Flower garden design

One year on, Vietnamese medicine matures alongside successful COVID-19 fight

February 28, 2021 by en.nhandan.org.vn

>>> The health sector reforms strongly and comprehensively to better serve the people

>>> Third wave of coronavirus in Vietnam likely to end by late March

From the first cases of COVID-19 infections being detected, under the direction of the Party, the Government and the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, the health sector has actively coordinated with the relevant ministries, agencies and localities in carrying out drastic, vigorous, prompt and effective epidemic prevention and control measures. The sector has proactively advised and built fully and in detail documents and professional instructions, while always preparing adequate human resources, equipment, drugs, materials and chemicals to ensure the work is effective. Outbreaks were quickly zoned and handled in a timely manner, leading to the number of infections totalling a very small number compared to the population size.

The health sector perseveres with its policy of isolating close contacts and taking samples from them to immediately remove pathogens from the community and prevent the spread of infection. Vietnam’s quarantine mechanism is designed in detail to ensure that all infected, suspected infected and close contacts are isolated. In addition to requiring everyone to be centrally isolated for at least 14 days upon entry into the country, from the very beginning, the four-ring quarantine mechanism has been implemented, helping cut off and effectively prevent outbreaks in a relatively short space of time.

The pandemic control has also shown the growth of Vietnam’s testing system. As of February 2021, Vietnam had carried out COVID19 testing on more than 2.2 million samples in 96 confirmed units. Such testing capacity can completely respond to epidemic outbreaks on a large scale.

In terms of treatment, the division of subjects for effective treatment has been strictly maintained, helping prevent too many positive cases from flocking to major hospitals. COVID-19 infected cases found in any locality are treated by local physicians. The Ministry of Health also continuously updates treatment regimens and establishes remote examination and treatment systems with leading experts supporting the lower levels, along with rapid response mobile teams. To date, many district health facilities have received and treated COVID-19 patients, helping many recover from the deadly disease.

Precision in logistics is also an important factor helping Vietnam defeat the pandemic. The health sector has coordinated with the concerned ministries, agencies and localities to proactively prepare the necessary logistics, including all medical equipment, consumables, biological products, face masks and protective equipment to form a solid premise for the epidemic response. A lot of domestically produced equipment has been donated to other countries in the spirit of a joint effort to fight COVID-19.

From February 2020, when the first COVID-19 infections appeared in Vietnam, experts from the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology successfully cultured and isolated the SARS-CoV-2 virus in their labs. Vietnam became one of four countries in the world at that time able to do this. It helped identify “the enemy” while at the same time was a prerequisite for the research and development of testing products as well as vaccines for disease prevention.

Notably, up to now, Vietnam has four manufacturers participating in the research and production of COVID-19 vaccines, of which three have developed official products (one having been put into Phase 2 of clinical trials with two others in preparation for Phase 1). It is expected that in early 2022, Vietnam will have an official home-grown COVID-19 vaccine to put into use, helping it hold the initiative in the fight against COVID-19.

Over the past year, the “four onsite” anti-epidemic motto (on-site command, on-site forces, on-site equipment and materials, and on-site logistics) has always been focussed upon and achieved good results. In addition to the National Steering Committee, there are 63 Steering Committees for the prevention and fight against COVID-19 at provincial and municipal levels, while district, commune, and ward levels have mobilised all departments, branches and units concerned to participate in the fight to ensure the comprehensive implementation of epidemic prevention measures proposed by Steering Committees and suitable for local conditions. On the other hand, the community-based COVID-19 response model is also a unique one. Tens of thousands of such groups have been established in localities across the nation and have brought into full play the combined strength of local government and the consciousness of the people in quickly stopping outbreaks.

“Unprecedented” solutions deployed by the health sector in response to the COVID-19 epidemic have brought about great results. Hundreds of physicians, leading experts at the top national institutes and hospitals, such as National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Bach Mai Hospital, National Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Hanoi Medical University Hospital and Cho Ray Hospital, have been sent to hot spots in Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City, Dien Bien and Hai Duong. Some medical centres, even sports complexes, have been turned into field hospitals to receive COVID-19 patients for treatment. Continuous nationwide online medical conferences with the participation of leading experts from across the country have been organised, providing timely professional support to lower level doctors and promptly helping many critically-ill COVID-19 patients recover.

