Covid 19 pandemic

Vientiane (VNA) – Representatives from the Lao province of Bokeo on June 18 handed over 200 million LAK (21,160 USD) to Vietnamese Consulate General in Luang Prabang province to assist the fight against COVID-19 in three Vietnamese provinces – Son La, Dien Bien and Lao Cai.

Speaking at the handover ceremony, a representative of the Bokeo authority affirmed the great friendship between Laos and Vietnam, and hoped that Vietnam’s localities would soon stop the spread of the pandemic. They also said they believed the Vietnamese Party, State, Government and people will soon curb and win over the pandemic. COVID-19 pandemic under control and stop its spread, according to the representative.

Vietnamese Consul General in Luang Prabang Nguyen Dang Hung thanked the Lao friends for their meaningful and timely gifts, and affirmed to send the donation s to Vietnam soon to serve the fight against the pandemic./.

VNA

Hanoi (VNA) – A 71-year-old woman with underlying health condition in the southern province of An Giang has become the 62nd COVID-19 related death in Vietnam.

According to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control’s Treatment Subcommittee, the woman, who lives in Chau Thanh district, had contracted tuberculosis, suffered from high blood pressure and had been a type 2 diabetic for more than 10 years.

On June 2, the woman returned from Cambodia to Vietnam together with her daughter and grandchild via the Moc Bai International Border Gate in the southwestern province of Tay Ninh, where they were all quarantined on arrival.

After testing positive for the coronavirus two days later, she was hospitalised at Ben Cau medical centre in a state of exhaustion and with chest pain.

Then, she was diagnosed with tuberculosis resulting from acute respiratory distress syndrome associated with COVID-19.

On June 11, the patient was put on mechanical ventilation and received intensive care, however, due to the rapid progression of the infection, worsening respiratory failure and underlying chronic health problems, she did not respond well to treatment and died on June 14.

As of noon on June 18, Vietnam has logged 10,755 domestic and 1,669 imported COVID-19 infections. The number of cases in the fourth COVID-19 wave is 9,185./.

VNA

Hanoi (VNS/VNA) – Several construction firms have reported a drop in profits in the first quarter of this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and rising material prices .

Since the beginning of this year, the prices of construction materials on the market have increased sharply amid worries over shortages of materials and rising demand for economic recovery after COVID-19 .

Local brands have increased steel prices by 30-40 percent compared to the fourth quarter of 2020, putting great pressure on the construction industry, as steel currently accounts for 20 percent of inputs for construction work .

Not only steel, the price of cement has also skyrocketed. Since mid-April, many cement manufacturers have adjusted the price of products sold with an increase of 40,000 VND per tonne.

The prices of some other key materials such as sand and gravel are also increasing dramatically.

Facing the double pressure from the COVID-19 pandemic and rises in material prices, a series of contractors have decided to suspend construction progress to wait for market stabilisation.

Coteccons Construction Corporation (CTD)’s revenue fell from 3.5 trillion VND (151.5 million USD) in Q1 last year to 2.56 trillion VND in Q1 this year, down by nearly 28 percent.

Gross profit was 120 billion VND, down by more than 38 percent compared to 2020. The gross profit margin was 4.67 percent, significantly lower than 5.46 percent of the same period last year.

Its pre-tax profit dropped 55 percent to touch 69 billion VND. On the stock market, CTD prices have dropped and are currently being traded at 58,600 VND per share, down more than 27 percent since the beginning of the year.

The pre-tax profit of Hoa Binh Construction and Real Estate Corporation (HBC) in Q1 decreased by 12 billion VND, down 37 percent. In contrast, the gross profit margin improved from 7.7 percent in Q1, 2020 to 8.7 percent in Q1 this year.

This year, in addition to civil real estate construction, HBC has stepped up contracting for energy, industrial and infrastructure projects to increase market share.

Ricons Construction Investment JSC reported its Q1 profit decreased 28 percent to VNĐ31 billion.

Hung Thinh Incons Joint Stock Company (HTN) saw revenue in Q1 increased to 1.16 trillion VND but gross profit fell sharply to 103 billion VND.

In a new report, the Vietnam Steel Association (VSA) indicated that steel prices may continue to rise until the end of the third quarter.

On its side, the Vietnam Association of Construction Contractors (VACC) has issued a petition to the Government to soon direct ministries and branches to examine the cause of the sudden increase in steel prices./.

