Vietnam News Today (September 14): Ho Chi Minh City to Continue Applying Directive 16 after September 15

Two elderly women have their blood pressure checked before vaccination at a Covid-19 testing site in Hanoi's Ba Dinh District, September 10, 2021. Photo: VnExpress

Vietnam confirms 11,168 new Covid-19 cases

Health authorities reported 11,168 new Covid-19 cases in 35 localities Monday, down 301 from Sunday.

Of the day's tally, 5,926 cases were detected in the community with unclear sources of transmission while the rest had been contained in quarantine and lockdown areas.

The three localities with the highest numbers of cases were Ho Chi Minh City with 5,446 cases, Binh Duong with 3,651 cases and Dong Nai with 768 cases.

The new cases brings the Covid-19 tally since the beginning of last year to 620,166, cited VnExpress.

381 deaths were announced Monday, raising the death toll to 15,660, or 2.5 percent of infections.

The health ministry also confirmed 11,200 discharges the same day, bringing the total tally of recovered cases so far to 385,778.

The average number of new cases in the country for the past seven days has been 12,446 a day while the national death rate over the past week has been 279 a day on average.

Over 29.28 million people have received at least one Covid-19 vaccine shot, in which 5.32 million people have been fully vaccinated.

Ho Chi Minh City to continue applying Directive 16 after September 15

Ho Chi Minh City plans to continue enforcing social distancing orders under Directive 16 after September 15 in response to the sustained threat of Covid-19, according to Duong Anh Duc, vice chairman of the municipal People's Committee.

Duc stated that the order will remain in place until late September.

Furthermore, several localities that have seen a decrease in a number of Covid-19 cases will see either Directive 16- or Directive 15+ applied to them, reported VOV.

Photo: VOV

He added that the southern city is also considering the application of green or yellow Covid-19 cards based on their vaccination status; green for two jabs, yellow for one. The cards will play an important role in controlling the movement of people during the economic reopening and recovery period.

However, more time is required for the city’s vaccination data to be put on technology platforms as it has not been fully updated and synchronized yet.

Moreover, the southern metropolis is in the process of speeding up its vaccination campaign and has administered nearly eight million Covid-19 vaccine doses. However, according to recommendations made by the Ministry of Health, it will take time for the vaccines to create antibodies and show their efficacy.

As a result, the city has yet to loosen social distancing measures, the vice chairman added.

Central localities endure heavy rains following Conson weakening into tropical depression

Central coastal provinces from Quang Tri to Quang Ngai will continue to see heavy downpours on September 13-14 with total rainfall of between 100 mm and 200 mm, even 250 mm in some places due to the impact of typhoon Conson which weakened into a tropical depression on September 12.

According to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, the tropical depression was located in waters off the central Vietnamese localities from Da Nang City to Binh Dinh province on September 12 with a maximum wind speed under 60 kph.

From September 13, provinces from Quang Binh to Thanh Hoa would also have rains of up to 150 mm and over 200 mm in a number of areas, according to VOV.

Photo: VOV

In addition, due to the influence of the southwest monsoon, there will be showers and thunderstorms in the Central Highlands and southern regions, with rainfall likely to climb as high as 20-50 mm.

Weather forecasters warned about high risks of flooding in provinces from Ha Tinh to Quang Ngai, and risks of flash floods and landslides in low-lying and mountainous areas of Quang Tri, Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai and Kon Tum provinces.

In order to continue to cope with the tropical depression, the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control requested affected provinces and cities to keep a close watch on the tropical depression’s developments, and prepare for the possibility of severe flooding, landslides so as to proactively take preventive measures.

It is imperative to focus on assessing damage, repairing damaged houses, promptly dealing with the consequences caused by the storm to stabilize people's lives soon, the committee said.

Torrential rains and strong winds over the past two days sank 2 vehicles, caused 2 ships to run aground, blew off the roofs of 31 houses, and damaged more than 1,000 hectares of rice.

After Conson, the fifth storm to hit the Bien Dong Sea this year, there could be another six to eight storms and tropical depressions , with two to four directly affecting the nation, according to meteorologists.

CAAV proposes plan to re-open domestic flights

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has proposed to the Ministry of Transport a plan to re-open domestic air routes with a pilot period of four weeks.

In the plan, the CAAV suggested that 22 domestic airports should be divided into three groups.

Airports in Group A are those in cities and provinces without any areas applying social distancing measures under the Prime Minister's Directive 16.

They include Van Don airport, Ha Long Bay's seaplane landing area, as well as Cat Bi and Dien Bien airports.

Meanwhile, Group B consists of airports in cities and provinces where social distancing is imposed in only some districts, including Noi Bai, Tho Xuan, Dong Hoi, Vinh, Cam Ranh, Phu Bai, Phu Cat, Pleiku, Tuy Hoa, Chu Lai, Buon Ma Thuot, Con Dao, Lien Khuong, and Vung Tau airport for helicopters.

At the same time, Group C comprises airports in localities where all districts are under lockdown. They include Da Nang, Tan Son Nhat, Can Tho, Phu Quoc, Ca Mau, and Rach Gia.

Photo: VNA

CAAV has proposed that, for flights from A to A, B and C airports, there will be no limits on passengers and passengers must show negative testing results within 72 hours, VNA reported.

Flights from B to A, B to C; and from C to A and B airports will serve passengers performing official duties and Covid-19 prevention force. Passengers must show negative testing results taken within 72 hours.

Other passengers must satisfy one of the following requirements: have certificates on completing quarantine, carried by quarantine units to the airports in specialized vehicles; have two vaccine shots; or have certificates of recovery from Covid-19, no longer than 12 months from departure time.

Flights within airports in Group C will only for passengers going on business trips, personnel engaging in Covid-19 prevention and control and people having admissions from departing and arriving localities. All passengers must show negative testing results taken within 72 hours.

According to CAAV Director Dinh Viet Thang, the plan aims to ensure convenience for COVID-19 prevention and control activities, maintaining aviation transport activities and avoiding disruption of economic activities in the context that positive results in the pandemic fight have been recorded in many localities.

In the first phase, the authority will closely supervise the implementation of the plan and consider the selling of tickets for eligible passengers in the following four weeks.

In this period, airlines are allowed to sell tickets for people with proof that they reside in areas without application of social distancing measures 14 days before flying.

Thang said that adjustments will be made following changes in social distancing measures in localities.

Thang Long Imperial Citadel to host virtual exhibition on Mid-Autumn Festival

The Thang Long-Hanoi Heritage Conservation Centre will hold a virtual exhibition on the 2021 Mid-Autumn Festival starting September 19.

The event will be accessible at two websites hoangthanhthanglong.vn and trungbayonline.hoangthanhthanglong.vn.

It will feature images and stories related to the annual festival, which is considered an exclusive traditional occasion for children.

The Thang Long-Hanoi Heritage Conservation Centre will hold a virtual exhibition on the 2021 Mid-Autumn Festival starting September 19. Photo: Thang Long-Hanoi Heritage Conservation Centre

Traditional trays of offerings and activities held during the Mid-Autumn Festival of Hanoi people in the 20th century will be re-enacted through paintings and memoirs penned by French researcher Henri Oger and well-known Vietnamese writers such as Nguyen Tuan, Phan Ke Binh and Vu Bang, cited VNA.

Folk toys restored by artisans in Hanoi's Old Quarter and traditional craft villages will be displayed.

The exhibition also comprises short videos touching on numerous topics, such as the Mid-Autumn Festival amid Covid-19, presentation of the tray of offerings of Hanoians, and the art of making traditional toys for the festival, with the participation of historian Le Van Lan and artisan Quach Thi Bac.

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