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The Hanoitimes – Local hospitality businesses need to collect, update and report to the tourism authorities about the number of foreign guests who are forced to stay at their facilities due to reasons beyond their control.

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) has asked local tourist accommodations to exempt and reduce room charges for foreign tourists who are stuck in Vietnam due to the coronavirus pandemic, until the Ministry of Transport can arrange flights to send them home.

Foreign tourists wearing face masks in Hoi An, Quang Nam province. (Photo: To Quoc)

Earlier, the VNAT had requested the provincial authorities to urgently check and list foreign tourists who are stuck in the localities due to border closures and flight suspension. These foreigners are passengers who may be in quarantine, stranded due to flight suspension or in transit to a third country which closed its borders.

The provincial authorities will report to the Ministries of Transport and Foreign Affairs about the number of foreign tourists, their departure points in Vietnam and countries/territories where the tourists come from.

During this stay-at-hotel period, tourist accommodations are required not to organize buffet and cater for guests right inside the room, supervise guest health and take measures to ensure the safety of guests and employees. They should remind guests to refrain from going out, make mandatory medical declarations, regularly check body temperature, wear face masks and keep a two-meter distance from each other when in contact.

In late March, the Vietnam’s Immigration Department has also facilitated procedures for extension of temporary residence for foreigners who are unable to leave the country due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Accordingly, foreigners who entered Vietnam with a visa waiver or tourist visa (including electronic visas) and who have their resident permits expired but do not have any sponsoring entity and cannot leave due to reasons beyond their control may seek their embassies or consulate general sponsorship for their extension of temporary residence for a maximum of 30 days while awaiting departure, and submit their application at the Vietnam Immigration Department. The policy remains effective until April 30.

Foreign individuals who entered Vietnam for business, visiting relatives or other purposes, should contact their sponsors (agencies, organizations or individuals) according to the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam for residence extension.

Persons who have exceeded their valid temporary residence period for less than 10 days due to situations of force majeure (with documented evidence) may be considered for exemptions from administrative sanctions.

Hanoi (VNA) – Nguyen Nhat Anh , Director of Nha Nam Culture and Communications JSC , one of the most popular publishing houses in Vietnam, was named a Knight of France on August 16 for his contributions to introducing French ideology in the Asian country.

On behalf of the French Minister of Culture , Counsellor for Cooperation and Cultural Action at the Embassy of France in Vietnam Etienne Rolland-Piegue conferred the distinction of Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of Order of Arts and Letters) to Anh at a ceremony in Hanoi on August 16.

The French Counsellor congratulated Anh, who is also a freelance translator, for the award, saying he and Nha Nam have succeeded in making children’s literature important in Vietnam by publishing a series of children’s books by French writers such as “Le petit Nicolas” (Little Nicolas) by Rene Goscinny and “Le petit Prince” (Little Prince) by Antoine de Saint-Exupery.

Anh has contributed to introducing French books and ideology in Vietnam and promoting cultural diversity and cooperation between the two countries, he noted.

Nha Nam’s director said he was honoured to receive the noble tittle. The award was a result of the team of editors and translators at Nha Nam who have been working with passion for books and French arts and literature in particular, he added.

Nha Nam will improve the quality of its translation and editing to bring the best Vietnamese version of French books to local readers, he said.

The Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, established in 1957, is in recognition of significant contributions to the enrichment of the French cultural inheritance.

Nguyen Nhat Anh, who writes under the penname Trac Phong, has translated some popular French works like “Le petit Nicolas” and “Le petit Prince” into Vietnamese. He has also written comic books under the penname Thu Nho.

Since its establishment in 2005, each year Nha Nam Company publishes 30 to 70 titles by famed French writers like Marcel Proust, Gustave Flaubert, Guy de Maupassant, Alexandre Dumas, Alphonse Daudet, Antoine de Saint-Exupery and Marguerite Duras.

Anh has worked with the French Embassy and other agencies to host various workshops, exhibitions and book launch ceremonies in Vietnam so Vietnamese readers can get to know French writers and their work. –VNA

VNA

The Hanoitimes – The move is taken to support domestic producers in overcoming the unprecedented crisis due to the Covid-19 pandemic and these items are only allowed to export to countries heavily affected by the coronavirus.

The Vietnamese government has allowed the export of medical masks, protective clothing and medical equipment, provided that domestic demand for those items is met (including for reserves), VnExpress quoted Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc as saying at a meeting on April 15.

The move is taken to support domestic producers in overcoming the unprecedented crisis due to the Covid-19 pandemic and these items are only allowed to be shipped to countries affected by Covid-19.

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Under the Vietnamese government’s resolution dated February 28, in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, medical face masks could be shipped out of the country only for the purpose of international aid provided by the Vietnamese government. In addition, the business is allowed to export a maximum of 25% of its output. The regulation aimed to give priority to the fight against the pandemic in the country and ensure sufficient medical equipment for doctors.

According to the health ministry’s data, Vietnam currently has 68 producers of medical masks and protective suits. A number of textile enterprises have also started importing production lines of these items, such as Garment 10 Corporation Joint Stock Company, TNG Investment and Trading Joint Stock Company, among others.

An executive of Garment 10 Corporation Joint Stock Company said that it received a foreign order for 400 million medical face masks with delivery set for July.

TNG Investment and Trading Joint Stock Company also plans to start producing medical masks from mid-May. The enterprise has ensured sources of materials to produce the above-mentioned items after its output basically meets the domestic demand.

Besides, Vietnam has successfully produced waterproof cloth masks which are appreciated by many countries.

Chairman of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vu Tien Loc told Vietnam News Agency that the face mask production capacity of Vietnam is huge, much higher than domestic demand. While the face mask demand in the foreign markets is increasing rapidly, it is time for domestic producers to grasp that opportunity.

Priority must be still given to meeting the domestic demand, but it was also necessary to take the opportunity to boost exports, Loc stressed.

He also urged the government to develop a strategy for medical equipment production and export. “Any decision must be timely, especially in the pandemic period,” Loc said.

Over the past time, the Standing Committee of the Compilation Board for the Vietnam Border Guard Law has actively worked with the Department of Legal Affairs of the Ministry of Defense (MND), the Criminal and Administrative Legislation Department of the Ministry of Justice and relevant units to prepare documents for draft decrees guiding the implementation of the Vietnam Border Guard Law.

In addition, they made recommendations for the MND to prepare documents for the law building process as scheduled.

Concluding the conference, General Chien hailed the committee’s remarkable efforts and achievements in the compilation of draft decrees to contribute to the Vietnam Border Guard Law so as to soon put it into life.

The Deputy Defense Minister also requested the Vietnam Border Guard Command to promptly complete the draft decree detailing a number of articles of the law and to bring up other issues relating to the law.

Translated by Chung Anh