Giffoni meet the stars

The HCMC Department of Transport shared that the city aims at possessing a multi-means public transport system, including 8 metro lines, 3 tram lines, 6 bus rapid transit lines (BRT), and 200 regular bus lines, in order to meet the traveling demands of the community.

Due to the dense population in HCMC, leading to the large number of private vehicles, urban traffic at the moment has to shoulder a heavy burden, and the average velocity of vehicles in the downtown is just 20-25km per hour.

To tackle this problem, the municipal authorities have adjusted the planning of the urban transport system to implement the Transit Oriented Development (TOD) model. This model maximizes the link between residential, business, manufacturing areas and the existing public transport system.

HCMC is going to apply this model along Metro Line No.1 (from Ben Thanh in the downtown to Suoi Tien in Thu Duc City), Metro Line No.2 (the first phase: Ben Thanh – Tham Luong in District 12; the second phase: Tham Luong – Cu Chi District) and Metro Line No.5 (the first phase Bay Hien Intersection in Tan Binh District – Sai Gon Bridge; the second phase: Can Giuoc Coach Station in Long An Province – Bay Hien Intersection).

The HCMC Management Center of Public Transport (MCPT) is going to introduce 21 high-quality bus lines. This is expected to rebuild the community’s trust towards buses, and thus increasing their bus use.

In order to fulfill the goal, these buses must maintain their route schedule and are not allowed to skip bus-stops or passengers under any circumstances. They have free Wi-Fi, a route monitoring device, a sound system automatically connected to MCPT to announce destinations, free newspapers to serve passengers.

Bus attendants must have good manner, especially towards the senior, the disabled, the ill, and the invalids. Bus drivers must ensure safety by strictly obeying traffic laws and minimizing disorder inside the bus.

The new 21 lines must have sufficient infrastructure, including bus stops, stopping space, regularly updated information boards about current routes and schedules. These facilities must be clean and not illegally occupied by peddlers.

As suggested by Associate Prof. Dr. Pham Xuan Mai from HCMC University of Technology (Vietnam National University – HCMC), it is critical that bus route schedules be maintained so that customer confidence is regained, and people come back to this common public transport.

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Canh from the University of Economics and Law (Vietnam National University – HCMC) said that the formerly piloting scheme of bus priority lane on Tran Hung Dao Street encountered certain objection from the community. However, it is this practice, along with careful planning, that is implemented widely in developed countries to help buses be more welcomed by the public.

Experts in the field suggested that HCMC should launch the piloting scheme for bus priority lane on some major streets like Dien Bien Phu (from Ly Thai To Roundabout – Sai Gon Bridge) or Vo Thi Sau (from Dan Chu Roundabout – Dinh Tien Hoang Street), which has many bus lines.

Simultaneously, better private vehicle restriction rules should be introduced on these two streets to make the scheme more effective.

Accepted the recommendation, MCPT is going to pilot bus priority lanes on the mentioned streets at morning and afternoon peak hours on weekdays. Each lane is supposed to be 3.25m wide, separated with other lanes by road fence. These lanes are for buses, ambulances, firetrucks, mini buses, and passenger vehicles 12-seat+.

Lately, HCMC has built several new streets; yet the proportion of traffic space in the urban land use is a tiny minority of 10 percent, which is not even 1/2 of the standard. Adding to the problem is the ever-increasing number of private vehicles, reaching 9 million at present (including 7.2 million scooters).

With such a high traffic density, with a priority lane, it is truly challenging for buses to maintain their schedules. Some bus companies reported that 80 percent of their buses cannot fulfill this goal. Some are even 1 hour late.

Just 3 years ago, buses were the most favorite choice of students coming to Thu Duc University Village, and there was a bus running each 10 minutes. Sadly, over 1/2 of those lines are canceled now since they cannot ensure the precise arrival time.

Obviously, the development of public transportation must go along with a more logical control of private vehicle growth.

By Quoc Hung – Translated by Vien Hong

The groups include health professionals, the pandemic prevention and fight task force (members of steering committees, people working in quarantining areas, reporters and others), diplomats, and customs and immigration staffs, military personnel, police force, teachers, and the elderly aged over 65.

Others include those working to maintain the supply of essential services such as aviation, transportation, tourism, electricity and water supply, as well as people with chronic diseases,people going abroad on a mission, to work, or study, and those in pandemic-hit areas.

The Ministry of Health (MoH) has announced the plan on the reception, preservation, distribution, and use of COVID-19 vaccines during 2021-2022 with the support of the COVAX Facility – the global procurement mechanism of COVAX.

Vietnam aims to have 80 per cent of its population get vaccinated against COVID-19. However, due to the limited supply, the rate can hit 20 per cent in 2021-2022.

COVAX is co-led by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), GAVI – the Vaccine Alliance, and the World Health Organization (WHO), alongside key delivery partner UNICEF. Its aim is to accelerate the development and manufacturing of COVID-19 vaccines and to guarantee fair and equitable access for every country in the world.

The COVAX Facility aims to supply COVID-19 vaccines to 190 countries worldwide. On December 10, 2020, GAVI named Vietnam as a member nation. GAVI and COVAX Facility expect to provide COVID-19 vaccines for 20 per cent of the population of member nations.