VNA

Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam on May 17 confirmed its 37th death related to the COVID-19 pandemic, who had suffered from underlying health conditions .

According to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control’s Treatment Sub-committee, the 34-year-old male patient was admitted to the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases on April 24.

Doctors said he died of severe pneumonia due to COVID-19, brain injury caused by an earlier traffic accident, and meningitis on May 16 evening.

Vietnam recorded 37 new cases of COVID-19 domestic transmission, all in quarantine sites or sealed-off areas, in the 12 hours as of 6am on May 17, raising the national count to 4,212, the Ministry of Health (MoH) said.

Twenty-two of the new cases were reported in Bac Giang province, 11 in nearby Bac Ninh province, three in Vinh Phuc province, and one in Tuyen Quang province. There are no new hotbeds.

So far, Vietnam has seen 2,746 domestic infections and 1,466 imported ones. The number of COVID-19 cases since April 27, when the new outbreak began, now stands at 1,176.

Among those still under treatment, 46 have tested negative for the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 once, 26 others twice, and 28 thrice.

There are 108,288 people having close contact with confirmed cases or coming from foreign pandemic-hit regions under quarantine at present.

Meanwhile, 979,238 people had been inoculated against COVID-19 as of 4pm on May 16, with 22,561 getting two shots, according to the MoH./.

VNA

Vietnam’s testing capacity now was 1.7 times higher than during last year’s Danang outbreak, or the country’s second wave.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam has asked the Ministry of Health and localities to urgently map out plans to deal with a scenario of 30,000 people infected with the novel coronavirus.

The deputy PM emphasized at a working session with the National Steering Committee on Covid-19 Prevention and Control on May 11 that with the highly contagious UK and Indian variants of Covid-19 detected in Vietnam, testing must be considered as one of the most important tasks in the fight against the pandemic.

The country reported 125 locally-acquired infections on May 10, the highest daily spike since the fourth wave began late April and since the pandemic broke out earlier last year.

The Indian variant, present in various clusters in the current outbreaks, was more transmissible and can spread quickly through the air, especially in closed spaces, Dam said, adding that it was necessary to prepare for a worse-case scenario.

Rehearsal for receiving and treating Covid-19 patients in Vietnam. Photo: Xuan Lam

He said Vietnam’s testing capacity now was 1.7 times higher than during last year’s Danang outbreak, or the country’s second wave.

The deputy PM asked Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long to assign qualified medical staff to train health workers in 11 provinces that have not yet been capable of testing the novel coronavirus, so that the Covid-19 screening can be done regularly and yield faster results.

Minister Long also asked that hospitals with more than 300 beds set up a real-time-PCR laboratory to confirm suspected Covid-19 cases and avoid having to send samples elsewhere.

Deputy PM Dam has also asked the Ministry of Finance and finance departments in localities to arrange proper funding for the disease prevention and control activities, particularly funding for tests.

He said Vietnam would still be engaged in the strategy that has consisted of timely prevention, detection, isolation, zoning and treatment of Covid-19 cases.

Upgrading hospitals and building more make-shift hospitals

Doctors are treating serious Covid-19 patients in Vietnam. Photo: An Dy

The Hanoi Department of Health has reported that the capital city’s testing capacity has increased by 10 times (from 3,000 samples per day to 30,000 samples per day) and will continue to be raised.

Hanoi has to prepare for the scenario of 200-300 cases in the city, which means the testing capacity must reach 300,000-600,000 samples, the department said.

As the Covid-19 pandemic drags on, medical facilities need to ensure utmost safety, Dr. Luong Ngoc Khue, head of the Administration of Medical Examination and Treatment under the Ministry of Health, said at an inspection on May 10 at two high-risk hospitals in Hanoi, including Vietnam National Cancer Hospital (K Hospital) and the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases (NHTD).

Prof. Nguyen Quang Tuan, director of Hanoi-based Bach Mai Hospital, said his health center has added 300 beds, increasing the number of beds at the hospital to 700. Besides, there are other 200 beds for Covid-19 patients and people making closed contact with coronavirus-carriers.

In Ho Chi Minh City, Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong said that the city is ready to set up more make-shift hospitals and plans to ensure treatment for 100-200 patients, even up to 500 beds.