Vietnam News Today (October 6): 10 Localities Set to Reopen Domestic Flights

Medics prepare to take samples of people on Phu Doan Street of Hanoi's Hoan Kiem District to trace people linked to a new cluster at Viet Duc Hospital, September 30, 2021. Photo: VnExpress

Vietnam's daily Covid tally lowest in 78 days

The Health Ministry announced 4,360 new local Covid-19 cases Tuesday, down 1,022 from Monday and marking the lowest daily tally in 78 days.

The new infections were recorded in 42 localities.

Ho Chi Minh City accounted for the most infections, 1,491 new cases, followed by its neighboring provinces of Binh Duong (1,107) and Dong Nai (653).

The ministry also confirmed 134 Covid-19 deaths on Tuesday, including 104 in HCMC and 15 in Binh Duong.

Vietnam's Covid-19 death toll since the beginning of the pandemic is 19,979, accounting for 2.4 percent of the total number of infections, cited VnExpress.

Of the fatalities, 19,944 have lost their lives during the fourth wave that hit the nation in late April and since then has been responsible for 813,736 infections.

A total of 25,573 patients were announced recovered on Tuesday, raising the total recoveries in the fourth wave to 741,874.

Nationwide, 51,295 Covid-19 patients are now under treatment, including both local and imported cases.

The country has vaccinated 47 million people with at least one Covid-19 vaccine shot. Over 11 million have been fully vaccinated with two doses.

Hundreds of pandemic-hit migrant workers brought home from southern localities

A Vietnam Airline flight arrived at Da Nang International Airport from Ho Chi Minh City on October 4, bringing nearly 200 disadvantaged people from southern cities and provinces back to their hometown – the central province of Quang Nam.

More than a half of the passengers were pregnant women, children and the elderly who have been affected by social distancing measures applied to contain the severe Covid-19 resurgence in southern Vietnam.

The national flag carrier imposed required preventive measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, with all of passengers tested negative for Covid-19 before boarding the flight.

Upon their arrival in Da Nang, they departed for Quang Nam where they were immediately put under quarantine in accordance to the current regulations, according to VNA.

A total of close to 200 natives of Quang Nam are brought back to their hometown from HCM City on a Vietnam Airlines flight. Photo: Vietnam Airlines

In July and August, Quang Nam welcomed back over 4,000 returnees from southern cities and provinces given the complexity of the Covid-19 outbreaks there.

On early October 5, more than 600 natives of northern Ninh Binh province arrived at their homeland by train from HCM City and the neighboring provinces of Binh Duong and Dong Nai.

They were mostly pregnant women, revolutionary contributors, the elderly, those with disabilities and children under one and their caregivers, who have been struggling with the pandemic.

The train was arranged by the Ninh Binh People’s Committee that had sent working groups to pandemic-hit localities in the south to seek suitable solutions to bring back their residents.

In Quang Ninh, local authorities have also ordered district-level administrations to provide support for returnees from the pandemic-hit areas who will be transported from the province’s Covid-19 checkpoints to concentrated quarantine sites. After that, they are also required to go into 7-day self-quarantine and 7-day medical monitoring.

10 localities set to reopen domestic flights

A total of 10 out of 19 localities have signaled their agreement with the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CCAV)’s plan regarding resuming domestic flights.

Of those which agree, several provinces, including Dien Bien, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa, Binh Dinh, and Thanh Hoa, fully support the plan.

Furthermore, Nghe An will allow the operation of two-way flights between the central province and both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, with a frequency of two flights per week.

Ten localities agree to reopen domestic flights. Photo: VOV

Ho Chi Minh City has also basically agreed with the plan, whilst it has requested that several two-way flights between the southern city and Hanoi run each week to partially solve the urgent travel needs of people in the southern key economic region with Hanoi and other northern provinces.

Meanwhile, the Hanoi People’s Committee has asked the CCAV to launch flights both to and from Noi Bai International Airport once it has received written agreements from the People’s Committees of Hanoi and adjacent cities and provinces.

The capital also asked to clarify the plan regarding arranging transportation for passengers to and from Noi Bai International Airport to ensure guests from other localities are permitted to travel, reported VOV.

