconomy.vn

Bui Hai Hung, head of VinAI Research, a member of Vingroup, said that with Vietnam’s development and potential in human resources, there are plenty of room for AI's growth in the coming time.

He hailed ability of young Vietnamese as they are able to swiftly grasp new technologies and fully engage in international studies in a short period of time. This is a positive sign for Vietnam’s AI development capacity, he added.

For his part, Thieu Phuong Nam, CEO of Qualcomm Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, underlined that Vietnam is turning into an innovative hub in Southeast Asia.

Vietnam is also the third nation that Qualcomm has chosen to arrange its innovation challenge for tech startups, as the firm has realized potential and ability of tech workers in the Southeast Asian nation, according to VNA.

The application of advanced technology is key for economic growth amid the shift toward higher-value-added activities, Nam said.

He believed that new technologies such as AI, 5G and Internet of Things (IoT) will help countries move from manufacturing to innovation economy.

Vietnam’s ancient costumes revitalized

There has been a growing interest in ancient costumes in Vietnam over recent years.

Out of a desire to preserve Vietnamese culture, more and more people are wearing ancient costumes on special occasions such as weddings, birthdays, and Lunar New Year, or for yearbook photos.

Each feudal dynasty in Vietnam had its own costumes, with the Nhat Binh costume (square-collared), “ao giao linh” (cross-collared), and four-piece dresses, to name a few. Many people wear traditional costumes to show their respect for the cultural values of Vietnam, VOV reported.

Nhat Binh costume. Photo: Y Van Hien

“I focus on ancient costumes, which are now of great interest to many young people. I introduce royal wedding costumes from the Nguyen dynasty, the Nhat Binh costume, and ancient long dresses,” said Tran Thi Thuy Linh, a fashion designer in Hanoi.

To remake ancient costumes, designer Linh and her co-workers at the clothing brand “Y Van Hien” have done a lot of research. They have introduced reworked patterns of traditional costumes during Lunar New Year festivals at Thang Long Royal Citadel.

“I am wearing a traditional costume of the Nguyen dynasty. This costume was worn on special occasions and for royal rituals. Wearing ancient costumes has been trending on social networks, and I hope it will draw young people’s attention to Vietnamese culture,” said Nguyen Thu Hien, who is interested in Vietnam’s ancient costumes.

Fashion designer Khang Huy says the costumes of different philosophies. The ao dai ngu than (five-piece dress) shows one elegant style of the past.

“The dress has many layers, which is characteristic of Vietnamese tradition. It set an example of how to dress properly.” said Huy.

Following the trend, many designers and clothing brands have reworked the styles so that they are both traditional and comfortable. Ms. Nguyen Thi Huong, the owner of the Huong Bridal fashion brand, said she has remade many models designed for royal families during the Nguyen dynasty (1802-1845), with intricate embroidery patterns and soft silk material.

“My clothing brand focuses on royal wedding costumes. This year, many young couples prefer traditional wedding designs with lotuses and cranes, which symbolize good luck,” said Huong.

Many workshops and exchanges have been organized to popularize Vietnam’s ancient costumes with today’s young people.

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