In spite of this, it is currently estimated that the COVAX Facility will provide the vaccine and materials for vaccination free of charge for 15-16 per cent of the population of 92 countries, including Vietnam. On January 29, the COVAX Facility said that more than 4.8 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine produced by AstraZenecca will be delivered to Vietnam in the first half of this year, while the next delivery will be announced later.

As planned, around 600,000 Vietnamese people, comprising healthcare and COVID-19 combat workers, will be given shots in the first quarter. Meanwhile, 1.8 million customs officers, diplomats, army and police personnel, and teachers will be injected in the second quarter. During the second half, over 16 million teachers and people above 65 will access 33 million doses of vaccines to be provided by the COVAX Facility later.

At a recent online meeting with cities and provinces, Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long said that in 2021 Vietnam will 150 million doses of the vaccine to ensure sufficient supply. The COVAX Facility has committed to supply 30 million doses for Vietnam this year, mainly used for the remaining six months of the year. AstraZeneca also committed to supply the same doses.

Vietnam stepping up vaccine activities While pushing ahead with locally-made vaccine trials and production, Vietnam is calling on private involvement and resources to quickly increase COVID-19 vaccine supply amid the …

Vietnam to import first batch of Covid-19 vaccine (Infographics) The Drug Administration of Vietnam has approved the import of the first 204,000 doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use.

PM requests purchasing COVID-19 vaccine in February Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has ordered the health sector to conduct all necessary measures to make COVID-19 vaccines available in Vietnam this month either …

By Bich Thuy

Nguyen Thu Ha in Bac Tu Liem district in Hanoi said she has returned home from Quang Ninh province where she spent the Tet holiday. She and other family members made health declarations after the return.

They were asked to stay in quarantine at home and report to the local medical center if they have a high temperature or cough. If so, they will get tested.

However, as Ha is worried about the infection probability, she has decided to use on-demand testing service and pay for the service.

Many other people also want to have on-demand tests as the pandemic is still in a complicated situation. The fee for tests is between VND1 million and VND2 million.

There are many hospitals in Hanoi recognized by the Ministry of Health as meeting the requirements to test for SARS-CoV-2.

The testing center of the University of Public Health has confirmed that the center is providing Covid-19 testing service at a fee of VND1 million to subjects without epidemiological factors. Samples are taken at 9-11 am every day.

At Hong Ngoc Hospital, service users have to pay VND1.6 million. At Medlatec, the fee is VND1.199 million.

Licensed medical centers have the right to provide on-demand tests. However, hospitals only reserve testing kits to carry out compulsory tests for patients going to the hospitals. Meanwhile, the tests are free if they are conducted for epidemic prevention purposes.

At 108 Hospital, people who want to get tested before traveling abroad have to pay VND2,350,000.

The E Hanoi Hospital is also one of the medical centers allowed by the Ministry of Health to conduct Covid-19 tests in Hanoi. However, Le Ngoc Thanh, director of the hospital, said the service is only provided to those who have suspected factors or want to go abroad.

He went on to say that it would be a wasteful expenditure if tested spontaneously.

“The test result is valid only at that moment. More importantly, one needs to comply with epidemic prevention principles,” he said.

Associate Prof Dr Tran Dac Phu, senior advisor to the Center for Public Medical Event Response, said the on-demand testing service has been approved by the Prime Minister, but the service still is not available in some provinces.

Many people refuse to get tested despite symptoms of cough and high temperature, while other people just want to get tested, and others don’t observe epidemic prevention measures.

He said provincial CDCs have been instructed to carry out tests for people in areas with high risks. In Hanoi, for example, all the people returning from Hai Duong have to be tested.

N. Huyen

Vietnamese people will have access to COVID-19 vaccination free of charge in the long term like other types of vaccine included in the country’s Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI), according to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.

Vietnam has made urgent efforts to obtain COVID-19 vaccines as soon as possible, but the number of vaccine shots distributed to the country in the coming time is still limited, the committee said during a meeting on Tuesday.

The Ministry of Health has listed 11 groups of individuals who will be the first to receive COVID-19 vaccination next month.

When supply is enough, all Vietnamese people will have access to free COVID-19 inoculation in the long run like other types of vaccine included in the EPI.

A small number of vaccine doses will be sold to people who can afford them.

The EPI started in Vietnam in 1981, initiated by the Ministry of Health with the support of the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

The initial goal of the program was to provide free immunization to children under one year old to protect them from six common and highly fatal infectious diseases.

By 2010, the program had included 11 types of vaccine which protect people against tuberculosis, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, hepatitis B, measles, Japanese encephalitis, cholera, typhoid, and pneumonia/meningitis caused by Hib.

According to Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long, Vietnam will need approximately 150 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine for all citizens.

The Southeast Asian country will receive 30 million free doses supplied by COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) in 2021.

Vietnam has also purchased 30 million more doses from AstraZeneca, which will be delivered this year.

The first batch containing 117,600 AstraZeneca vaccine shots arrived at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday morning.

On February 26, the second phase of the human trial of made-in-Vietnam COVID-19 vaccine Nanocovax will begin in Hanoi and the Mekong Delta province of Long An.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!