Covid 19 pandemic hit provinces of hai duong

Hanoi (VNA) – The Philippines ‘ Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has allowed the emergency use of COVID-19 vaccines made by Johnson & Johnson of the US and India’s Bharat Biotech, it said on April 20.

Both vaccines can be administered to people aged 18 and above in the Philippines, the agency chief, Rolando Enrique Domingo, said in a mobile text message.

So far, the Southeast Asian country has granted emergency use approval for six coronavirus vaccines.

Johnson & Johnson is conducting late-stage clinical trials for its COVID-19 vaccine in the Philippines.

Data from worldometers.info, the Philippines has confirmed more than 945,000 COVID-19 cases and 16,000 coronavirus-related deaths.

Meanwhile, the Brunei government has announced that the administration of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine can resume in the country after two weeks of reviewing adverse side effects.

According to Brunei’s Ministry of Health, since the temporary pause on the use of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine on April 6, it had reviewed reports from other countries of very rare cases of blood clots with low platelets following vaccination with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.

In Brunei, among the 2,323 individuals who have received their first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine, no events of this nature have been identified, the health ministry said.

The health ministry said that based on available data, taking into account the effectiveness of the AstraZeneca vaccine, especially to those at risk such as the elderly, and given that the reported incidence of blood clots with low platelets is very rare, the COVID-19 Vaccine Technical Committee believes that the administration of this vaccine can resume in Brunei with conditions.

Brunei reported no new coronavirus cases on April 19, with the national tally unchanged at 221.

Indonesia has extended the implementation of restrictions on micro-based community activities (PPKM) from April 20 to May 3.

The PPKM extends on five provinces, namely West Sumatra, Jambi, Bangka Belitung Islands, Lampung, and West Kalimantan, said Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto on April 19.

The PPKM scheme was first applied in Indonesia on January 11 this year and has been extended several times.

Indonesia on April 18 received another six million doses of Sinovac’s COVID-19 vaccine bulk from China, which is part of the supply of 140 million doses to be delivered this year./.

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Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc requested strict punishment for those providing inaccurate medical declaration upon arriving in Vietnam.

Vietnam has the capabilities, resources and experience required to contain the Covid-19 epidemic, according to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the meeting. Source: VGP.

The Vietnamese government would not stay passive in the fight to protect its citizens’ health, Phuc said at a government meeting on March 9, while referring to the successful treatment of 16 cases of infection as examples to calm the public.

Phuc, however, requested strict punishment for those providing inaccurate medical declaration, citing the case of the 17 ^th patient in Vietnam after returning home on Vietnam Airlines flight VN0054 from London.

Phuc requested the authorities to track and isolate all passengers on the flight for 14 days, adding the release of information related to the Covid-19 epidemic must ensure transparency and timeliness. “This would be key to help prevent people from stockpiling essential goods as in the last few days,” he said.

Meanwhile, Phuc continued to stress the importance of restricting meetings and public events to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Phuc agreed to halt the unilateral visa-waiver program for citizens of eight European countries, including Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden, United Kingdom, Germany, France and Spain.

Phuc requested government agencies, cities/provinces not to send staff for working and studying trips abroad unless given they are approved by the PM himself.

Phuc assigned the Ministry of Information and Communications to combat the spreading of false information that could cause social chaos, and urged the public to stay calm as fear is more dangerous than the epidemic.

The PM expressed his strong belief that Vietnam would not only win the battle against Covid-19, but also thrive in economic development endeavors.

Phnom Penh(VNA) – Cambodia ’s Ministry of Health on April 19 confirmed 624 new COVID-19 cases, the highest number of infections recorded in a day since the pandemic broke out in the Southeast Asian country.

Phnom Penh still reported the highest number of new patients, with 465 tested positive for the coronavirus on the day, the ministry said.

Meanwhile, 10 cases were found in Takeo, 144 in Sihanoukville, one in Kampong Cham, one in Pursat, and three in Svay Rieng.

