Vietnam News Today (October 26): HCM City Authority Suggests On-site Dining Without Air Conditioning, Alcohol

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. Photo: VOV

Vietnam proactive in making responsible contributions to ASEAN’s common affairs

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh is scheduled to attend the 38th and 39th ASEAN Summits and related summits via online platforms from October 26 to October 28 at the invitation of the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam – Chair of ASEAN 2021.

Along with attending the 38th and 39th ASEAN Summits, the Vietnamese Government chief will also partake in other Related Summits with Leaders of Dialogue Partners of ASEAN, including China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, India, the United States, Australia, and Russia. This is in addition to the ASEAN 3 Summit and the East Asia Summit, both of which will be held via video conferences.

This marks a string of high-level and important ASEAN events this year, serving as the largest official multilateral external activity and will be attended by the Prime Minister following the nation having a new leadership following the 13th National Party Congress, cited VOV.

As planned, 10 documents are set to be published at the summits, while 25 others are expected to be adopted, with 66 being recorded, including statements, strategies, co-operation frameworks, action plans, reports, and visions covering all three major co-operation pillars of the regional bloc.

With regard to co-operation in response to Covid-19, it is anticipated that this series of meetings will see the bloc agree and share a score of disease control measures. This will be done with a view to improve the public health capacity, manage health disasters, promote full and timely access to vaccines, and accelerate the widespread vaccination process to achieve herd immunity.

Furthermore, ASEAN aims to form a supply chain in order to ensure self-sufficient vaccinations for the region. This comes as Thailand, Singapore, and the nation are the only three ASEAN member states that are autonomously researching and developing vaccines.

The ASEAN Summit, which will run with the theme of "We Care, We Prepare, We Prosper", is expected to discuss a number of agendas, such as further strengthening the resilience of the ASEAN Community towards regional recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition, focus will be on intensifying the preparedness of ASEAN in dealing with common challenges, seizing new opportunities in pursuit of shared prosperity, and maintaining co-operation towards achieving the region's long-term goals.

The 38th and 39th ASEAN Summits and summits with partners are therefore viewed as a prime opportunity for the country to continue affirming its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification, multilateralization, comprehensive, and extensive international integration.

Promoting the positive results of the ASEAN Chairmanship 2020, the nation continues to make responsible contributions to the common work of ASEAN, and co-ordinating with Brunei, Chair of ASEAN 2021, in order to promote Vietnamese priorities set for 2020 and those for 2021. Indeed, a special focus will be given to the Covid-19 response, assessment of the implementation of the ASEAN Charter, building a vision of the ASEAN Community after 2025, and enhancing the role of ASEAN in regional co-operation.

Vietnamese participation in these ASEAN Summits also clearly displays the nation’s desire to unite with the bloc to overcome difficulties, maintain solidarity, the community building process, and promoting regional linkages.

This is in addition to effectively responding to emerging challenges and strengthening the central role, position, and international voice of ASEAN.

Vietnam-ASOCIO Smart City Summit to take place next month

The Vietnam – ASOCIO Smart City Summit 2021 will be held next month by the Vietnam Software Association and the Asian-Oceanian Computing Industry Organization (ASOCIO).

Themed “Smart City,” the event will be held from November 2 – 6 via video conference to discuss latest technology trends in smart city. It is expected to be attended by about 10,000 delegates from Vietnam and overseas.

Photo: VINASA

The event provides a platform for experts to share information and practices in developing smart cities and improving living standards of urban citizens through 14 discussions across five topics – Digital Government, Smart Real Estate, Smart Industrial Parks, Products/Solutions for Smart City, and Startup with Smart City, reported VNA.

It also features a virtual exhibition of e-Government solutions, services and platforms in multiple areas.

The government approved a project for sustainable development of smart cities in Vietnam from 2018 – 2025, with a vision towards 2030, in August 2018. Since then, some 40 cities and provinces in the country have developed and adopted their own smart city plans.

HCMC authority suggests on-site dining without air conditioning, alcohol

The Food Safety Management Authority of HCMC has proposed for food and beverage establishments to offer on-site services without air conditioning in closed spaces, beer or alcohol.

In a draft regarding safety criteria for food and beverage establishments to resume operations while preventing Covid-19, sent by the authority to the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee on Sunday, six criteria must be met for reopening, five of them regarding Covid-19 precaution measures and the other regarding food safety.

First, establishments must have food safety certificates and have their QR codes signed up on a Covid-19 safety database.