Previously, the CCAV built a plan on resuming domestic flights following the relaxation of social distancing measures. It therefore sought the opinions of 19 cities and provinces about the plan. This included Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Hai Phong, Can Tho, Quang Ninh, Nghe An, Dien Bien, Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Binh, Quang Nam, Dak Lak, Gia Lai, Lam Dong, Phu Yen, Binh Dinh, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Khanh Hoa, Kien Giang, and Ca Mau.

The CCAV has therefore suggested resuming 385 round-trip flights per day, with 18 air routes to Ho Chi Minh City, a total of 132 flights, and 10 others to the central city of Da Nang.

Vietnams strives to secure vaccines for whole population

With the goal of putting people's health and lives above and first, the Vietnamese Government has been drastically carrying out the vaccine strategy, in which vaccine diplomacy is considered as a spearhead.

Currently, vaccines are considered the most effective measure to prevent and control the Covid-19 pandemic.

Vaccine diplomacy is a decisive factor for the success of the vaccine strategy which has been implemented methodically and drastically at various levels, especially at the high level. Vaccine diplomacy has become a focal content at working sessions, face-to-face or online talks, and overseas trips of Party and State leaders.

The first step in realizing the strategy is that the Government has decided to establish a Covid-19 vaccine fund to receive, manage and use domestic and foreign funding and contributions along with State budget resources to buy and import vaccines, research and produce vaccines domestically. As of October 3, the fund has received more than VND 8.69 trillion (US$382.54 million).

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc visited Pfizer, one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporations, on September 23 on the occasion of attending the high-level general debate of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly. Photo: VNA

One of the urgent tasks in the implementation of the vaccine strategy is to get the fastest access to vaccine supplies along with finding partners for cooperation in the transfer of vaccine production technology. The whole political system has joined in efforts to secure vaccine sources, especially promoting vaccine diplomacy, VNA reported.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh decided to set up a Government Working Group on vaccine diplomacy led by Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son.

In addition to creating all favorable conditions to accelerate research and production of vaccines domestically, it is necessary to promote vaccine diplomacy to quickly access and bring vaccines, medical equipment and Covid-19 treatment medicines to the country as much and as soon as possible, according to Son.

Vaccine diplomacy, especially high-level mobilization, has yielded positive initial results over the past two months.

Along with high-level visits, the Party General Secretary, President, Chairman of the National Assembly, Government, and Prime Minister have directed and participated in this work through phone talks with senior leaders of many countries, requesting them to support the supply of vaccines for Vietnam.

Vietnamese representative agencies abroad have actively worked with partners for vaccine supply, and transfer of technologies to produce vaccines, medical equipment and medicines to treat Covid-19, thereby many new opportunities have been opened up.

As of October 3, a total number of 54 million doses of vaccines had been delivered to Vietnam along with many medical equipment, supplies and medicines to treat Covid-19.

Local movie stars honored at Asian Academy Creative Awards

Tran Thi Kha Ngan has been honored by being named among the best actresses in the leading role category at the Asian Academy Creative Awards 2021.

Elsewhere, her co-star Tran Quoc Anh from the Vietnamese movie “Secrets of the wind” has also been nominated among the best actors in the leading role category.

Kha Ngan and Quoc Anh (L-R) from the Vietnamese movie “Secrets of the wind” are honoured at the Asian Academy Creative Awards 2021. Photo: VOV

“Secrets of the wind” tells the story of an art student who moves into an old haunted villa where she encounters a ghost who needs help to resolve his mysterious past, cited VOV.

The stellar performance and chemistry between both Kha Ngan and Quoc Anh were both major factors in this achievement. Indeed, they are the two only Vietnamese representatives to be named at this year’s Asian awards.

The awards ceremonies of the Asian Academy Creative Awards 2021 are set to get underway from November 29 to November 30 and December 2 to December 3.

The event will witness the participation of artists from 16 nations from across the Asian region.

The Asian Academy Creative Awards (AAA) is a leading prestigious award in Asia and aims to honor television programs, along with professional and well-known production units in the region, with the event featuring a total of 49 award categories.

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