The country also reported two new deaths, bringing the death toll to 45 so far. The country currently has 4,439 COVID-19 cases.

In a bid to contain the pandemic, Cambodia has imposed a two-week lockdown in Phnom Penh and its adjacent Ta Khmau city since April 15.

The country has also closed down all schools, tourist attractions, sport facilities, museums, cinemas and entertainment venues nationwide./.

VNA

Global M&A dealmaking has got back its momentum in the first quarter. Photo: Shuttlerstock

According to the first-quarter global review by Refinitiv, a global provider of financial market data, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity hit $1.3 trillion globally in the period, an increase of 94 per cent compared to the same period in 2020. Cross-border activity more than doubled and was the strongest opening quarter for cross-border deals on record, with the technology, financial, and industrial sectors accounting for almost half of cross-border M&A.

Meanwhile, an EY Global Capital Confidence Barometer survey of more than 2,400 executives in 52 countries found that over half of corporates are looking to actively pursue M&A in the next 12 months – the highest since 2012 and beating the 11-year average of 44 per cent. In particular, almost half (46 per cent) of corporates expect that Southeast Asia will generate the most growth prospects and opportunities for their organisation in the next three years.

Some big deals in 2020 include the 80 per cent acquisition of Vinhomes’ Grand Park project by Mitsubishi Corporation and Nomura Real Estate; the purchase of 36 per cent stake in construction firm Ecoba by Japan’s Haseko Corporation; and SK Group’s acquisition of 25 per cent stake at pharma group Imexpharm.

Du Vinh Tran, Strategy and Transactions leader at EY Indochina, said that Vietnam is a relatively hot destination for M&A in Southeast Asia. He noted that the robust growth is credited to the government in terms of controlling macro-stability with low interest rates and stable exchange rates. Vietnam’s economy has also transformed strongly for the past 30-plus years. Therefore, the growing trend of M&A is expected to continue into the future.

Last week, SK Group made another big splash by acquiring part of VinCommerce. SK and Masan Group announced the signing of definitive agreements for SK’s acquisition of a 16.26 per cent in VinCommerce for a total cash consideration of $410 million.

Commenting on the deal, Woncheol Park, representative director of SK Southeast Asia Investment said, “We have a strong belief in the potential of Vietnam’s on/off-line retail sector and expect VinCommerce to play a vital role in its modernisation.”

In March, Malaysian-backed TenagaNasional Bhd.’s (TNB) wholly-owned subsidiary TNB Renewables Sdn., Bhd. acquired 39 per cent in a 21.6MW project comprising of five rooftop solar plants in Vietnam from Singapore’s Sunseap Group. This acquisition will serve as a beachhead for TNB to establish a local presence in Vietnam and expand into the rapidly-growing renewable energy and utilities market.

The previous month, SCG Packaging Public Co., Ltd. (SCGP), a subsidiary of Siam City Cement, scooped up a 70 per cent stake in Duy Tan Plastics Manufacturing Corporation. The move is an expansion of SCGP’s rigid plastic packaging business, so it can now provide its customers in Vietnam with a full range of packing products, both polymer and paper-based.

At the start of the year, Singapore’s UOB Asset Management completed the acquisition of all shares of VAM Vietnam Fund Management, according to a statement from the Singaporean asset manager. The deal size was estimated to be nearly $5 million, and the Ho Chi Minh City-based firm will be renamed UOB Asset Management (Vietnam) Fund Management, subject to regulatory approval.

Experts said regulatory changes such as those made to investment-related laws from the start of this year may make the investment procedure somewhat easier. However, the most effective way of stimulating investments from Japan would be to simplify the border entry process for business travellers, as long as the pandemic situation will allow. On the side of the Japanese, it should make every effort to contain the pandemic in order to be allowed to be back in Vietnam as investors.

Meanwhile, Tran Phuong Lan, head of Competition Supervision and Management under the Vietnam Competition and Consumer Authority, cited a study by Euromonitor International showing that Vietnam is the second-most robust M&A market in the world following the US. In the coming years, she said, M&A activity will continue to be strong while at the same time, it also poses risks for potential medium- and large-sized enterprises with specific market share and roles to be taken over.