Second, they must make sure to satisfy food safety standards regarding equipment, personnel, storage, transportation, ingredients and other aspects of business.

Restaurants in HCMC have not been allowed on-site dining since May 25, 2021. Photo: VnExpress

Third, establishments must prepare Covid-19 prevention measures like hand sanitizers and separate delivery areas.

Fourth, employees and people coming to the establishments must have their QR codes scanned for medical declaration purposes, be vaccinated with at least one shot and test negative for the coronavirus, among other requirements.

Fifth, the number of people present at the same time must be limited depending on coronavirus risks in the area.

Sixth, establishments must not allow air conditioning in closed spaces and not sell alcohol, according to VnExpress.

Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee on Sunday announced the coronavirus risks in 22 districts, with nine qualified as safe zones, 12 as having medium risks and one, and one, Binh Tan District, as having high risks.

Impacts of the pandemic have forced food and beverage businesses in the southern metropolis to suspend on-site operations for around five months. Around 7,500 businesses and thousands of families are working in the field across the city, according to the municipal Department of Industry and Trade.

Throughout the past eight months, the revenues of food and beverage establishments in the city were only around VND32 trillion (US$1.4 billion), a 20 percent reduction from the same period last year. Dismal sales performance has caused numerous shops to close up for good.

Five Vietnamese scientists listed among top 10,000 globally

A total of five local scientists have been named among the top 10,000 leading scientists worldwide, according to a study conducted by science journal PLoS Biology of the United States.

One of the most prominent names to be honored is Prof. Nguyen Dinh Duc of the Vietnam National University of Hanoi, who came in at 5,949th on the list.

Prof. Nguyen Dinh Duc of the Vietnam National University of Hanoi (middle) is one of the most prominent names to be honored in the list. Photo: VOV

The second Vietnamese name to make the cut is Assoc. Prof. Le Hoang Son of the Vietnam National University of Hanoi, who made it in at 6,766th position.

Prof. Nguyen Xuan Hung of the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology followed in 6,818th, with Prof. Bui Tien Dieu of Duy Tan University at 9,488th, and Prof. Vo Xuan Vinh of the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City coming in at 9,528th, cited VOV.

Most notably, Prof. Duc, Prof. Hung, and Assoc. Prof. Son have been listed among the top 10,000 best scientists worldwide for three consecutive years, featuring in the list in 2019, 2020, and 2021.

The list was compiled by the Metrics team which consists of Jeroen Baas, Kevin Boyack, and John P.A. Ioannidis. They selected the top 100,000 scientists across all fields out of seven million by using Scopus citation data with papers published from 1960 until August, 2021.

Hanoi plans Covid vaccination for children in 2022

Hanoi is planning a vaccination campaign for children aged 12-17, expected to commence in 2022.

Khong Minh Tuan, deputy director of the Hanoi Center for Disease Control (CDC), said it is focusing on fully vaccinating its adult population, before moving on to those aged 17-18, and those below 17 years of age.

Tuan said the city plans to vaccinate children from three years old, but there's no concrete plan yet.

Earlier this month, the Health Ministry approved Covid-19 vaccination for children aged 12-17, prioritizing those aged 16-17. It has yet to specify exactly what types of vaccine would be used, but they have to come in two doses and children must receive both shots of the same vaccine.

Children will be vaccinated if their parents or legal guardians give consent, it said.

A man receives a Covid-19 vaccine shot in Hanoi, March 8, 2021. Photo: VnExpress

So far, only the Pfizer vaccine has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for this particular age range.

HCMC's Thu Duc City on Friday announced to vaccinate 100,000 children aged 12-17 against Covid-19 starting Monday, but has cancelled the plan given lack of instruction from the ministry, VnExpress reported.

"Thu Duc City would begin vaccination once there's instruction regarding the date for vaccination by Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, and once vaccine doses have been distributed," said a representative of the Thu Duc medical center.

The Ho Chi Minh City Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control plans to vaccinate 780,000 children aged 12-17 across the city.

"Children throughout the entire city would receive their first shots within five days. The vaccination would begin as soon as there’s instruction from the health ministry," according to the vaccination plan by the Steering Committee.

Children aged 16-17 would be prioritized for vaccination, before passing to other ages.

Vietnam has vaccinated 51.9 million people with at least one Covid-19 vaccine shots. 21 million people have been fully vaccinated. Children under 18 account for around 17 percent of all Covid-19 infections in Vietnam, according to data from the health ministry.

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