The battle against COVID-19 will continue, but with the health sector’s maturity and its accumulated anti-epidemic experience, we can once again believe that victory belongs to Vietnam.

Ho Chi Minh City files another proposal for public minibus system after 2020 blunder

February 28, 2021 by tuoitrenews.vn

The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee has unveiled its plan to incorporate 12- to 17-seater minibuses into its public transport system in a proposal submitted to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

It is expected to help turn more motorbike drivers to public commuting, which would in turn alleviates the pressure on Ho Chi Minh City’s overloaded urban transport.

In the proposal, the People’s Committee stated that bus route coverage in urban Ho Chi Minh City only fared 1km/sqkm, which is much lower than the standard of 2.5 km/sqkm.

The city’s bus fleet consists of 2,322 vehicles on 137 routes, the majority of which are 41-60 seaters designed to operate on streets at least 10 meters wide.

However, among the city’s nearly 5,000 streets, 3,450 are less than seven meters wide, which makes it impossible for the majority of public buses to reach.

This is also considered the underpinning of the sub-par bus coverage in Ho Chi Minh, which put off many potential customers as they have to travel great lengths to use the bus system.

Considering the situation, the introduction of light buses is essential for Ho Chi Minh City’s smart city initiative, according to the proposal.

In its bid to solve the issue, the proposal envisions 20 new minibus routes to connect areas of the city with the forthcoming metro line No. 1, which runs from Ben Thanh Market in District 1 to Suoi Tien Theme Park in Thu Duc City, as well as 10 routes using light buses to plug passengers into BRT route No. 1 in the 2021-2022 phase.

As per current regulations, bus routes must employ vehicles with 17 seats or more, with areas for both sitting and standing passengers, with one exception that vehicles of 12-17 seats can operate on routes that cross narrow streets or bridges in more than half of their journeys.

Considering this, the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee is asking for permission from the prime minister to use light buses of 12 to 17 seats to boost coverage of the public bus system and help bring bus routes within reach of all city dwellers.

More choices

Le Trung Tinh, chairman of the Inter-Province and Tourism Passenger Transport Association, said that Ho Chi Minh City first proposed a light bus system in 2020, with six routes to cover new residential areas inaccessible by the city’s public commuting system.

As per the plan, the routes would have their fare set VND10,000-40,000 (US$0.43-1.73) per trip.

Vehicle cost would be covered by investors, while a partner will manage routes and customers via a dedicated ride-hailing application, where passengers could book tickets and track their bus in real-time.

However, the Ministry of Transport rejected the plan on the basis of Decree 10/2020, which requires that public buses have 17 seats or more.

This decree was also used to justify the rejection of Hanoi’s minibus proposal in 2018.

Vu Anh Tuan, director of the Vietnam-Germany Transportation Research Center, also deemed the introduction of minibuses requisite to Ho Chi Minh City as its road network consists of mostly small lanes that impede the entry of bigger vehicles and thwart the development of the public transportation system.

Meanwhile, minibuses will be able to navigate these streets and bring new customers who seek an intermediary means of transport to reach BRT and metro routes.

According to Tuan, Ho Chi Minh City is currently home to over 10 million citizens, which translates to roughly 30 million trips within the city per day given the average of three travels per person on any day.

In reality, the city’s bus system can only handle one million trips per day, or three percent of the approximated demand, while that number is expected to be 15 percent by 2025 and 30 percent by 2030, according to objectives set by city officials.

In order to reach these goals, the bus fleet in the city must be tripled, even quadrupled, Tuan remarked.

“Operational effectiveness will not be raised if only big buses are added to the fleet and put on routes with low demand,” he said.

“Minibuses, once introduced, will provide customers with more traveling choices.”

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First Ao Dai Museum in Saigon in a green setting

February 28, 2021 by english.thesaigontimes.vn

First Ao Dai Museum in Saigon in a green setting

By Thanh Hoa

The ao dai museum is one of the two private museums in Saigon – PHOTOS: THANH HOA

Founded by famous Vietnamese fashion designer Sy Hoang, Ao Dai Museum in HCMC’s District 9 is the first of its kind honoring the beauty and history of the traditional Vietnamese dress. The designer has spent 10 years completing the project of ao dai museum.