To better manage M&A activities, she suggested that Vietnam needs a legal framework encouraging more Vietnamese firms to join the M&A market as well as develop policy for commercial and investment banks to support such activities by local companies.

“Vietnam should also strengthen the supervision and control of economic concentration in the fast-growing sectors of textiles and garments, footwear, and electronics for foreign transactions,” she said. “The country needs to establish a frequent consultation mechanism between the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Ministry of Industry and Trade to build a database on M&A deals with a view to ensure national interests without causing anti-competitive effects in the market.”

Vietnam said its top priority is to keep the situation under control to protect people’s health.

Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on Monday asked local authorities to quarantine all people who come from areas hit by the Covid-19 epidemic.

“The government’s top priority is to keep the situation under control to protect people’s health,” the PM said at a meeting on Monday.

PM Phuc made the affirmation following concerns over the increasing number of people tested positive with Covid-19 in South Korea.

Four Vietnamese and eight South Korean airlines are operating 563 flights per week between the two countries.

Meanwhile, there are around 200,000 Vietnamese citizens living in South Korea, including 26,000 living in epidemic-hit areas.

As such, Vietnam will quarantine all people traveling across epidemic-hit areas in South Korea and China

In addition, the government has warned its citizens not to go to South Korea’s epidemic-stricken zones and would not welcome people from those areas coming to Vietnam.

Vietnam has also advised its citizens to follow local authorities’ instructions and not to hurriedly return to the home country.

So far, several localities in Vietnam have quarantined people coming from South Korea’s epidemic areas, mostly Daegu and Gyeongsang.

Hanoi alone has planned to quarantine all Vietnamese people returning to the city from South Korea’s epidemic zones and isolation at home for those from those areas.

As of February 25, South Korea reported 893 people infected with the new coronavirus..

Vietnam has 16 people found positive with the new coronavirus and all of them have recovered.

Hanoi (VNA) – The Vietnam Dairy Products Joint Stock Company (Vinamilk) has moved up six places from 42nd to 36th in the Top 50 by Total Sales in Dairy Product Processors (Global), according to the rankings announced by UK-based Plimsoll Publishing Ltd.

With total revenue of more than 59.7 trillion VND (nearly 2.6 billion USD) in 2020, Vinamilk was the only dairy producer in Southeast Asia to enter the Top 50.

Top 10 named businesses from the US, New Zealand, Europe and China.

The Vietnamese dairy firm entered the Top 50 for the first time in 2017. In 2020, thanks to its rational strategies to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, Vinamilk posted robust business results, with earnings surging 5.9 percent from 2019, and 17 percent from 2017.

In the past time, an array of new products have been introduced to Vietnamese consumers, including high-grade Vinamilk Green Farm fresh milk – a product made of fresh milk sourced at Vinamilk’s Green Farm, Vinamilk UHT fresh milk with bird’s nest and Fruit Love.

Thanks to its high-quality products, Vinamilk has been among top three most chosen fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) brand owners in both urban and rural areas for the 8th consecutive year, according to the Kantar Worldpanel’s Asia Brand Footprint 2020.

Along with affirming its prestige in the domestic market, Vinamilk has won the taste of consumers in 56 countries and territories. To date, it has shipped more than 2.4 billion USD worth of dairy products abroad.

Vinamilk has invested heavily in its international-standard dairy farms. The firm is now owning 13 dairy farms in Vietnam, and an organic milch cow farming resort complex in Laos.

Earlier this year, Vinamilk introduced the first eco-farm system in Thanh Hoa, Quang Ngai, and Tay Ninh provinces, with tens of thousands of cows. At the farm, the natural groundwater is considered “the source of nourishing life” as it is the water supply source for plants, grasslands and corn, helping to create eco-detention basins and keeping the air cool and fresh./.

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