The museum, which was put into operation in 2014, displays ao dai designs developed in different historical periods. Each ao dai showcased there has an interesting story.

The museum complex also features a green space which gives visitors an impression that they are very close to nature.

Inside the museum

Some ao dai designs on display

Tu than (four-part dress), commonly regarded as the predecessor of the ao dai, was popular in northern Vietnam

Several ao dai designs for royal members in Vietnam

Visitors can witness how ao dai is made

The museum with its greenery

“Private” islets on Tri An Lake

February 28, 2021 by english.thesaigontimes.vn

“Private” islets on Tri An Lake

By Nguyen Vu Moc Thieng

Some bungalows on Robincao’s islets

A Vietnamese singer left the hustle and bustle of urban life to do ecotourism and live in harmony with nature on six islets in Dong Nai Province

Farmer and singer Cao Minh several decades ago left his city to reclaim nearly 20 hectares of land in Dong Nai Province’s Vinh Cuu District. Cao Minh soon became a “genuine” farmer, doing all the farm chores by himself, from building houses to driving a bulldozer.

However, such a rural lifestyle gradually lost its appeal. Cao Minh wanted to find something new. He later moved to Tri An Lake where he now owns six islets. Calling himself “Robincao,” a new name created by merging Robinson—the main character in a the famous adventure novel “Robinson Crusoe” by England written Daniel Defoe (1660-1731)—with his family name, Cao.

Cao Minh’s six islets are four kilometers from the shore. The largest islet covering five hectares is home to stilt houses and many trees while the smallest one is only half a hectare. Each islet is around a half to two kilometers apart. Robincao’s islets are shelters of hundreds of bird flocks as well as plants. In the raining season, visitors can see many young birds in their nests. Trees on the islets are around three to five meters high, providing enough shade for all. Cashew nuts are available on the islets all year round. In October, dien dien flowers (Sesbania sesban) are in full bloom there.

Electrical appliances on the islets are run by solar power. Robincao usually rides his speedboat to the shore to buy food or call for food delivery. He enjoys simple meals and does what he likes. Sometimes, he returns to the city to sing or act in a movie.

Occasionally, Robincao welcomes several visitors who have to follow his four rules: no drinking, no karaoke, no noise and no TV.

The islets have recently become ideal places for special sports like paragliding, standup paddle boarding, kayaking, etc. Besides, visitors can catch fish in Tri An Lake and prepare meals by themselves.

Internet is out of the question on Cao Minh’s islets. Instead, visitors should have books, tents and sleeping bags on a trip to the islets on which they would listen to songs performed by Robincao.

To ensure the tranquility and peacefulness, the “owner” of the islets receives only 30 to 40 visitors per day. A visitor has to register in advance. Although services there are primitive, many travelers still love the places.

How to get there

Travelers may ride a motorbike to Ma Da Market where they travel three kilometers to 6 Mui Street. Next, turn right to B2 Street and travel seven kilometers more to get to Tri An Lake. Get aboard a boat and you’ll reach the islets.

Leaving big cities: A transitory fad or a consistent trend?

February 28, 2021 by english.thesaigontimes.vn

Leaving big cities: A transitory fad or a consistent trend?

By Nguyen Minh Hoa

Living closer to nature or in the countryside is now a way of life – PHOTO: THANH HOA

Titles such as “Farewell to Moscow,” “Departing Seoul,” or “Goodbye Kuala Lumpur” have made the headlines in the international press these days, suggesting a phenomenon in which many people left metropolises for the countryside. In Vietnam, a similar fact has also happened when residents departed HCMC and Hanoi to live in rural areas. Most of them did so because of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, will they return to their cities after the pandemic is over?

The industrial revolution which broke out in Europe and North America at the beginning of the 17th century also triggered the mass exodus from villages to cities which were huge industrial hubs. Ever since, such a move, be it fast or slow, has never halted. The world is now home to truly “megacities” that may house up to 40% of the national population with Seoul being a single example. In Europe, the urban population rate of over 70% is now the established norm.

Yet big cities have been facing with mounting pressures, such as high unemployment rates, unstable income, expensive living costs, environmental pollution, and traffic jams and accidents. According to sociologists, each urbanite has to shoulder from 20 to 30 extremely high risks every day—food poisoning, drug overdose, traffic and pit accidents, fires, building collapses, dog bites, and terrorism, to name but a few.

It was perhaps these piling pressures that started the big homecoming trend at the end of the 20th century. Last year, Covid-19 helped this trend swiftly gather momentum both in scale and pace.

Previously, homecoming or returning to the countryside involved mostly the elderly or the retired. Nowadays, returnees are also a considerable number of young people, which makes it more hectic. Rendered jobless by the global pandemic, hundreds of millions of people have to endure social distancing, constrain themselves in tiny apartments, confront permanent risks and be beset with problems on children’s safety. All these headaches have prompted many to find the countryside as an escape.

By returning to the countryside, urbanites are able to comply with social distancing regulations while enjoying fresh air and safe food, and maintaining better social relations. What’s more, they can do what they previously couldn’t in a city. That is, they can plant vegetables, raise animals or grow their favorite flowers. That is, all family members can sit together around a table for dinner, sip a cup of coffee and watch sunrise in the morning, read favorite books, and pay a visit to their rural neighbors, or a field, a brook or a hill. What a wonderful life!

Of the people who have returned to the countryside as a way to escape the pandemic, many will come back to cities when the pandemic is over. Yet some will remain in line with a new trend called “ecological lifestyle.” In developed countries, not only in the Western world but also in some Asian nations like Japan and South Korea, the concept of urban villages has resurfaced. Coming on stream are small towns whose population is a couple of ten thousands of or several thousands of residents. In these green towns, residents practice hi-tech agriculture, reinstate tradition values, reduce processed food, opt for folk songs and folk dances, and live in harmony with one another and with nature. This life is appealing to even young people in developed countries. It is the “leaving cities for villages” phenomenon in this time of epidemic that has contributed significantly to the restoration of the trio of farmers, agriculture and rural areas, an immense value of humankind which has been so far ignored in many places.

The Covid-19 pandemic has forced us to come to realize the real value of agriculture and rural areas as a firm foundation for not only a nation but also humans as a whole. When attacked by the coronavirus, people have realized that countries relying on industries, commerce and services are the most vulnerable. Agriculture-based nations seem to have been less affected. Otherwise, their recovery pace is also quicker.

Currently, in the midst of Covid-19, several countries, such as Singapore and the United Arab Emirates, have proceeded with plans to develop “landless” agriculture. In Vietnam, despite the economic losses inflicted by the coronavirus, the economy still posted a positive growth rate, at 2.9% which was among the highest in the world. In the case of Vietnam, agriculture was one of the few sectors which contributed remarkably by earning US$45 billion worth of farm exports. Although this absolute figure might be lower than in some others industries, its socio-economic significance was enormous because agriculture is largely a “renewable” economic sector.

During the time spent in Denmark and Sweden, the author of this article was passionately briefed by local scientists, urbanists and architects on this category of economy. Their classic example was the concept of “one human life cycle – three plant life cycles.” The average lifespan of a human lasts 70 years. If this person grows the first tree at 10 years old, he or she will be able to grow three plant life cycles which can be used for constructions. Reversely, if a building is erected using cement, steel and sand, it will contribute to the destruction of hills, mountains and mines, which will never be seen again once they disappear. Meanwhile, if somebody fells a tree to be used as material and grows three more trees, he or she will get three similar trees in 10 or 15 years.

Likewise, land, orchards and fish ponds will be there if you know how to treasure them. Once exploited reasonably, they will generate properties and assets.

It is not by chance that the Covid-19 pandemic is an opportunity, albeit an irritating one, which offers humankind a chance to look back at themselves, and restructure mindset and rearrange economic foundation for the sake of sustainability and flexibility. In this process, the restoration of the “agricultural trio” plays the central role.

Hopes for “homecoming” is by no means a transitory fad when people are trying to seek a safe haven during a deadly pandemic. Yet it is a way to develop sustainably a diverse economy capable of withstanding any fluctuation caused by the weather, natural calamities or epidemics.